Hello Everybody,

Its been a while after my last instructable, good to be back. Here I'm gonna explain the making of Homemade Caramel with and without cream which results as candy and toffee, In my childhood days i don't know the difference between candy, toffee... to me which ever is sweet and short its Chocolate. How silly of me !!! Anyhow now i would like to share them in step by step procedure.

Step 1: Ingredients and Tools

These ingredients are ready available in kitchen and its very easy to make. First thing, you don't need candy thermometer.. but sharp eyes are mandatory. This is my first trail so i prepared a very small batch.

Ingredients

1) Sugar - 1/4 + 1/4 cup

2) Water - 1/8 + 1/8 cup

3) Butter - 1 + 1 tsp

4) Hazelnut flavour - few drops

5) Corns with oil - few (not shown here)

6) Cream - 1 tsp (not shown here)

Tools

Measuring cups, Measuring spoon, parchment paper, silicone brush, silicone mould, thick bottomed pan.

Step 2: Caramel Without Cream

1) In a thick bottomed pan pour sugar 1/4 cup and water 1/8 cup, keep in small heat slowly sugar will get dissolved,

DON'T STIR in the following stages

2) Now increase the heat, it will start bubbling in 4 - 5 mins

3) Using brush control the bubbling by moving the brush above the surface, don't go below the surface

4) Stirring is not recommended as it would spoil the recrystallisation.

Step 3: Watch Like a Hawk

Attention everybody this is the crucial part where its decide whether you'll end up with tasty yummy caramel or bitter yukky caramel as this happens within seconds

1) Keep yourself eyeballed once its starts turning yellow colour

2) Don't stir, i know its difficult to resist the feeling of stirring but don't. Once in a while give a swirl as it helps in even caramelisation.

3) As you can see my second image, it was just about to turn golden colour but took it out of heat and kept above table cloth

4) Thats the right moment, because the vessel heat is still there it will turn golden to little brown after getting out of heat.

Tip: Don't wait in the heat to turn light brown, it will end up bitter.

5) Carefully add 1 tsp of butter (unsalted) as it will be very hot it will start bubbling heavily, now give a good stir also add few drops of hazel nut flavour, you can add any flavour from your wishlist.

Step 4: 1 Minute Challenge

After mixing butter and your favourite flavour, pump up your creativity and do everything in fast forward motion. you got only a minute or two.

This type i.e., without cream will solidify very fast, so keep your mould and parchment paper ready, as well your mind

Application of caramel

Raw Candy with your favourite flavours

Cake decorators

Caramel nest

and anything which you could do within a minute

Step 5: Caramel With Cream

Here we will add second half of the ingredients mentioned after +, along with cream (last stage)

Repeat the same caramelisation process, Boil_ don't stir_give a swirl_wait for yellow colour that's your cue

Step 6: It's Toffee Time

From yellow it turns golden colour, immediately remove from heat. Add butter and fresh cream (heavy cream also can be added), now it will start bubbling vigorously be careful while stirring if required wear hand gloves for safety.

There you go yourself creamy caramel is ready,

Bottle up, store up in refrigerate for 1 month and use on daily basis.

Using parchment paper wrap it up and distribute the toffee with happy face :)

Step 7: My Failed Experiment

I was wondering how caramel popcorn are being made, and thought anyhow I'm making caramel, let me try caramel popcorn as added bonus recipe,

After bottling up in glass jar of creamy caramel, i left few spoons of caramel in vessel and added corns with oil,

Follow the instructions in the store brought corns to make pop corn,

First rule of making it, keep the lid upside down so that steam goes out,

you'll hear corn popping out to see the outside world, but i smelled little bit burnt smell , immediately switched off the stove, and saw that caramel was burnt :(

so here and there popcorn was tasting bitter.

I may have failed now, but soon i'll make it work.

Step 8: Jar It and Enjoy

You can add little of bit of salt to make salted caramel sauce, Add more cream if you want it to be free flowing as topping for ice creams or any dessert. Cream will stop caramelisation becoming rigid as it did in candy. so that's the difference between With and without cream home made caramel.

Stay tuned !!!