Tutorial Tuesday: Caramel Sauce

Almost forgot about the tutorial today.  Nothing like the last minute!  Since I am putting this together at the 11th hour, I am missing the finished product picture.  I took these pictures to use last week, but thought I'd make it again and take a "tada" picture the 2nd time around...but, I didn't.  I'll have to add one next time I make this--and there WILL be a next time.  It is delicious.  You would be doing yourself a disservice if you never make it.  And, once you do, you will never be able to buy pre-made caramel sauce again.  It is that good--and that easy!

What to do:

Caramel Sauce

based on a recipe from Simply Recipes

Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar

6 Tablespoons butter, cut into tablespoons (squares)

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

1.  Get all your ingredients ready to go.  Once the sugar is melted, you will need to move quickly.  Place the sugar in a heavy saucepan (2-3 quarts) over medium-high heat.  Stir constantly as the sugar begins to melt, using a whisk or wooden spoon (personally, I like to use a silicone whisk because it makes for easy clean up if the caramel hardens on there...).  

Just starting to melt...

Getting there....

2.  AS SOON AS all the sugar crystals have melted and become a dark amber color, remove the pan from the heat.  Don't wait!  Seriously, the sugar can burn and you'd never know it because it still looks amber (trust me...you don't want burnt sugar).  So, again, AS SOON AS it melts and becomes amber, REMOVE FROM THE HEAT! 

note amber color--time to remove from heat!

3.  Immediately whisk or stir in the butter.  Be careful!  The mixture is going to foam up and melted sugar is much hotter than boiling water so you do not want to touch it!  

4.  As soon as the butter is mixed in and it looks smooth, pour in the cream (again, Be Careful! It is still going to foam a little, though not as much as with the butter...).  Continue to whisk/stir until smooth.

5.  Let the caramel sauce cool in the pan about 5 minutes, then transfer to your storage container of choice.  I like to use a 2 cup measuring cup with a lid.  Make it easy to reheat and pour.  

*Imagine a picture of perfectly smooth carmel sauce on top of sweet vanilla ice cream here*

This sauce will keep for about 2 weeks in the refrigerator.  It is delicious on ice cream, vanilla cake, or by itself.  I also want to try it on grilled pears.  Mmmm.

Enjoy!