Sauce- Caramel Sauce (MKC)

By wtaylor

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into 8 pieces
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• pinch of salt

Preparation

Step 1

In a small, heavy saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Set the pan over low heat and stir the mixture gently until the sugar is dissolved. I don’t ever get a completely clear syrup but I let it warm over medium-low heat (a 3 on my stovetop) for at least 6-10 minutes before moving to the next step. To be sure the sugar is dissolved, I’ll dip a spoon in the sugar mixture and then gently slide my finger over the mixture on the spoon and take a taste. If the sugar is dissolved, the syrup will be smooth and not at all grainy. If you still feel grains of sugar, keep stirring over low heat until it is completely dissolved. Make sure the sugar is completely dissolved before letting the mixture come to a boil. Once the sugar is completely dissolved, increase the heat to medium or medium-high and bring the syrup to a boil. Cover the saucepan and let the syrup boil for 2 minutes. Uncover, reduce the heat to medium, and continue to boil the syrup until the edges start to turn golden brown. Carefully and gently stir the syrup until it turns a deep amber, caramel color. On my stove, this takes about 5-7 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add the butter. Gently stir until the butter is incorporated. Stir in the cream. If the sauce becomes lumpy and isn’t whisking together, set the pan over low heat and stir until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and salt.

Serve the sauce warm or at room temperature. Store the sauce in a jar or airtight container, tightly sealed, in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Reheat on low power in the microwave or in a saucepan, adding a tablespoon of two or water, if needed, if the sauce is too thick.

One main key to the success of this recipe is letting the sugar and water dissolve for 6-10 minutes on low heat before bringing it to a boil. If this step is rushed the sugar can clump and the sauce will be ruined. Also, you’ll notice that this batch of caramel sauce is a bit darker than the one in the above photos. That should tell you that there is a little wiggle room in when exactly to take the sugar off the stove. Just look for a dark amber, caramel color and you’ll be good to go! Each batch will probably be a little bit different in color.