Caramel

A food substance that is produced by cooking sugar until it melts and darkens into a nutty brown colored mixture that ranges in consistency from liquid to hard-surfaced. Often referred to as burnt or camelized sugar, caramel can be cooked into a soft pliable candy (with the addition of butter, cream and corn syrup), or made into a hard substance to be crushed into bits for toppings and flavorings, or produced as a syrupy liquid for sweet sauces that are served with various desserts.