Salted Caramel Sauce
Caramel is controlled burning, and the gap between delicious and bitter is roughly thirty seconds wide. At 165 °C it is pale, sweet and flat; at 180 °C it picks up the toasted, faintly bitter edge that makes the whole exercise worthwhile. A thermometer beats guesswork, though the colour of strong tea is a good second opinion.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Rest
- 30 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Servings
- 12
- Level
- Medium
- Per serving
- 190 kcal
Ingredients
Makes: about 400 ml — one jar, 12 servings
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Warm the cream
Heat the cream until hot and keep it by the stove. Cold cream hitting hot sugar erupts and sets into hard lumps.
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Step 2: Dissolve the sugar
In a heavy-based pan, cover the sugar with the water, stir once and set over medium heat. Put the spoon down after that.
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Step 3: Boil undisturbed
Let it bubble for 8–10 minutes. Wash any splashes down the sides with a wet pastry brush — a single stray crystal can seize the whole pan.
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Step 4: Take it to colour
Once it starts to yellow, swirl the pan by the handle. Pull it off at 180 °C, the colour of strong tea — 30 to 60 seconds after the first golden patches.
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Step 5: Add the cream
Pour the hot cream in slowly, whisking without stopping. It foams up violently, so use a pan with high sides.
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Step 6: Finish with butter
Return it to low heat for a minute, then take it off and whisk in the butter and salt until smooth.
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Step 7: Let it cool
Pour into a jar and leave for 30 minutes. Hot caramel always looks too thin; it thickens as it cools.
Tips & variations
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Tip
If the sugar crystallises into a lumpy mass, add 2 tbsp water, return it to the heat and wait for it to dissolve again. It is recoverable.
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Tip
Caramel burns far worse than boiling water and sticks to skin. Long sleeves and a wooden spoon are sensible, not fussy.
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Variation
For a cake or macaron filling, simmer 3–4 minutes longer until it has the body of condensed milk and will not run out of the layers.
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Storage
A month in the fridge. It sets hard when cold — stand the jar in warm water or microwave it for 20 seconds.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 12 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 190 kcal | 2,280 kcal |
| Protein | 1 g | 12 g |
| Fat | 11 g | 132 g |
| Carbohydrates | 22 g | 264 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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