Last fall I decided the time had come to learn how to caramelize sugar and make my own sauce, seeing as my husband loves caramel. Truly, that was why I started messing with caramel. I wanted to bless him. I have never reached for the caramel sauce for my ice cream if there was chocolate available, and I never expected my experimenting to come back and bite me. My sister-in-law Becca is actually the one to blame for the whole deal, since she encouraged me to try for a perfect caramel and warned me that there was no going back.
My first batch turned out beautifully, not one hitch. The second batch burned. The third one seized up, which is pretty close to burned and inedible. Finally I produced another batch that still had sugar lumps, even though the candy thermometer was registering near-burn stage. I decided that I was beat. Too amateur in the kitchen. Besides, I was tired of washing masses of mess out of my sauce pan.
This fall I started seeing all these caramel lattes advertised and decided to have another go. I searched for a tutorial online, and found Sally’s Baking Addiction. Following her step by step directions anxiously, I timed everything so very carefully. The result was Perfect. Caramel. With course salt mixed in, it is a delectable blend of sweet and salty. Unfortunately, it has turned around and addicted me instead of Gabe, who is more temperate than I am in many ways. He laughs at me. I cook another batch and give it away. But what if it was just a fluke? I try another batch since Fisher’s Country Store is having a sale on butter and I have lots of cream skimmed off the milk. Again, perfection.
Friends, I have nailed it! Now I can stop, wouldn’t you say? Or not. 😀
The only thing I did differently was to lose the candy thermometer and just go by the amber color to know when to add the butter. This does take some trial and error, but usually it is just right when the last of the sugar lumps are dissolved. I don’t worry about the bits stuck on the edges of the sauce pan. Oh yes, last fall I used a whisk. This fall I used a spatula and just stirred gently from the edges toward the middle. I did it exactly like Sally said because this is serious stuff. 🙂 If you have 15 minutes and those four ingredients, go try it. Do not become distracted and go look at something your husband is laughing about on Facebook. Make your children get their own drinks. Just stand there and watch that caramel. It is only 15 minutes of your life, but it will make your Christmas very merry indeed.
You are quite welcome. 🙂
wocket in my pocket 
Sounds like something I would LOVE, only if you made it for me, of course! 😜
She’s right, folks.
Don’t ask me how I know. (Clings more tightly to her jar of salted caramel sauce.)
Naomi, you are so kind to rub it in 😉 but of course, that babes definitely NEEDS caramel! Mercifully, I have a stash in my fridge too. ( although specially made for my caramel loving husband, he likes to share with me 🙂
Rhonda, I have an innocent question… is it THM?
I will dare to question any innocency but NO it is NOT! 😉 I dare say it is THE best caramel I have ever had. Hmm I was gonna say the best I have made, but that might not be saying much:) and its the soft chewy stuff wrapped in wax paper. If you wanted a THM recipe I could probably get you one 😉
Since so many of my Christams cooking experiments were less then ideal this year, I’m afraid I’d be tempting fate to try it. Or maybe it would be the one thing that actually DOES work! I mean, 15 minutes! I think I need to try it.
I made caramel sauce successfully for over a year, and we ate embarrassing amounts of the sinfully yummy stuff. But then one day on fb, I read a comment you left somewhere about caramel burning. The next time I made it, it burned, the next time I made it, it burned again. I don’t know how many quarts of cream and butter I ruined. I am not superstitious or anything like that, but maybe this post will reverse my oddly bad luck with caramel. And yes, I am laughing about it but won’t stoop to lol ing. I can’t wait to read the tutorial and make some of this addictiveandonceyouhavehaditonceyouneverbuythenastystuffinbottlesandwrappersagain.
I mixed it carefully, fully aware of how very limited i am with such succulent delicacies and that I was really pushing my skill. My love for salted caramel and the well laid out instructions spurred me on. Twice. Both epic fails.
I may give it one. More. Shot.
If it fails, we may have to negotiate. I am sure it would ship. :p
Sorry. I know exactly how it feels. All that lovely cream! Let’s make a plan…you come visit me, I will make you some to buck you up. 😄