Tagged with 'baking tips'

Peter’s Caramel Loaf is a beloved favorite among confectioners & home bakers alike. Peter’s Caramel’s authentic flavor profile strikes the perfect balance between rich buttery goodness & the alluring sweetness of brown sugar. Known for its workable texture & delightful stretch, this premade caramel loaf is perfect for creating pure caramel confections, pecan clusters, caramel coated apples & so much more. The shelf-stable nature of Peter’s Caramel Loaf ensures that you always have a ready-to-use caramel block on hand, saving you time & effort in the kitchen. Whether you are a seasoned baker, or a novice pastry chef, experimenting with caramel for the first time, this premade Peter’s Caramel Loaf is sure to elevate your confectionery creations!

How to Melt Peter’s Caramel Loaf:

Double Boiler:

1. Prepare a heavy-bottomed saucepan or a double boiler. Ensure the boiling water does not touch the pan or bowl that will hold your caramel as no water should come in contact with your caramel.
2. Slice the desired amount of Peter’s Caramel Loaf & put it in the bowl going over the double boiler. If you are following a specific recipe, be sure to weigh out the exact amount of Peter’s Caramel that the recipe calls for.
3. Melt the Peter’s Caramel on low to medium heat, stirring constantly. 
   PRO TIP: use a rubber spatula instead of a whisk to minimize air bubbles.
4. The temperature of your caramel should remain between 160ºF- 180ºF while melting.
5. Once you’ve reached the desired consistency, remove your Peter’s Caramel from the heat to avoid overcooking or burning.

Microwave:

1. Place the desired amount of Peter’s Caramel in a microwave safe bowl.
2. Cook on high for 1 minute, remove & stir.
3. Cook on high at 50% power for another minute & stir.
4. Repeat cooking at 50% power in 1 minute intervals, stirring in between, until your Peter’s Caramel is fully melted. 
   PRO TIP: To avoid burning your caramel, do not allow Peter’s Caramel to exceed 180ºF.
5. Stir occasionally with a rubber spatula to maintain the desired temperature & consistency.

PRO TIP: Add in 1lb of white coating wafers (such as our Sweet Shoppe White Coating Wafers) to every 5lbs of caramel to avoid air bubbles, improve elasticity & cold flow (when caramel collapses or starts to sag over time once it dries) while dipping fruit such as caramel apples. 

Cleaning up after melting Peter’s Caramel is much easier when it’s done promptly. Warm water & soap should be sufficient to clean your utensils. Any leftover melted caramel can be stored in an airtight container in a dark cool place, just like your chocolate wafers. Keep in mind for future use, the texture of Peter’s Caramel may slightly change upon reheating depending on the temperature the caramel reaches while working with it. 

If you are looking for a more liquidy caramel to use for filling bonbons or drizzling, Peter’s Liquid Caramel might be exactly what you're looking for. 

If you still don’t know which caramel to use or have further questions about melting Peter’s Caramel Loaf, please reach out to our customer service team at info@stovercompany.com.

Have you ever seen a beautifully decorated cake & wondered how the baker created those symmetrical flowers, endless swirls or perfect piping? Just like any craft, a baker uses special tools to achieve these classic styles. Let’s explore some of these tried & true cake decorating tools!

Peter’s Caramel is the premiere, ready made caramel, beloved by pastry chefs, confectioners & bakers alike. Their rich caramel starts with a generous buttery taste at the forefront & ends with a touch of toasted sweetness for a well-balanced overall flavor profile. Our customers use Peter’s Caramel to create rich caramel candy centers, caramel apples, dipped pretzels and so many more delicious treats.

Just like melting coating wafers, there are several methods you can use to melt Peter’s Caramel but we do recommend that you follow a couple best practices.

Merckens Compound Chocolate is known for their consistent & superior quality that allows you to easily melt chocolate & create delicious chocolate dipped treats. However, if you have ever used compound chocolate, you may have found that when melted, it can occasionally have a thick consistency, making dipping treats a little more difficult to do.

If you live in an area with high heat & humidity, it may be affecting your chocolate. We want to give you as much information as we can to you to ensure your chocolate is away from the heat & moisture from the humidity. It's always good to make a note when you initially place your order to keep track of it. 

"Top 10 Predictions For Baked Goods Trends In 2022," according to Hamed Ali, Bakery Plant Operations Manager. 

We know things are alway changing & we have to keep up with the "what's in," of the baking industry. We are almost halfway through 2022, were his prediction accurate?  Let's take a look at a few points & discuss what we are seeing currently. 

Baking does not need to be hard! While making mistakes is completely normal & common for everyone, we are here to try and lessen the amount of mistakes made when it comes to baking! Everyone has a starting point in their baking journey & we feel that these 5 baking tips will help you be successful in starting your baking fun!