One to chew over...

[Waterwolf]

What is the difference between toffee and caramel?

[incitatus]

caramel is simply burnt or caramelised sugar. Toffee is a mixture of sugars and fats cooked together.

[joecat]

If you mean toffee and caramels (caramel candy), both are sugar cooked with cream and butter, but I believe that toffee is cooked longer than caramel and therefore contains less water (or longer polymer chains? - any chemists out there?) - hence toffee is a harder candy that a caramel.

Now, will someone answer my questions?  Is there a definitive answer to what caramel is...some people say it is just burnt sugar, so should what we call caramel in its liquid form be called caramel sauce (sugar, cream, maybe butter), and in its solid form, caramel candy?

Also, what is the difference between butterscotch and caramel.  I know butterscotch has more butter, but what is the proportion  -- Is there some ratio of butter, cream and burnt sugar that could be considered either caramel or butterscotch?

[joecat]

If you mean toffee and caramels (caramel candy), both are sugar cooked with cream and butter, but I believe that toffee is cooked longer than caramel and therefore contains less water (or longer polymer chains? - any chemists out there?) - hence toffee is a harder candy that a caramel.

Now, will someone answer my questions?  Is there a definitive answer to what caramel is...some people say it is just burnt sugar, so should what we call caramel in its liquid form be called caramel sauce (sugar, cream, maybe butter), and in its solid form, caramel candy?

Also, what is the difference between butterscotch and caramel.  I know butterscotch has more butter, but what is the proportion  -- Is there some ratio of butter, cream and burnt sugar that could be considered either caramel or butterscotch?