A rich, dark homemade caramel sauce with just the right amount of salt. Not too salty and not too sweet - if you asked Goldilocks, she'd probably reckon it was just right.
2teaspoonsflaky sea saltmore or less, to suit your taste
Instructions
Measure the cream into a microwave safe jug, and microwave until warm (around 30 sec - 1 minute, depending on your microwave power). The temperature isn’t too important, but warming the cream will help it splatter less when you add it to the caramel. Set aside.
Place the sugar, water and corn syrup or glucose in a medium saucepan. Stir gently until all the sugar is moistened. Place over a medium-low heat and stir for a minute or so, without letting it boil, until the sugar starts to dissolve. Use a damp pastry brush to brush down any remaining sugar crystals on the sides of the pan.
Increase the heat to high and bring the syrup to a boil, and boil until it reaches a deep amber colour. It will be about 170°C (338°F) on a sugar thermometer. If you don’t have a thermometer, pay attention to the stages the syrup goes through. After it comes to the boil, the last of the sugar crystals will melt. The bubbles will be thin and rise and pop quickly on the surface. As the syrup cooks and the water evaporates, the bubbles will become thicker and a little slower to pop. Once it reaches the deep amber colour, it’s ready.
Immediately remove the caramel from the heat, and carefully pour in the cream. It will splatter, so be careful! Stir with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula to combine. Don’t panic if there are any hard bits of set caramel. Place the pan back over medium heat, and bring it back to a boil, stirring constantly, until the sauce reaches 115°C (240°F). If not using a thermometer, just boil the sauce for several minutes, until it darkens a little more in colour and thickens slightly.
Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and most of the salt. If the butter isn’t combining well, switch to stirring with a whisk. Once it’s all combined, remove a spoonful of the sauce, let it cool a bit (it’s hot as hell, don’t burn your tongue!) and taste it to check the salt level. Add more salt if necessary.
Leave the sauce to cool before using. It will thicken considerably as it cools.
Store the sauce in a sealed container in the refrigerator for several weeks. Reheat gently before using.
Notes
Sugar - I like to use caster sugar in this recipe as it dissolves much faster, but regular granulated sugar will work too.Make sure you have all the ingredients measured, and all utensils ready before you start.See blog post for troubleshooting tips.