Ingredients
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1-3/4 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream (no substitutes!) 5 Tbs salted butter 1 Tbs. vanilla Special equipment: a heavy pan that holds at least two quarts; a 10" cast iron skillet or heavy saucepan will work well. |
Directions |
1. Dissolve the sugar in 1/2 cup of water in a heavy pan, stirring to combine. Heat on medium-high heat to a boil; stop stirring when the sugar is dissolved (before the mixture boils).
2. Cook the sugar and water mixture at medium-high heat until it is a rich, brown color (like caramel sauce!). At first, the mixture will steam as the water boils off; once the steam has stopped, it will begin to caramelize. Although you do not want to stir, you can swirl the pan if the mixture is caramelizing unevenly. This will take from five to ten minutes. 3. When the mixture has reached a nice dark-brown color, remove from the heat. Immediately stir in the heavy cream, whisking to combine. Adding the cream will cause a great deal of steam to be released; be careful not to get burned by stirring with a long-handled spoon or whisk. 4. Once the cream is incorporated, add the butter, cut into 1 Tbs chunks. Stir or whisk to combine. 5. Once the butter is incorporated, add the vanilla and stir or whisk to combine. Your caramel sauce is ready to enjoy! Makes about 2-1/2 cups. |
Good to know |
This sauce is so much better than anything you can buy in a jar, and has just four ingredients (the salt comes from the butter). It keeps for months in the refrigerator and is good on ice cream, stirred into coffee or as a dip for apples or pretzels. I'm sure you can think of many other ways to use it!
It might take a while for the mixture to start caramelizing, but you know you are close when it stops steaming. At this point, the water has all boiled off, allowing the caramelization to occur. Typically, the sauce needs to cook on medium high heat for about 10 minutes before the water has evaporated. |