Caramels

Caramel is by definition a smooth chewy candy made with sugar, butter, cream or milk. Caramels are softer, compared to hard boiled candy because they have been cooked to a lower temperature (to approximately 118°C) than hard candies and contain more moisture. Because of this soft texture, caramel can be extruded at lower temperatures, inserted into a mold, and put into a variety of other candies or candy bars to add flavour, binding, and texture.

What makes a caramel a caramel? The action of the heat on the milk solids, in conjunction with the sugar ingredients, imparts a typical caramel flavour to these sweets. Essentially, the candy undergoes a chemical reaction referred to by chemists as the Maillard reaction. In a conventional caramelization process, the sugar syrups are cooked to the proper moisture level, added to the fat and milk, heated, and then allowed to caramelize (develop the characteristic flavour and brown colour) in a browning kettle.

Sugar-free, no-sugar-added or sugar-reduced versions can be made with the use of polyols, dextrins and fibres.