Caramel Jam

This caramel contains the usual ingredients of sugar, butter and cream but also calls for glucose, a product I’d never worked with before. Because of this ingredient, the method for making the caramel differs from the norm. The first step is to boil the glucose and add the sugar gradually. There were a few moments there when I thought I’d end up with a crystallized mess and have to start over but the sugar eventually dissolved. Once the butter and cream are added, the mixture must be brought to a temperature of 248F while being stirred constantly. The recipe stresses the importance of reaching this temperature and I know now that that’s to encourage the cook to keep at it because this step takes a loooong time. The “jam” is lightened with a little extra cream for use in the caramel nut tart.

The caramel ended up a beautiful dark amber colour but didn't have a deep, rich flavour to match. It tasted good, not as sweet as some, but I’ve made better and I didn’t care for the stick-to-your-teeth quality that I think was caused by the glucose.