Tag Archives: sugar syrup

Sweet and Hot Macadamia Brittle

BY HELEN S. FLETCHER, ON
COPYRIGHT, HELEN S. FLETCHER, 2020. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
ALL PHOTOS BY PASTRIES LIKE A PRO UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

Finished photoMacadamia brittle is a treat anytime, but add a bit of heat and it becomes Sweet and Hot Macadamia brittle, a candy not to be forgotten.

I recently had to make a brittle for one of the desserts at the restaurant.  It didn’t take me long to remember why I wasn’t a candy maker!  Five pounds of sugar, umpteen nuts, cups of corn syrup and my frustration only grew. Some recipes used butter and vanilla, others not so much.  Some used baking soda, but I didn’t want the opaque, spongey look.  All of them used corn syrup but it seemed any amount went.  One recipe used so much butter it told you to blot the excess off after it cooled!

So back to the drawing board I went.  Sugar, nuts and some kind of heat were a given. Butter was added for richness and the key came down to the amount of corn syrup used.  Using too little, still allowed granulation of the sugar and didn’t allow the mixture to be stirred. So a two to one ration of sugar to corn syrup worked perfectly.

The mixture could be stirred and no matter what, wouldn’t granulate. To make things easier this recipe does not require the use of a candy thermometer.  All the ingredients are in the pan and the mixture are cooked to color.

Continue reading →

Caramel – An Important Building Block of Pastry

BY HELEN S. FLETCHER, ON
COPYRIGHT, HELEN S. FLETCHER, 2020. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
ALL PHOTOS BY PASTRIES LIKE A PRO UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

Finished Caramel (1 of 1)Caramel is one of the basic building blocks of pastry – also known as component parts or foundations.  It can be used as a part of a recipe, as a sauce or a candy.  There are several ways of making caramel.  The simplest is to liquify sugar until deeply golden then add cream.  But taking a different route offers a deeper, richer caramel.

We used a lot of caramel at the shop and never found a smooth, buttery caramel that tasted as good and was the correct consistency without making our own.   So we did!  Sometimes there was so much caramel going, you would think we were a candy shop instead of a bakery.  If you are not using the caramel immediately, it will keep well at room temperature when it is cool. Refrigerate it if the weather is warm or the butter will separate.  To warm it for spreading, microwave briefly.  Do not overheat or over stir a lot, as the butter will separate and rise to the top.  If this happens, pour off the melted butter.  For any recipe calling for caramel, you can do as we did and make this several days in advance.  Warm to use.

Once you taste this caramel, it will spoil any other caramel for you.  To use it for a sauce after it has been made, place it in a saucepan and add a bit more cream.  Heat gently, stirring from time to time.  If it is too thick, add a bit more cream. Remember the caramel sauce will thicken at room temperature so make it a bit thinner than you want the finished sauce to be when cooled. Continue reading →