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This comment suggests something about the true definition of "caramel":

Actually, caramel is not made with "milk and/or cream, butter, and sometimes vanilla". While US recipes are fond of adding these things to caramel, they are not an essential part of the definition.

I am very interested in what a true caramel recipe and production is. What actually is the definition?

Also, I want to toy around with butterscotch, caramel and toffee - I like them all. Is there something along this line that uses molasses, even if it's not caramel per se?

Community
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Mark Votaw
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When heated, sugar will caramelize and turn into caramel. No other ingredients are required.

According to Harold McGee in On Food and Cooking published by Scribner, 2004, p. 688:

Caramel is first of all the brown, sweet, aromatic syrup produced in caramelization, which may be used as a coloring and/or flavoring ingredient in many preparations. But cooks use the same word to mean the combination of caramelized sugar and various milk products, ideally cream, which are mixed while the sugar is still hot so that the milk solids are browned and generate color and aroma as well.

mattm
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caramel (n.)

1725, "burnt sugar," from French caramel "burnt sugar" (17c.), from Old Spanish caramel (modern caramelo)caramel origin

This suggests that what is commonly called Caramel is the burning (or almost burnt) sugar, either on it's own or in sweetened condensed milk or other milk products with added sugar.

Lonewolf
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