Monday, March 19, 2012

Caramel Sauce

 I don't know about you, but there's little I love more than sweet, sticky, gooey and thick caramel. It's one of those delicious things you can just about put on or in anything to create a delightful morsel. It's one of those all-rounder additions, whether it be on top of ice cream, in a pie, or spread on toast or between the layers on a cake. If I wasn't trying to cut back so much on sugar (thanks to a recent and rather uncomfortable dental trip) I would have this delicious caramel sauce as a staple in my refrigerator. The opportunities to use caramel sauce are simply endless, and this is a particularly delightful recipe discovered on From My Sweetheart, a dessertaholic's blog put onto me by The Secret Recipe Club, where we bake, blog and share.
Now really, Anne, you and I should be visiting DAA (Dessert Addicts Anonymous) on a weekly basis due to the deliciousness of your blog. I tweaked the recipe a bit to go along with a somewhat limited pantry content, and it was simply delicious. This sauce would make a delightful gift, bottles in a pretty jar with ribbon and a retro tag! Don't forget to check out Anne's version for the original recipe!



CARAMEL SAUCE ( lightly adapted from From My Sweetheart)

2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbsp butter
large pinch of salt

Add the water and sugar to a medium saucepan, and stir to combine. Place over a low heat until the sugar dissolves, refrain from stirring. Increase the temperature to a medium heat and boil for about 5 minutes until the sauce turns a golden brown. Using a swirling motion, move the saucepan around  to stir the sauce. Be sure to keep a close eye on the sauce as it can easily burn at this point. Remove from heat and slowly add cream and vanilla essence. At this point the caramel will solidify--then add the butter and the salt. Return to the stove on a low heat, stirring continually until the ingredients are well incorporated the sauce becomes a smooth caramel. Cool for at least four hours, then bottle and refrigerate. Sauce will become thicker on cooling and refrigeration.

Makes approximately 3 cups of delicious caramel.





19 comments:

  1. oh my this looks amazing! perhaps one to try for easter!~ yummo!

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  2. My very first SRC post was a caramel sauce. There is nothing better than homemade. Great SRC pick!

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  3. Louise...You have such a lovely blog! I am so glad I found you through SRC! And I look forward to visiting you often! I'm glad you liked the caramel sauce. It's a staple in my pantry! I can't help it...it's so versatile! But you are right....let me know when the first DAA meeting starts....I'll be right there with you! Hope you have a wonderful week! : )

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  4. I've never made caramel sauce with brown sugar before...I'll definitely have to try it next time! Lovely post for SRC! :-)

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  5. I love caramel sauce! This looks like a great recipe!

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  6. I think I want to marry this! Great SRC pick.

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  7. OMG caramel sauce... I'm not a sweet eater but I love caramel and dark chocolate...I'm practically dying here. Great SRC post.

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  8. No, thanks, I don't need a spoon. I would just like the jar...to drink. :) Love.

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  9. I already found my go-to recipe for chocolate sauce - maybe this will be the go-to for caramel. I will sure have to try!

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  10. Homemade caramel sauce is one of the best things going. Great SRC pick! One question though... is the vanilla essence the same as vanilla extract?

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    1. Hi Jamie, Yes caramel sauce is one of the most delicious things! vanilla essence is the same as vanilla extract, yes:) thanks for popping by!

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  11. Oh yum! I love caramel and this looks good enough to eat straight from the jar!

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  12. Great job, Louise...that caramel looks seductively good! I love caramel, especially homemade, over ice cream!

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  13. My goodness I could just eat the entire jar, it looks delish!!

    If you haven't already, I'd love for you to check out my Group 'A' SRC entry: Broiled Sushi.

    Lisa~~
    Cook Lisa Cook

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    1. thank you everyone! this was certainly the delight of my week!

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  14. I wanted to thank you for this fantastic read!! I definitely loved every
    bit of it. I have you book-marked to check out new things you post…
    My blog : Home Design Love

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  15. this may be a stupid question but does it need to stay refrigerated? I live out of state from family and would love to ship them some goodies for the holidays but I want it to be able to stay fresh.

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    1. no questions are stupid:) I think because its cream based its probably best to keep it refrigerated--dairy doesn't go so well out of the fridge for long periods...sorry.

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Give me some sugar, Sugar...