(This is the recipe I attempted to make, but ended up with caramel shards instead) - Jen
- 3 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon Vermont maple syrup
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
- Lightly oil the outside of several small ramekins or bowls and
place them upside down on a lightly oiled sheet of waxed paper or a
silicone liner.
- Stir the ingredients together in a heavy saucepan over medium-high
heat and bring to a boil, swirling occasionally to blend. Adjust the
fire to achieve a slow, steady boil. Cook without stirring until the
mixture reaches 320 F on a candy thermometer. Watch carefully; the
mixture quickly moves from soft ball stage (240 F) to hard ball stage
(265 F) to hard crack stage (300 F), then begins to color (caramel
stage). The bubbles become larger as the sugar is reduced and the
mixture thickens.
- Once it gets to this stage, immediately remove the pan from the
heat. Dip a fork in the caramel and, working quickly, trail long
threads of sugar back and forth across an oiled ramekin AND the waxed
paper. The sugar will harden quickly. When the sugar has firmed, use a
5-inch round cutter to trim the circumference of the basket so that the
finished basket looks like a small rimmed hat. Remove from the ramekin
and set aside. Repeat with all the ramekins.
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