Caramel (comfort) Sauce

 

 

 

Caramel Comfort Sauce

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup (or 8 tbsp) butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla
1 pinch or 2 salt

Put the  sugar in a small sauce pan and then pour evenly over top the water.  Put the pan over a low heat and let the sugar dissolve.   make sure you take the pan by the handle and whish and whoosh the sugar-water mixture around occasionally.
Once the sugar is dissolved turn the heat to high and cover.  Let that boil for two minutes.  Then, take off the lid and watch it boil until you see it starting to turn brown around the edges of the pan.  I think it’s best to even in this stage swirl the pan around occasionally to ensure you’re not going to create a sugar fossil.

When it starts to brown start swishing the pan by the handle over the heat until the whole turns a beautiful amber and starts to smoke.  Now, it will smoke even too early if you have the pan just sitting on the heat, you want to look for smoke while you are swishing the pan about.  That’s your sign. 
Pour in the butter, which should be cut up into small blocks, and whisk gently. it rather explodes into a sizzling anger of oil hitting hot water.  Just a kind warning, I didn’t get hurt so I’m not worried you will either.

mix in until you have the one, even consistency.  Then mix in your cream.
Then, remove from the heat and mix in the vanilla and salt.

you can find the original recipe here