Caramel
confectionery product made by heating sugars / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Caramel (/ˈkærəmɛl/}[1] ) is a beige to dark-brown sweet food. It is made by heating sugars. It is used to add flavour to puddings and desserts. It can also be as a filling, like is done in bonbons, and as a topping for ice cream, custard and coffee.
Simple sugar (Sucrose) starts to melt at about 135 °C (270 °F), without changing its color. The process called caramelisation starts when sugar is heated to at least 150 °C (300 °F), and more often to around 170 °C (340 °F). As the sugar heats, the molecules break down and turn into compounds with the colour and flavour of caramel.
Many candies and desserts are made with caramel. Some of these are caramel apples, pralines, nougats, brittles, crème caramel, and crème brûlée.