Caramel is a delicious confection that doesn’t get to be in the spotlight nearly as often as it should. It is most frequently used as a filling, topping or other accompaniment to add an extra layer of flavor to some other dessert. In Be Sweet: Caramels: Gooey, Chewy Delights, caramels are the focus and the book delivers more than 30 recipes for different types and flavors of caramel.
Caramels are not difficult to make, but they do require a little bit of patience because you need to be accurate when cooking the ingredients. You also need a candy thermometer, as getting an accurate temperature reading is the only way to ensure that your caramels are going to turn out perfectly every single time. The beginning of the book has an introductory section, complete with pictures, that walks you though the caramel-making process before jumping into the recipes and it is very helpful for those who haven’t worked with caramel much before. The recipes themselves are clearly written and easy to follow, with a wide range of flavors that will appeal to just about everyone.
Once you have finished a batch or two of caramels, you have a couple of different options. You can eat them all yourself, of course, but you can also dip them in chocolate or package them as-is for gifting to friends and family. The final chapter in the book focuses on packaging, since homemade caramels do make excellent presents and they deserve a beautiful presentation after you put a lot of love into making them.
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