If you were in a box of chocolate, what chocolate would you be? I would be a milk chocolate with peanuts. and you?

[ProfessorGAC]

45. No, It's Not Hard

Sugar, a little corn syrup (we need the water in that) and a hot pan. (I use a big frying pan because of the high surface to mass ratio.)
Have to stir regularly, and have to keep a little water in the side. If it gets too "dry" the sugar can burn. A little water slows the reaction, because the first step in the reaction is the removal of chemically bound water. We're dehydrating the sugar!
A very complex set of reactions then take place to rearrange the organic backbone. Dozens of reaction products!
The flavor can be adjusted be using more or less corn syrup because the distribution of reaction products is changed by the presence of fructose being directly dehydrated.
Have to keep a sharp eye when it starts to change color, because it goes pretty fast at that point.
When it's tge right color, I add a little water and turn down the heat, add half & half or cream, vanilla extract, and then let it sit on low heat until the water we added & the water from the milk product is mostly gone.
Lots of regular stirring at that point.
When it's smooth and gooey, we're done.
I pour it into a small baking pan so it's about a half-inch deep, sprinkle course salt, and let it cool.
Probably 20 minutes, tops.
When I make sauce, it's pretty much the same, but with a bit more water & milk product.
That way, it still pours (very slowly) when cold. When it's warm, it has the consistency of maple syrup, so it sticks to the roasted carrots.