posted by Saucy on Jul 28
If you have a sweet tooth then there’s probably nothing more satisfying that a caramel sauce! That warm buttery goodness is delicious over ice cream, cake or just about anything. What many people don’t realize though is just how easy it is to make. And a homemade caramel sauce is so much tastier than anything you could buy off of the shelf.
While making caramel sauce is easy, the process requires close attention. The very first thing you need to understand is that molten sugar is extremely hot, much hotter than boiling water. Therefore you need to be extremely careful when handling this mixture (keep the little ones out of the kitchen). The second item to be aware of is that the process happens very quickly. The line between a rich caramel and burnt sugar is very fine. You need to pay close attention to the pan through the entire process to make sure the sugar doesn’t burn. For this reason it is also very important to have all of your ingredients ready to go in advance. Follow these simple guidelines and you’ll soon find yourself in caramel heaven!
1 cup Sugar
2 tablespoons Water
6 tablespoons Butter
1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
Over high heat, bring the sugar and water to a boil in a medium sauce pan with very high sides (2-3 qt). The high sides are necessary because the mixture will foam up once the other ingredients are added. As the sugar begins to melt stir vigorously. Stop stirring when the sugar begins to boil. You can wipe down the sides of the pan as necessary with a wet pastry brush. Once all the sugar crystals have melted and the mixture is an amber color, add the butter. Wisk until the butter has melted. When all the butter has melted remove from the heat. Slowly add the cream while stirring continuously. Allow to cool for a few minutes in the pan. The sauce can be served warm, or it can be stored for future use. To store the sauce, pour the warm mixture into a glass mason and allow to cool to room temperature. Put on the lid and the sauce can be stored refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.