Salted Caramel Sauce Simmered Until Spoonable

Set out unsalted butter — cut into pieces, heavy cream, and vanilla extract before you start Salted Caramel Sauce Simmered Until Spoonable. The batch is written for 18 people.

Count on 10 minutes of prep, 15 minutes of cooking, about 25 minutes from the first measurement to the plate.

Ingredients Method

What goes in the bowl

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter — cut into pieces
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar

How the cooking goes

Dry Caramel Method

1. In a small pot, combine cream, butter, vanilla, and salt. Bring just to a boil and keep it to one side.
2. Heat a heavy-bottomed pot with high sides over a lively flame. Begin by sprinkling the granulated sugar over the bottom in a thin layer, when that begins to melt, sprinkle some more. Keep sprinkling until all the sugar is in the pot. As parts begin to melt, gently stir with a wooden spoon and break up any clumps that form.
3. Use the melted sugar to help melt the other sugar. Once the sugar has stopped melting, stop stirring and swirl until a dark amber color is achieved.
4. If you have a hard time telling the color of the caramel, tilt the pot towards you so that there is only a thin layer. You find it easier to see that way. A medium amber is a perfectly acceptable color but it helps to take mine to dark amber which is right when it starts to smoke but before it smells burnt.
5. Remove from the heat and place on a trivet or folded towel. Slowly pour in your cream/butter mixture while constantly whisking. You don’t want to add the cream too fast or it will bubble up aggressively and could burn you. Don’t fear, just keep whisking.
6. Once all the liquid is incorporated, pour into a heat safe bowl (glass, ceramic, pyrex, metal are all fine). Allow to cool to ambient temperature then pour into the storage container of your choice.

Wet Caramel Method

1. You can make this recipe using the wet caramel method by adding ¼ water and ¼ cup light corn syrup. The corn syrup is optional but really helps avoid crystallization.
2. In a small pot combine cream, butter, vanilla and salt. Bring just to a boil and keep it to one side.
3. Tip the sugar into a heavy bottomed pot with high sides. Shake to distribute sugar in an even layer over the bottom. Pour the water around the edges and stir to hydrate the sugar. Stir carefully so that no sugar gets on the sides of the pot. If you did get sugar on the sides, don’t worry. Dip a clean pastry brush (or folded paper towel) in water and wash the sugar off. Don’t be concerned with the amount of water because it will all evaporate anyways.
4. Tip the corn syrup into the sugar water mixture and turn on the burner to medium high. Allow the sugar to come to a boil before you disturb it. Gently swirl the pot but do not stir! This will allow you to redistribute the caramel around the pot and control the hot spots.
5. Continue to cook and occasionally swirl until a dark amber color is achieved.
6. Remove from the heat and place on a trivet or folded towel. Slowly pour in your cream/butter mixture while constantly whisking. You don’t want to add the cream too fast or it will bubble up aggressively and could burn you. Don’t fear, just keep whisking.
7. Once all the liquid is incorporated, pour into a heat safe bowl. Allow to cool to ambient temperature then pour into the storage container of your choice.

After it comes off the heat

Cool the pot before it goes into the refrigerator. It reheats gently on the stove the next day.

If you want another plate from Dessert sauces, open Butterscotch Sauce Simmered Until Spoonable and Whipped Cream for the Dessert Plate.