Back to Basics — Don’t Forget the Centers Caramel Basics Caramel types include extruded/enrobing, depositing, caramelized sugar, low water activity and sugarfree.

Randy Hofberger R&D Candy Consultants LLC

aramel can be many things — a color, a sugars, milk ingredients, corn syrup and Cflavor, a delicious confection. It is one fats/oils together. The above-mentioned of the most popular flavors in the U.S. mar- Maillard reaction will produce the charac- ket and can be found in confections, bak- teristic color and flavor. Typical moisture ery goods, ice cream, etc. Our focus here and fat contents are each 8 to 12 percent will be on the confectionery aspect. with nonfat milk solids in the 9 to 15.5 per- Caramels — confections based on milk cent range and protein 3.7 to 5 percent. ingredients — typically have an appealing Depositing Caramel brown color and unique sweet taste. Classic Randy Hofberger is The most common characteristic of a caramel flavors and colors are the result of president of R&D heating an amino acid and reducing sugars depositing caramel is a soft, flowy texture. It Candy Consultants together in a process called the Maillard can often be seen in moulded confections, LLC. His background reaction. Caramel textures can range from ice cream variegates and bakery goods. This includes technical soft texture is often the result of higher work for Peter’s grained like fudge, to soft and flowy, to Chocolate Division moisture content (15% –20%), which may sticky, to chewy, to hard like toffee. and Nestlé. He has require the use of a preservative such as taught at the Pulakos TYPES OF CARAMELS potassium sorbate to maintain a microbially Candy School. There are many variations of caramels. stable product. When formulating this Caramel types include extruded/enrobing, caramel, we want to minimize stringing and depositing, caramelized sugar, low water dripping to have a clean deposit. This can activity and sugarfree. This being caramel be accomplished by inducing a grain or hav- basics, we will discuss the two types most ing incomplete fat emulsification. found in confections: extruded/enrobing These caramels may use classic extruded and depositing caramels. caramel or caramelized sugar caramel as a base. When classic extruded caramel is used Extruded/Enrobing Caramel as a base, the product can be cooked to a Extruded/enrobing caramel is what most low temperature to maintain high moisture people consider as a caramel. It is usually a content. To obtain sufficient color and flavor, smooth, chewy, flavorful, dark brown con- this product is held for an extended fection with standup qualities (very impor- caramelization time, or it can be cooked to tant). This product is the result of heating a higher temperature, which allows for more ➤

The Manufacturing Confectioner • May 2011 51