Blonde Sugar No. 3

Blonde Sugar No. 3 is my “in-between” caramel – not a stretchy, sticky chew and not a crumbly fudge, but a true caramel–fudge hybrid. It has a clean, confident bite, a smooth, short-grained interior, and that warm toasted-milk melt that feels more like a European milk candy than a typical home-style caramel. It slices into perfect little cubes, stacks neatly in boxes, and doesn’t smear or ooze, but it still melts easily on the tongue.

Instead of taking the sugar to a deep amber, we toast it to a true blonde, then let cream and evaporated milk do the rest of the work. The magic is in the temperature: pull lower if you want a softer, chewy blonde caramel, or take it to 255°F with a final whisk for the signature Blonde Sugar No. 3 texture you see here. In the full Bakeshop Collection post, I walk you through those exact ranges so you can choose your finish on purpose, not by accident.