Sugar is a wonderfully versatile ingredient. When heated it can be transformed entirely - into crisp caramel - perfect for use in desserts and other delicious sweet treats.
Dry caramel recipe
Use to make decorations. They can be made up to 24 hours in advance and stored in an airtight container.
1. Line a baking sheet with oiled greaseproof paper. Put 200g (7oz) caster sugar in a heavy-based pan with 4 tbsp water. Heat gently until the sugar dissolves.
2. Bring to the boil, then cook until it turns a medium caramel colour. Dip the base of the pan in cold water to stop the caramel cooking further. Use immediately before it begins to harden.
3. For caramel flowers, dip a fork into the caramel and use it to make abstract shapes 4cm (1½in) in diameter on oiled greaseproof paper.
4. For caramel cages, lightly oil the back of a ladle. Drizzle caramel threads in a crisscross pattern, finishing with a thread around the rim.
Video: How to make dry caramel
Wet caramel recipe
A good sauce to use with fruit such as oranges, peaches and pineapple.
1. Put 200g (7oz) sugar in a heavy-based pan with 150ml (¼ pint) water. Heat gently to dissolve. Bring to the boil and cook until it turns a medium caramel colour.
2. Remove from the heat, stand away and pour in 150ml (¼ pint) wate.r Heat and stir to dissolve, then cool.
Can't get enough of caramel? Try these delicious, triple-tested recipes:
Crêpes with nectarines and caramel sauce
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
