Caramel sauce can be tricky to make, especially without a nice stovetop and high-quality saucepan. Well, Cook’s Illustrated (@cooksillustrated) just turned that on its head with a post, Fuss-Free Microwave Caramel. My medicated mind obviously went straight to medicating this recipe. That was the beginning of a series of unexpected failures, but it became an opportunity to learn some really cool stuff before returning to simplicity and achieving success.
To save time for those only interested in the main steps, follow the instructions in the Cook’s Illustrated video and add your cannabis oil, RSO, or FECO at the end, mixing thoroughly with the butter. In theory and mostly in practice, it’s that simple. The rest of this post will cover the recipe, process, and, most importantly, explain some unexpected complications to help you achieve delicious success.
WATCH VIDEO HERE
Ingredients
Makes 1 C of Medicated Caramel Sauce
1 C Sugar
2 Tbsp Corn syrup
2 Tbsp Water
1/4 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Lemon juice
1/2 C Heavy cream, warmed
2 tsp Vanilla
1 Tbsp Butter
1-4 g Decarbed cannabis oil (FECO/RSO)
Additional flavorings: miso, bourbon, and espresso powder can be added to the cream
Process
1) In a 2-cup measuring cup, stir together sugar, corn syrup, water, salt, and lemon juice.
2) Ready ingredients for after microwaving the sugar mixture.
After microwave ingredients: Cannabis oil, flavoring (vanilla), butter, and cream
3) Microwave the sugar mixture until it starts to turn brown, about 5 minutes.
4) Remove to a safe working area. Very Hot! Use an oven mitt to handle.
5) Watch the fast-changing color and be ready to add cream. Stopping the cooking with the cream is crucial to avoid burning.
6) When it reaches a dark, rich color, whisk in cream VERY carefully, in VERY SMALL incremental amounts. It will boil violently, expand, and release a lot of very hot steam so BE CAREFUL.
This is the stage that will determine the color of the final product. Catch it early and you can make a light caramel, or catch it later for a darker one. Just don’t let it go too far and burn.
7) Finish by whisking in the butter and cannabis oil (FECO/RSO).
8) Cool and GET LIFTED!
Calculating Dosage
This recipe produces 1 cup (16 Tbsp) of caramel sauce. Using a tablespoon as the dosing measure, divide the total THC in milligrams by 16.
Dosage Calculation From This Batch:
total mg / 16 Tbsp = THC per Tbsp
4 g of 75% (750 mg per gram) decarbed oil
3,000 mg total THC
3,000 mg / 16 Tbsp = 187.5 mg per Tbsp
*Adjust the strength to your personal preference
CAUTIONS NOT EXPLAINED IN ORIGINAL VIDEO
Caution 1: Very Fast Caramelization and Scorching
My first attempt at making this went exactly like the original Cook’s Illustrated video, with terrible results. The extent to which the original video allowed the mixture to darken clearly led to burning. I know this because I replicated it perfectly. The sugar caramelizes very quickly after being removed from the microwave and will continue to cook until it scorches if not stopped. Whisking in the cream is what halts the caramelization process.
Caution 2: Adding the Cream Creates Violent and Hot Boiling
It’s crucial to be careful here and add only a small amount of cream at a time. The caramelization process is stopped when the cream is added, as stirring and the addition of cream allow the heat trapped in the molten sugar to escape. This happens very violently, so proceed with caution.
CANNABIS OIL COMPLICATION
Using lemon juice and corn syrup prevents the crystallization problem commonly seen when making caramel. It works well in this recipe. However, it turns out that adding cannabis oil does the exact opposite. I don’t have an explanation for why, but I now know to avoid adding the cannabis oil to the sugar mixture before the cream.
My thought was that mixing the cannabis oil with the sugar would ensure the most even distribution and accurate dosing. Unfortunately, I discovered that the oil causes the sugar to clump up quickly. I tried adding the cannabis to the sugar mixture in different ways, and each time it caused serious problems.
CANNABIS OIL SOLUTION
The solution was simple. It was probably what I should have done from the start. Just add the oil at the end, along with the butter. Since the mixture is so hot and the oil is eager to blend in, I’m confident it mixes evenly.
THE FAILING ROAD TO SUCCESS
I’m glad I took the long way around and failed many times because I learned so much. It was actually fun, even in the frustration of learning new things. Here is the learning curve I rode to get us here.
Making Regular Caramel:
Try #1 – Fail: Left too long to darken and scorched with a burnt smell and taste.
Try #2 – Success: Made the perfect normal caramel sauce.
Adding Cannabis Oil:
Try #3 – Fail: Used a 1-cup measuring cup by accident, and the molten sugar lava coated and hardened in the microwave. I thought it was due to the cannabis oil until I realized the mistake of using too small a measuring cup.
Try #4 – Fail: Mixed cannabis oil into sugar mixture before heating. When adding the cream, the sugar crystallized and clumped aggressively.
Try #5 – Fail: Added cannabis oil into sugar without mixing before heating. The results had the same crystallization and clumping problem.
Try #6 – Beat the Final Boss: Added the cannabis oil after the cream and with the butter, and it came out perfectly. This is the way.
FINAL WORDS OF ADVICE
I took the long way around on this, but hopefully my falls help you stand tall with success. The hidden traps in this seemingly simple process can ruin the outcome, but if avoided, this is incredibly easy when done correctly. Pay very close attention to the details and be ready ahead of time to execute the next step. Watch the color closely and be careful of the hard, bubbling hot mixture when the cream is added.
STAY LIFTED YA’LL!!!!!
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