Modernist Caramel Cream

A simple but irresistible smooth caramel cream that is so good that you just want to eat it by itself. Of course, you can use it to complement a wide variety of desserts but we finished it before it made it to our planned recipe...

In this caramel cream recipe we take advantage of the smooth texture of Iota Carrageenan when used with dairy and its synergies with Kappa Carrageenan to add a little more consistency. The caramel cream will set lightly with a custard-like texture or it can also be whipped. If you use semi-sphere molds, it can be carefully unmolded too but it is a little too fragile for square or other molds with sharp edges.

Ingredients

Caramel Cream

- 450 g (16 oz) heavy cream (at room temperature)

- 135 g (4.8 oz) sugar

- 35 g (1.2 oz) water

- 1 g Iota Carrageenan

- 0.2 g Kappa Carrageenan

- salt pinch

Preparation

1- In a pot with thick base, heat the sugar and water until you obtain a dark caramel. To avoid crystallization, carefully clean the sides of the pot with a wet brush while the sugar is boiling.

2- Once you obtain a dark caramel color, remove from heat and very carefully add the heavy cream while whisking to deglaze the caramel. It will splatter so be very careful when doing this. Wear long sleeves, glasses and stay as far away as you can from the pot by stretching your arm.

3- Mix the Iota and Kappa Carrageenan  with a small spoon of sugar to aid dispersion.

4- Add the carrageenan mix to the caramel cream and blend it using an immersion blender.

5- Pass the mixture through a fine sieve to remove any particles.

6- Pour into desired individual serving vessels or reserve it in the fridge to be whipped at the time of serving.

Assemble and Serve

- Use the caramel cream to complement a wide variety of desserts. It pairs great with chocolate desserts, banana and apple pie.