THICK & GOOEY SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE

Ingredients:

(Makes about 1 cup of caramel)

1 cup of sugar

6 tablespoons of butter

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup of heavy cream

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Tools:

Medium Heavy Bottom Pot

Heat-Proof Spatula

Whisk

Heat-tolerant bowl or jar

Candy Thermometer (not necessary)

Instructions:

1. Add your sugar to the heavy-bottom pot and shake it so that it lays flat in an even layer. Melt the sugar over medium-low heat, without stirring (between 4 and 5 on my ceramic stove top). As it melts, occasionally give the edges a few gentle pushes towards the center to encourage uncooked sugar to melt. As it becomes more melted you can stir it a tiny bit to help get all the chunks out.

2. Once the sugar has melted and is a nice caramel color, whisk in the butter one tablespoon at a time. (Since caramel burns quickly, I measure out my tablespoons of butter on individual spoons before I begin and plop the butter balls in one after the other.) The caramel will bubble vigorously. Don’t worry. Just take care not to let any hot sugar splash onto you. (If you have an aggressive stove like I do, you can turn the heat down a tiny bit.)

3. Once the butter has mixed in evenly, stir in the salt and vanilla.

4. Remove the caramel from the heat and very slowly whisk in the heavy cream. It will bubble even more than before.

5. Once the cream is fully incorporated, return the pot to the heat and bring it to a simmer. Cook it at this simmer for about a minute. (If you’re extra neurotic, you can simmer it until it reaches 230°F on a candy* thermometer. But, trust me, a simple minute will do the trick.) Strain it into a heat-proof bowl or jar. (DO NOT STICK YOUR FINGER IN TO GET A TASTE. IT IS STILL EFFING HOT…. I SHOULD KNOW…) Allow it to cool before you do any tasting.

6. Once room temperature, it should be gooey and slowly runny when you lift it with a tilted spoon. It’s ready to add to whatever you heart desires…

*Do not use a normal cooking thermometer to test the temperature of melted sugar. Caramels and the like are too hot for them to handle and it might break your poor normal thermometer.

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This Caramel will Last for a Week when Refrigerated.

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Notes :

+ As always when cooking with hot sugar, it is best to have all of your equipment ready within arms’ reach and all of your ingredients measured before you start. This will allow you to focus on the sudden changes of your sugar.

+ Since hot sugar is, well… hot, and reactive, it is a good idea to wear long sleeves, a shirt that comes at least to the bottom of your neck, shoes, and eyewear if you have it. (You don’t need anything fancy… normal eyeglasses do the trick… And one time I even rocked some sunnies while I stirred. I felt quite Italian, actually. Evviva! La dolce vita! )

+ The cream that goes into your caramel is just like the cream we add to our ice cream. You can infuse it with flavors rather easily. For more ideas on how to add some interesting flavors to your caramel, check out my recipes for lavender caramel, chai caramel, and lapsang souchong caramel… among other elegant and easy flavors. Get creative!

Thick & Gooey Salted Caramel Sauce

Laura | Date

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Total time: 25 minutes

Servings: 1 cup

Level of Skill: Medium

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of sugar
• 6 tablespoons of butter
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup of heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Add your sugar to the heavy-bottom pot and shake it so that it lays flat in an even layer. Melt the sugar over medium-low heat, without stirring (between 4 and 5 on my ceramic stove top). As it melts, occasionally give the edges a few gentle pushes towards the center to encourage uncooked sugar to melt. As it becomes more melted you can stir it a tiny bit to help get all the chunks out.

2. Once the sugar has melted and is a nice caramel color, whisk in the butter one tablespoon at a time. (Since caramel burns quickly, I measure out my tablespoons of butter on individual spoons before I begin and plop the butter balls in one after the other.) The caramel will bubble vigorously. Don’t worry. Just take care not to let any hot sugar splash onto you. (If you have an aggressive stove like I do, you can turn the heat down a tiny bit.)

3. Once the butter has mixed in evenly, stir in the salt and vanilla.

4. Remove the caramel from the heat and very slowly whisk in the heavy cream. It will bubble even more than before.

5. Once the cream is fully incorporated, return the pot to the heat and bring it to a simmer. Cook it at this simmer for about a minute. (If you’re extra neurotic, you can simmer it until it reaches 230°F on a candy* thermometer. But, trust me, a simple minute will do the trick.) Strain it into a heat-proof bowl or jar. (DO NOT STICK YOUR FINGER IN TO GET A TASTE. IT IS STILL EFFING HOT…. I SHOULD KNOW…) Allow it to cool before you do any tasting.

6. Once room temperature, it should be gooey and slowly runny when you lift it with a tilted spoon. It’s ready to add to whatever you heart desires…

*Do not use a normal cooking thermometer to test the temperature of melted sugar. Caramels and the like are too hot for them to handle and it might break your poor normal thermometer.

Nutrition:

(per 1 tablespoon serving)

Servings: 16

Fat: 5.7 grams

Calories: 100

Nutrition estimated by Happyforks.com