caramel & fudge

Caramels, Fudge & Toffee

Randy Hofberger

Resident Course in

Confectionery Technology

Resident Course in Confectionery Technology

Caramel, Fudge & Toffee - Definitions

The primary ingredients of these products are sugars, corn syrups, fats and dairy ingredients

Caramels usually have a smooth, non-grained texture

Fudge has a short granular texture The brown stuff found on the outside of some

cookies is not really Fudge ! The US definition of Toffee is a hard candy

containing a dairy ingredient (butter, cream, condensed milk etc.) Examples ; English Toffee, Butterscotch, Butter Toffee


Caramel, Fudge & Toffee - Definitions

In the UK, toffee usually refers to a hard caramel although the term is also applied to hard, sugar based products usually containing nuts. An old version of the word toffee was

Taffy now out of use except in Wales and in the USA, (Salt Water Taffy)

Caramels were invented in the USA around the turn of the 19th. century.


Caramels-structure

A complex structure - a highly concentrated sugar solution containing emulsified fats

The structure also contains milk proteins dispersed throughout its mass

Textures vary from semi fluid to hard, moisture content is a keydriver of hardness, ranges from 6-20% moisture

Milk protein is a major influence on texture, typically 1 to 4% of product. The protein coagulates during cooking to provide body

Protein provides stand-up properties i.e. prevents cold flow At low end of moisture content range protein is less important

than total solids


Fudge-structure

Two phase system sugar crystals surrounded by a continuous syrup phase

Water content is the main influence on hardness The crystal network provides the characteristic

short texture of fudge Not subject to cold flow due to crystalline structure


Toffee-structure

An amorphous, glass like state basically a hard candy with fats emulsified into the syrup

The high fat content gives it a friable, crunchy texture

Toffees very often have nut or other inclusions added e.g. the almonds in English Toffee


Major Raw Materials

Sugar Sucrose is the main sweetener and bulk raw

material In fudge the sugar content must be high

enough to allow crystallization White sugar mostly used a partial

replacement with brown sugar will add flavor Invert Sugar

Hydrolyzed sucrose - 76% solution Up to 5% for tender texture & humectancy.

fudge and helps control crystal size excess = stickiness


Major Raw Materials

Corn Syrup Provide bulk, body and prevents (caramel) or controls

(fudge) crystallization Too much in caramel = Tough/chewy texture & cold flow Regular 42 DE most often used, Lower DE = Tough,

chewy texture Higher DE more tender but can lead to stickiness & lack of body

High Fructose corn syrup (42%) is very similar to invert in composition can be used as a 1:1 replacement (on a solids basis)


Major Raw Materials

Milk Key ingredient for flavor & texture Milk protein reacts with reducing sugars in Maillard

reaction a major factor in developing the typical caramel flavor/color

Milk proteins provide body & stand up quality Several different proteins mainly casein, lactalbumin

and lacto globulin 80% of protein in milk is casein remaining 20% are whey

proteins Caramels contain 1-4% total protein


Major Raw Materials

Milk products Fresh milk;

13% solids rarely used due to high moisture content.

Sweetened condensed whole milk; most commonly used 27% water, 44.3% added

sugar,8.1% protein, 8.7% milk fat, 11.4% lactose Seeded with fine lactose crystals

Sweetened condensed skim milk; 28% water, 42% added sugar,10% protein, 0.3% milk

fat, 16.3% lactose


Major Raw Materials

Milk products Condensed milk & Evaporated milk;

Very similar products consisting of milk concentrated to around 33% solids. Contains 9% protein, 9% fat & 11.4% lactose (also available in skim versions in which fat has been removed)

Evaporated milk sold in cans, condensed milk in truckloads

Evaporated milk is a favorite in retail candy kitchens, gives a rich creamy flavor, must be added slowly to boiling batch to avoid curdling

Condensed milk used in large scale operations where plant is close to dairy high transportation costs short shelf life (10 days Max)


Major Raw Materials

Milk products Milk Powders

Dried milk powders (whole or skim) can be used in caramel & fudge. May lead to rough texture & inferior flavor

Careful attention should be paid to reconstitution method. Premixing with sugar & using high shear mixer recommended and, ideally a 24 hour holding period to ensure maximum hydration

Available as spray or roller dried, usually roller dried is used (lower cost)

High & low heat versions available low heat is easier to reconstitute high heat better functionally

See attached paper on milk powders by T. Galloway


Major Raw Materials

Milk products Whey powders & protein concentrates

Used as a substitute or partial replacement for milk in caramels & fudge. Protein 12.9% Lactose 73.5% Ash 8.0% (demineralized whey with lower ash is recommended)

Produces inferior product due to poor flavor, lack of body as the protein contains no casein

High lactose leads to excessive color development & can lead to rough texture if crystals form in finished product

Milk protein concentrates have lower lactose levels


Major Raw Materials

Fats Contribute to the flavor & texture of fudge, caramel &

toffee. Provide a creamy mouth feel, influence the firmness and provide lubricity to prevent sticking to equipment during production and teeth during consumption

Milk fat contributes to the typical caramel flavor Is added as part of the milk ingredient, as dairy

butter or as anhydrous milk fat Other fats vegetable oils (usually hardened or

naturally hard) often incorporated as part of the formula. Most common are from soybeans, palm kernel, palm, coconut and cottonseed


Major Raw Materials

Fats Fats should be well refined & free form off-flavors

Unlike butterfat, vegetable oils do not contribute to the flavor of the product

The melting point should not be far above blood heat or a waxy mouth feel will result Typically fats with melting points of 92F to 110F are used

Hard fats contribute to the texture of the caramel and help to prevent cold flow

The fat content should be sufficient to prevent sticking. Too much can lead to separation

The total fat in most caramel & fudge recipes is 10-15% but 6 20% can be found. English toffee up to 40% butter!


