It is used as a flavoring in puddings and desserts, as a filling in bonbons or candy bars, or as a topping for ice cream and custard.

As the sugar heats, the molecules break down and re-form into compounds with a characteristic colour and flavour.

Depending on the intended application, additional ingredients such as butter, fruit purees, liquors, or vanilla can be used.

The sugar and glucose are heated separately to reach 130 °C (270 °F); the cream and butter are then added which cools the mixture.

In this procedure, the mixture is not heated above the firm ball stage (120 °C [250 °F]), so that caramelization of the milk occurs.

Le Roux registered the trademark "CBS" (caramel au beurre salé) the year after.

[10] It became a huge hit throughout France and other French-speaking European countries (notably Belgium and Switzerland which already had a tradition for fine chocolate and confectionery) and for years French, Belgian and Swiss children added it to their goûter, a meal eaten around 4 pm in order to restore their energy after school.

Goûter usually consists of bread with jam or caramel spread, croissants or pain au chocolat, fruit and hot chocolate.

[citation needed] In the late 1990s, Parisian pastry chef Pierre Hermé introduced his salted butter and caramel macarons and, by 2000, high-end chefs started adding a bit of salt to caramel and chocolate dishes.