Caramel without condensed milk

[Biscuitsandtea]

Hi,

I wondered if anyone had a recipe for caramel that didn't use condensed milk? I want to get a caramel layer in something that is the sort of 'clear' caramel rather than 'cloudy' iyswim. Not sure if you'll know what I mean by that .

Also is it a lot more difficult to make caramel without condensed milk?

Cheers :)

I just heat sugar and butter. Depending on how long you cook it for will determine how runny it is.

Ah ok - so light muscavado sugar and butter? In what proportions?

Errr couple tbsp butter and maybe 250g sugar, 250 ml water? I just tend to throw it together. Tbh the tricky part is cooking it for the right amount of time. It needs to caramelise without reaching the cracking stage. It should be nicely dark and I test it on the back of a cold spoon.

If you want a 'dulche de leche'-type, heat milk/sugar in the proportion of 250g sugar to 500ml milk until sugar dissolved and then boil stirring until the right colour. Would possible work done in a slow cooker, too.

For 'clear' caramel - dissolve some sugar in water and boil until the right degree of brown-ness. Don't stir - encourages crystallisation, just brush down the inside of the pan with brush dipped in cold water.