Major Raw Materials

Emulsifiers Added to ensure adequate emulsification of the

fats into the aqueous phase. Milk contains natural emulsifiers

Soy lecithin by far the most commonly used emulsifier ca 0.25% of the batch weight

Mono-glycerides and / or Di-glycerides are sometimes used as emulsifiers, they also help to improve lubricity and are useful in low fat content formulae. Ca 1.0-2.0% of batch used


Major Raw Materials

Starches, proteins, gums and gelling agents Starches sometimes used to provide body in

low protein formulae. Sufficient water must be added to ensure gelatinization during cooking (5 X the weight of starch)

Other materials used to add body in caramels include egg whites, soy proteins, wheat flour, gelatin and alginates


Major Raw Materials

Salt Added to enhance the flavor of the other raw

materials 0.25 1.0% (including any salt from butter)

pH adjusting ingredients The caramel or fudge pre-mix should have a

neutral ph (6.8-7.0). A low pH can cause curdling of the milk & granular texture. Basic salts are added to adjust the pH

Sodium Bicarbonate most commonly used at around 0.3% of batch


Major Raw Materials

Flavor Vanilla flavor is usually added to basic caramel

& fudge recipes Vanilla extracts, Vanillin or other synthetic

flavors Other natural and artificial flavors often added

e.g.. Licorice, Peppermint, Raspberry

Inclusions A wide variety of inclusions can be found

nuts, crisp rice, chocolate, marshmallows etc


Caramel Processing

The simplest process is to use open kettles heated by steam or gas

Kettle constructed of copper or stainless steel and fitted with scrapers to prevent scorching caused by milk protein burning on the sides of the kettle

Copper kettles provide best heat transfer stainless preferred for sanitation

Copper can also catalyze rancidity in less stable fats leading to reduced shelf life


Caramel Processing

Five basic unit operations

1) Pre-Mixing2) Emulsification3) Cooking / Caramelizing4) Cooling5) Forming


Caramel Processing

Pre-Mixing Sugar, corn syrups, condensed milk,

water (if required), fats, emulsifiers and salt are blended and heated to melt sugar and fats

Should be heated to at least melting point of fats/emulsifiers + 10F

Usually heated to ca 160F


Caramel Processing Emulsifying

A very important stage in caramel production, the fat must be very well homogenized into the liquid phase Usually achieved in a high shear mixing stage

between pre-mixing and cooking typically 10 to 20 minutes while maintaining temperature of 160 to 180F

Ultrasonic homogenizers can also be used Adequate emulsification is essential to

optimize flavor and to prevent fat separation during processing or storage


Caramel Processing

Conventional Cooking and Caramelizing The emulsified batch is cooked with constant

scraping to the final temperature required to give the required final moisture content

During cooking the batch will caramelize and develop the characteristic flavor & color

Caramelization is time & temperature dependant, increase or decrease heat to adjust

A typical cooking time is 20 minutes Flavors are usually added at the end of

cooking after the heat has been turned off


Caramel Processing

Continuous Cooking and Caramelizing There have been several different methods developed

to cook and caramelize continuously; some examples are A heated, four zone, open top barrel with a shaft

less scraper and an overflow weir to determine residence time and degree of caramelization

A scraped or wiped surface heat exchangers followed by retention stage at high temperature

A vertical cooking vessel with rapid agitation and controlled residence time

APV BAKER CARABLEND CARAMEL COOKER

YYP CARAMEL COOKER


Caramel Processing

Cooling Caramel made by the batch process is

usually poured out onto a water cooled table and tempered with occasional folding to the desired plasticity

Caramel from a continuous process is usually passed over a water cooled wheel


Caramel Processing

Forming Depending on the product being made the

caramel is transferred to the forming machine e.g Batch Roller / Cut & wrap Extruder Depositor (not pre-cooled) Bar former


Fudge Processing

The fudge cooking process is the same as for caramel

Graining To produce the grained structure of fudge,

sucrose crystallization must be induced, the most comon methods are; Cooling without agitation (200F-130F) in a

water cooled kettle, then adding fondant to seed crystallization. Lower mixing temperatures = smaller crystal & smoother texture


Fudge Processing

Graining (cont.) Using a flat bed beater

Pour cooked batch into a cream beater cool (water jacket in base) ca 100F. Start machine, the ploughs agitate the mass and crystallize the sugar. The mass will thin at end of process due to heat of crystallization

Fudge can also be made using equipment based on continuous beaters or heat exchangers designed for fondant production

HOHBERGER FONDANT BEATER


Fudge Processing

Forming As with caramel there are many ways to

form fudge into a finished product, Extruding Bar Forming Depositing (starch or starchless) Filling into plastic or foil trays Cut and wrap Stamping into shapes

caramel & fudge

Documents

sugar content

fudge toffee definitions

english toffee resident

flavor texture milk

stickiness resident

brown sugar

nongrained texture fudge

moisture milk protein