Why it works: Milk and vanilla are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 19,187 recipes. Both carry ethyl caproate, which smells fruity, apple peel. The science ↓
Plain Chocolate Caramels
Ingredients
Directions
Cook the caramel
Put the sugar, corn syrup, butter, cream of tartar, and 1 cup of milk on the fire.
Stir constantly, and when the mass has boiled for a few minutes, gradually stir in the rest of the milk.
Do not let the mixture stop boiling while the milk is being added.
Stir every few minutes, and cook until a hard ball may be formed in cold water.
Flavor and set
Add chocolate and vanilla, and beat them through the candy.
Turn into 2 buttered pans.
When nearly cold, cut into squares.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Vanilla | 1 tsp extract (4ml) | 12 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Milk + vanillatop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together19,187 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).
-
Milk + buttertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
-
Butter + creamtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,516 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together35,032 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
Sugar and vanilla barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 35,032 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Sugar
- Provides sweetness and, when cooked to a hard ball, sets the candy firm.
- Milk
- Adds creaminess and a soft, smooth body to the caramel.
- Butter
- Adds fat for a smooth, rich texture and mouthfeel.
- Baker's chocolate
- Adds deep chocolate flavor and color to the caramel.
The step that matters
Cooking to the hard ball stage. Sugar syrup sets according to how far its water has boiled off. Stopping too early leaves a soft, sticky caramel, while cooking too long makes it hard and brittle. Keep the mixture boiling while milk is added so it does not seize or scorch.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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