This is a smooth, pourable, rich, and unbelievably delicious caramel that is perfect for topping desserts. There are a few tricks to making a good caramel and referring to a caramel guide picture or video can help! It's absolute perfection when it turns out right. Safety disclaimer: hot melted sugar is very dangerous, so don't make this around children or in an unsafe environment.
The recipe is here, and pictures of the process are below:
Ingredients:
1 cup granulated white sugar (200 g)
1/4 cup water (58 g)
6 Tbsp. (85 g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces (at room temperature)
1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature (125 g)
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. salt (optional and to taste)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions:
Add the sugar and water to a deep aluminum/steel saucepan (not a dark pan or one with a nonstick coating).
Swirl until all the sugar is moistened. Begin heating on medium heat. Do Not Stir Again while the sugar melts! The mixture will begin to melt and bubble, lightly swirl the pan only if the sugar isn't dissolving.
While bubbling it will give off steam, once it stops steaming it will begin turning a golden color.
Once it starts turning gold (5-10 minutes after melting), pay very close attention. The caramel will quickly change from golden to amber colored (~350ºF) (see picture and video below). Once amber, immediately proceed to the next step!
Turn off the heat. Add all the butter while whisking continuously (it will bubble up). Whisk until all the butter is mixed in, for 1 minute.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Slowly pour in the cream (it will bubble up), while whisking constantly until all of the cream has been incorporated.
Whisk in the sea salt and vanilla, if desired.
Pour the caramel through a sieve and into a glass or Pyrex jar or container (the sieve removes any excess sugar or salt crystals).
Let cool at least one hour before capping and refrigerating.
Store up to 1 month covered in a refrigerator. To re-heat, scoop out the desired amount of caramel and warm in a microwave for 15-60 seconds. Important Note: anything you re-heat and then refrigerate will crystallize and become gritty. So only reheat what you need!
Makes about 1 to 1 1/4 cups of caramel.
Here is a very helpful guide for caramel making, and I have more photos and video examples below. Be very careful because it goes from golden to perfect amber to burnt very quickly!
The red square is what you're looking for in an amber color, I also have a video below showing the color!
After mixing the sugar and water together and before heating up.
After the sugar dissolves and melts, the mixture bubbles vigorously and gives off some steam.
About halfway through the cooking process. It releases less steam but is still bubbling a lot.
This is turning golden, not quite amber, but it's almost ready!
This gif video may be a little blurry, but that's the color you are looking for! Don't go further/darker!
While mixing in the butter, yours may look foamy like this but don't worry!
After mixing in the cream it will get beautifully smooth. Then add vanilla and sea salt. It's done!
Then pour it through a strainer to remove any salt or sugar crystals, let cool 1-2 hours, and then refrigerate!
All done!!!! So delicious I can eat it with a spoon :D
The original recipe is here: https://addapinch.com/caramel-sauce-recipe/
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