There's Always One

You know the old saying "there's an a**hole in every group"? Hobbies are no different and in the realm of baking, candy is the unique individual that makes the most dedicated sweet-addict curse.

And I mean profusely. If you attempt this recipe, make the children leave the house, close the windows so the neighbors don't hear, and keep a small throw pillow nearby. What do you mean that's not why their called "throw pillows"?

Anyways, I have recently stumbled upon a few candy related pins that are just too darned tempting. I've had a candy cookbook for some years and once in a while I pick it up and fantasize. Then it always returns to its spot on the shelf.

However, when I found this caramel curl garnish recipe, I could be deterred no longer. The recipe was so simple to put together and the whole process just sounded like something I could do.

I strongly recommend if you intend to play with sugar, get the following tools: wooden spoon, candy thermometer, ceramic pot. When I say ceramic pot, I mean it very seriously. Candy can be very difficult and it is just so much easier to use a ceramic pot because there is no concern about how non-stick it is such as with other types of non-stick cookware. I also recommend to get a large pot. Even though this recipe is very small, sugar boils up before it cooks down. You will want the space.

Sugar fascinates me. I've seen television shows that follow the process of candy making but until you see it before your very eyes, there are just no words that will convince you of just how magical sugar is. That's not going to stop me trying, though.

Sugar has multiple stages: soft ball, hard ball, soft crack, hard crack. As you move through the stages, the transition of the sugar's state is more than just liquid and solid.

In the beginning, there was sugar, butter and syrup.


Before too very long, the sugar was boiling up. I know it still doesn't look like much in the pot, but having extra room helps when stirring.

Soon, the sugar moved past the soft ball and hard ball states. It thickened to a porridge like state then began to clump up. Stirring almost didn't happen.


Thankfully, this stage does not last long as the crack stages move in. The sugar finally begins to look like caramel as it reaches 300 degrees F.




This was the point when I took the pot off the heat source. The caramel was to cool to 200 degrees F before attempting to curl it around the greased up handle of my whisk.

This was also the point where the cussing began.

Using a fork, as per the recipe, I lifted a scoop of caramel and let it run down in a strand then stuck the whisk handle through the strand and twisted the handle. There is a timing to this technique that is just utter failure. The strands dripped at such a high pace that I couldn't get the whisk twirled in time. At a point, the handle had warmed up enough that the caramel just slid right off, no twirl whatsoever. 

@&$*&#!

 

Time out. Think. What about this can I change. 

I mess with the caramel while I think. Maybe the handle is too warm? Or too much additional grease from the caramel transferring to the handle? Did I miss anything in the recipe post...?

The caramel cools more and stiffens; thermometer reads about 120. I put it back on the burner on the lowest heat possible and wait for it to be pliable again. 

And that was all it took: let the caramel cool to below 200 then bring it back up. It is now denser and the strand drips slower, cools faster. Plus, I can wrap the strand of caramel around the whisk -  no twirl! Now we were in business! 

This was a fun recipe and I ended up with some really beautiful caramel garnishes. 

Tips:

 Hard crack is not literal; this caramel snaps easily! 

If you decide to stop half way through the caramel, wipe a piece of aluminum foil with grease and poor the remaining caramel on it to cool. You can either crack it up for pieces to eat or save it to reheat later. 

For clean-up: put all your tools in the pot with some water and let it boil about 10 minutes. All clean! 

These curls are very thin! If you plan to garnish cupcakes with them, do it just before serving or the moisture of the frosting may melt the curl. (I found this out the hard way and ended up with frosting that looked like it had been slashed by Wolverine.)

For storing: dust the curls lightly with powdered sugar, let set a couple minutes, then put in a tupperware. The powdered sugar will create a layer against the sticky of the caramel.