Happy Holidays! I know this is kinda late, but I hope everyone had a Happy Hanukkah and a Merry Christmas! Last week, I went to a caramel making class with a friend and it was super cool! I always through that caramel was super hard to make but it was actually pretty easy. You only need a microwave and a glass bowl! I have made this sauce for friends as gifts and they have loved it, my family has been sneaking spoonfuls of this stuff for the past week. It also tastes super yummy on apples, ice cream and brownies. It is also really fun to make and so it would be a great activity to entertain little kids. The key to making this is just to make sure that the sugar does not burn when it is cooking. Since sugar has such a low specific heat capacity, it will continue to cook itself after you remove it from the microwave, which is good but can become a disaster if you let it sit for too long. Make sure that you watch it carefully in the microwave and as you let it sit on the counter. I hope you all enjoy!
This is after letting the sugar sit for a while. I began to pour in the cream when it was this color. You could wait until it is a little bit darker if you like a darker shade of caramel.
After you add the cream, the caramel will bubble up and steam so be careful not to add too much at once, otherwise it will overflow.
Ingredients
Directions
The caramel sauce keeps for up to 6 months when refrigerated. This recipe makes 12 oz. or 1 1/2 cups.
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/8 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt (more or less to taste)
Directions
- In a large microwave safe glass bowl, combine the sugar, corn syrup, water and lemon juice. Stir to ensure that it is combined well.
- Place in microwave for 5-8 minutes. Microwave ONLY until the mixture starts to show color. If it is still clear, it needs more time. DO NOT be tempted to microwave until it becomes darker.
- Remove the sugar mixture and let sit on the counter until a darker brown color is present. It should take about 5 minutes but may be shorter or longer depending on how hot the sugar is.
- While waiting for the sugar to darken, put the heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl and heat it in the microwave for 30-45 seconds. The cream just needs to be warm so that the sugar does not crystalize when the cream is poured in.
- Once the sugar has reached the desired shade of brown, poor in the cream just a couple of tablespoons at a time so that it does not bubble over the side. Once all of the cream has been mixed in, add the butter. The butter helps to thicken the sauce. Finally, add the salt if desired.
- Mix until the salt and butter have been fully combined and pour into glass jars to let cool.
The caramel sauce keeps for up to 6 months when refrigerated. This recipe makes 12 oz. or 1 1/2 cups.