The thought of making homemade caramel sauce is daunting for many cooks, but there’s no reason to be intimidated. It’s simple to prepare and, start to finish, takes only 15 to 20 minutes, after which you have a luscious, full-bodied sauce to drizzle on apple and peach pies, use in and on cream pies, and top off pie à la mode. No fancy equipment needed: just a 3-quart stainless steel saucepan and a candy thermometer.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes about 1½ cups
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Combine the sugar and salt in a 3- to 3½-quart stainless steel saucepan and pour the water over them. Place the pan over medium to medium-high heat, stirring gently with a wooden spoon. As soon as the mixture comes to a boil, stop stirring.
Step 2
Cook the mixture for 5 to 6 minutes, gently swirling the pan to “stir” the caramel so it colors evenly. As soon as the mixture turns a medium amber color, remove the saucepan from the heat and add the cream all at once. Stir well, and don’t be concerned if it clumps up at first; it will smooth out.
Step 3
Put the saucepan back over medium-low heat and boil, stirring virtually nonstop, until the caramel reaches 220 to 225°F (104 to 107°C) on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Cool briefly, then transfer to heatproof jars to store. Cool to room temperature before refrigerating. It will keep for at least several weeks. To reheat, microwave the jar in 5- to 10-second intervals, stirring in between, until pourable.
