Get your shopping list ready! National Day Calendar brings you the upcoming ways to celebrate your favorite foods for the week ahead. Whether you have a sweet tooth or prefer the savory, there’s always something yummy to celebrate on the calendar. Now you can plan ahead and try new recipes with National Day Calendar!
NATIONAL CARAMEL DAY
Observed annually on April 5th is National Caramel Day. Caramels are made by adding milk and fat to a sugary syrup that has been heated and continuously stirred until it reaches a light brown color. As early as the seventeenth century, American women were using caramelized sugar and water to make candies. It was a rather economical candy to produce. Around the year 1850, someone discovered that by adding milk and a fat product to the cooked sugar mixture that a soft, chewy candy would be produced. This candy very quickly became popular.
Caramel is used to make a variety of desserts either as a featured ingredient, flavoring or topping. Depending on the consistency it can be used as a syrup or as the glue holding together nuts and popcorn. In a more pliant form, it makes great caramel apples. Cooked to a higher temperature the caramel can become brittle and is perfect for just that kind of candy making.
The longer caramel cooks, it takes on a deeper color and a darker flavor until the sugar becomes bitter and is no longer palatable.
Caramel pairs well with sweet and savory, making it versatile and a go-to item for just about anyone who likes spending time in the kitchen. Drizzle over baked goods or folded into homemade granola, caramel is a treat. When fresh fruit is dipped or wrapped up into caramel and then rolled in salty nuts, we’re rewarded with a crunchy sweetness that is beyond compare.
A ripe peach cut in half and placed flat on a sizzling grill makes a perfect vessel for a chewy caramel to melt once heated through. Add a dollop of fresh cream and chopped, toasted pecans and your guests will be wowed!
Skip the coffee cream and add a little caramel sauce to your morning cup of coffee instead.
Caramel raises the bar on snaking. Adding a little to pretzels, popcorn or s’mores is just the difference that takes the snack from ho-hum to memorable.
CARAMEL SAUCE
½ cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
½ cup light corn syrup
¼ cup half-and-half cream or evaporated milk
¼ cup butter, cubed
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
Combine brown sugar and cornstarch in saucepan. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, about 3 minutes.
CARAMEL CORN
6-7 cups popped corn
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup butter
½ cup corn syrup
¾ cup tsp baking soda
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Dash of salt
Mix sugar, butter and corn syrup in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add soda, cream of tartar and salt. Stir quickly. Pour over popped corn. Mix well and bake at 200° for 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes.
April 2
National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day
April 3
National Chocolate Mousse Day
April 4
National Chicken Cordon Bleu Day
April 5
National Caramel Day
National Deep Dish Pizza Day
National Raisin Spice Bar Day
April 6
National Caramel Popcorn Day
National Sorry Charlie Day
April 7
National Beer Day
National Coffee Cake Day
April 8
National Empanada Day
About National Day Calendar
Founded in 2013 in the historic town of Mandan, North Dakota, National Day Calendar began as a kernel of curiosity that exploded into a growing collection of ways to Celebrate. Every Day, founder Marlo Anderson and his team seek out all the daily, weekly and monthly observations and celebrations to keep you up to date and informed. Through daily updates, social media, mobile applications and much more, National Day Calendar helps you #CelebrateEveryDay!
There are over 1,200 national days. Don’t miss a single one. Celebrate Every Day with National Day Calendar!