This sauce is very simple but very delicious. We always take our caramel to that dark mahogany color, which produces a fairly robust, slightly bitter caramel flavor. If you prefer something a little tamer, just add the cream when the sugar is a lighter shade. After a few tries you will find the color of caramel that is perfect for your taste. This sauce is best served just warm, poured over your favorite ice cream or any other dessert. It’s great with apple pie, between layers of chocolate cake, or drizzled on a sundae.
AT A GLANCE:
MAKES: about 1¼ cups
TECHNIQUES: Caramel
COOLING TIME: About 1 hour
SHELF LIFE: 2 weeks
INGREDIENTS:
- ¾ cup heavy cream, at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Set the cream by the stove so it’s at hand when you need it. Put 2 tablespoons of the sugar in a heavy nonreactive saucepan and put the pan over medium-high heat. When the sugar is melted around the edges and starts turn amber in places (about 2 minutes), stir the mixture gently and add another 2 tablespoons sugar to the pan.
- Continue to add the remaining sugar 2 tablespoons at a time, stirring as needed and allowing most of the sugar to melt before you add more. Watch carefully as the sugar darkens, stirring gently to help it melt evenly.
- When the caramel becomes a dark mahogany color, remove the pan from the heat and immediately but slowly pour the cream into the pan. (The mixture will steam and bubble up, so wear oven mitts and be very careful to avoid splatters and steam burns.) When the bubbling subsides, gently stir to completely blend the cream into the caramel. If you have lumps of hardened caramel in your pan, simply put the pan over low heat and stir until the caramel is melted.
- Stir in the salt and let cool until just warm. (The sauce will stay rippin’ hot for quite a while, so resist the urge to lick the spoon.) If not using within a few hours, transfer to a container and refrigerate. Rewarm before using.
MAKE IT YOUR OWN:
- Create another layer of flavor by replacing up to ¼ cup of the cream with another liquid once the caramel is made and still warm. Try bourbon (a personal favorite of ours), apple juice, coffee, or calvados (a French apple brandy)
