Yes, and yes, it really is a thing and it’s an amazing thing at that! I’d heard about caramelized white chocolate before, sometimes called ‘Toffee of Milk’, but it wasn’t until recently that I couldn’t wait anymore and wanted to try it for myself. With the way it was described, that sexy ‘Toffee of Milk’ name, and all the beautiful photos, I just couldn’t resist any longer!

Caramelized white chocolate is described as creamy, with a deep caramel flavor that will hook you at first taste. In my opinion, that doesn’t do it justice. You need to try it to experience it, but be forewarned, it is dangerously addictive!

The technique for this was introduced by L’Ecole Du Grand Chocolat Valrhona (take me there, please!! ), and which David Lebovits discusses in detail in his post on Caramelized White Chocolate. The process is not too complicated in which good quality white chocolate is heated on a baking sheet in a 250°F oven and stirred with a spatula every 5-10 minutes or so for anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes, until it begins to caramelize.

This sounded easy enough. I didn’t have any of the Valrhona Ivoire white chocolate feves on hand but had some Guittard Choc-Au-Lait Chips, and thought it would be great to experiment with them anyway. While the results of this were delicious, I did not get the smooth texture that I was looking for and seeing in all the photos of this beautiful concoction, even though I did add a bit of oil to help keep it smooth. It may have been that my oven was too hot, or I wasn’t stirring frequently enough, but this led me to want to try out a different technique, one where I could monitor what was going on more easily.

My next attempt took me to the stove top. I used a smooth, nonstick skillet and melted the chocolate on low heat. I whisked it to smooth it out but alternated between the whisk and a silicone spatula, stirring every few minutes. This did take a lot of time, but the result was smooth, creamy, tanned Toffee of Milk.

For my third attempt, I wanted to see if I could caramelize the chocolate faster so I started out with the same nonstick skillet. I used higher heat and was basically whisking and stirring the entire time. The chocolate would seize up, but once removed from the heat, a bit of stirring would smooth it out, which had to be done every few minutes. I was able to get that caramel flavor and achieved the same results as the oven method but in only 15 minutes or so! Delicious, caramel-y white chocolate. I think with a bit more practice, I could get the same results as the slower stove top method, which I will keep trying until I’m there.

Once you’ve gotten the caramelization down, the possibilities are endless. Use the chocolate in cookies and ice cream, a ganache or white chocolate mousse, in tarts or spread thin and make a brittle, make a caramelized white chocolate soufflé or just dip some dried fruit in it. Have it on its own or sprinkled with salt. I’ll say one thing, I can’t wait to experiment!

Caramelized White Chocolate

Desired amount of good quality White Chocolate (I used as little as 1/2 a cup)
Sea Salt to taste

Method 1
Heat oven to 250°F.

Spread white chocolate on a nonstick baking sheet in a single layer.

Place the baking sheet in the oven.

Remove from oven and stir the chocolate with a silicone spatula every 5-10 minutes until the chocolate begins to caramelize. This will take anywhere between 30-60 minutes.

The more often you stir, the smoother the end result will be.

Method 2
Place a nonstick skillet over low heat.

Melt the white chocolate in the skillet and whisk to smooth.

Stir with a silicone spatula every few minutes until the chocolate begins to caramelize and desired doneness is reached. You may need to adjust heat to medium-low setting depending on This will take between 45-60 minutes but the results are amazing and well worth the time.

Method 3
Heat white chocolate in a nonstick skillet over high heat. Whisk until smooth.

Alternate stirring with a whisk and silicone spatula, continuously. You will need to remove the skillet every so often or when the chocolate begins to seize.

If the chocolate seizes, just remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly then smooth with a silicone spatula then return to the heat.

The chocolate will begin to caramelize quickly. This method will take 15-20 minutes, but is high risk as compared to the first two.

After Caramelization
Once the chocolate has caramelized, stir in some sea salt to taste and store in an airtight container until ready to use. The chocolate will solidify as it cools so treat it as you would normal chocolate, warming it up to melt it again.

Get creative and enjoy in any way you can think of!

Related Links

Special Ingredients and Tools
Valrhona Ivoire White Chocolate Feves- 1lb; 6 lbs 9 oz
Guittard Choc-Au-Lait Chips; Bulk
Callebaut 28% White Chocolate Callets 1 lb; 5.5 lbs
Whisk
Silicone Spatula
Nonstick Skillet
Nonstick Baking Sheet

References
L’École Du Grand Chocolat
What is White Chocolate from David Lebovitz
Caramelized White Chocolate from David Lebovitz
Caramelized White Chocolate from Joe Pastry