Quick and Easy Caramel Sauce

Chocolate sauce is a classic, for sure. But there is something decadent about caramel sauce. It can be simple but it can also elevate a dessert to something really special.

You will need ...

Granulated Sugar, 2 Cups
Water, 1/2 Cup
Unsalted Butter, cubed, 12 T
Heavy Cream, 1 Cup
Vanilla Extract, 2 tsp
Salt, 1/4 tsp

Step One

First, set up your station. Gather your ingredients and a heavy bottomed pot. Also grab a pastry brush and a small dish of water. This is useful to brush down the sides of the pot so that sugar crystals do not form. If those crystals get into the caramel, it will make the caramel gritty.

Step Two

Next, place the water in the pot. Then add the sugar. It is easier to add the water to the sugar rather than the other way around. When you add the water to the sugar, it creates a giant clump that is difficult to mix around. When you rain the sugar on the water, it mixes much easier. Turn on low heat.

Step Three

Now its time to watch the sugar cook. If you have a candy thermometer, the sugar will cook to around 340-350 degrees. If you do not have one, just watch the bubbles and the color.

Cook the sugar on low for about ten minutes, brushing down the sides as the sugar collects on the pot’s sides.

As the sugar cooks, pay attention to the bubbles. At first they look like regular water bubbles in a pot. As the sugar begins to cook and the water begins to evaporate, the bubbles become more viscous and will pop slower. The bubbles also become larger.

Step Four

Once you start to see the bubbles change, it is time to pay attention to the color. This is a crucial step because a couple seconds too long and the caramel flavor will be burnt and the consistency will be too thick.

So after about ten minutes, pay close attention and be on the lookout for a deep golden color. Similar to amber. As soon as you see that color, pull the pot off the heat.

Step Five

Next, you will add in the remaining ingredients. First, whisk in the butter a few chunks at a time. Whisk slow and steady. Once the first addition melts completely, throw in another addition until all the butter has been added.

Then, pour in the cream while gently whisking. Sometimes this will cause the mixture to bubble up. Just keep whisking.

Finally, add in the vanilla and the salt and whisk gently until combined.

Step Six

When the sauce is done it should have a glittery sheen to it. The consistency is similar to that of maple syrup when it is hot. Let it sit out for a few hours to cool and thicken. The sauce will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a month or two. Enjoy!

The Mom Touch