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.