Salted Caramel Sauce

Winter Break.  As a kid, this was the best thing ever! No school for two weeks! Then as a college student…best thing ever! No school for a month! Post-college, not so much.  Working everyday except Christmas.  Now, back to NO SCHOOL FOR TWO WEEKS. Awesome.  I went to Maui and spent some much needed time doing nothing on the back and by back I meant beach (when I saw that typo I had to leave it...too funny).  However, now that I am 25+ I lathered myself in sunscreen instead of Maui Babe, and came back looking like I got a level 1 Versa Spray Tan instead of looking like a Tahitian Princess.  Oh well. Anyway, I have a recipe with a stolen picture….

Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce:

You will need…

1 cup water

2 cups sugar

1 cup heavy cream

¼ tsp sea salt

A lot of patience

1 microwave

1 saucepan

1spatula

1 whisk

1 stove that does not have a glass top (or your caramel will be Michael Jackson style…white.)

Step 1: Pour water into the saucepan, and pour the sugar in the center, not touching the sides.  Good luck, I couldn’t do it, but it doesn’t seem to matter that much, but at least TRY.  DO NOT STIR.

Step 2: Heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves (about 20-25 minutes) DO NOT STIR.

Turn to high until it turns golden brown.  Who knows how long this will take, one time it took 15 minutes and then next time it never got dark…hmm  but, DO NOT STIR

Step 3:  Heat the cream in the microwave for about 45 seconds (it should almost be golden brown too) you are doing this so it doesn’t turn into a lump fest in your pan when you whisk in the cream

Step 4: Slowly whisk in cream.  This part is always hard for me because slowly isn’t very descriptive…maybe sing a little song or something while your doing it and make sure you don’t finish before you're done.  Or just dump it in, I don’t think it really matters.

Continue boiling until the mixture thickens.  But don’t get all depressed that it’s not thick enough, it will get thicker as it cools. Add salt and then let it cool.

Step 5: Put it in some sort of container.  I bought little jam jars at Fred Meyer.  A double recipe filled 12.  Pour the cooled (slightly) caramel into the jars.  I let mine cool for about 30 minutes before pouring because I was paranoid that it would all stick to the pot and then I would spend my night scrapping it off with only my tears to help get it unstuck.

Step 6: Put the jars in your car in 30 degree weather over night and then handout to your staff at work for Christmas presents!