HOMEMADE CARAMEL SAUCE

This was my first attempt at caramel sauce. Apparently it's easy peasy!

I thought this recipe turned out the perfect caramel: creamy and not too sweet. Wouldn't it be great to drizzle your Thanksgiving apple pie and ice cream with homemade caramel? Yes. The answer is yes. OR, you can use it to make this creamy caramel buttercream that I used for my chocolate toffee caramel cupcakes this weekend. OR, (*cough), you can pour it into a bowl and eat it. With a spoon.

Basic Caramel Sauce

(based on this one)

1/3 cup water

3/4 cup sugar

2/3 cup heavy cream

Heat water and sugar over low heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to high. Now and then, swirl the pot to keep the mixture moving, but do not stir the mixture directly. It will begin to boil, then it will become a light amber color. Eventually it will become a dark amber color (as in the middle picture). Turn of the heat and whisk in cream. Continue to whisk until mixture is creamy. (It's okay if there are still bubbles. They'll go away when it cools.) Allow mixture to cool away from heat.