There’s nothing that beats the taste of darkly caramelized sugar transformed by a pour of cream into a suave, velvety caramel sauce. If you’ve never made caramel before, it’s simple, but do take care, since the sugar gets very hot as it liquefies. Wear an oven mitt when stirring in the cream, and resist the temptation to gaze too closely into the pot while it’s bubbling and boiling away.

　　

Ingredients

makes 1 1/2 cups (375 ml)

　　1 cup (200 g) sugar

　　1 1/4 cups (310 ml) heavy cream

　　1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

　　1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

　　

Step 1

In a large, deep, heavy-duty saucepan or Dutch oven, spread the sugar in an even layer. Cook the sugar over low to medium heat, watching it carefully. When it begins to liquefy and darken at the edges, use a heatproof spatula to very gently stir it to encourage even cooking.

　　

Step 2

Tilt the pan and stir gently until all of the sugar is melted and the caramel begins to smoke and turns a deep amber color. Immediately remove from the heat and whisk in half of the cream, which will steam and bubble up furiously. Carefully stir until the sugar is dissolved, then gradually whisk in the remaining cream and the salt and vanilla. If there are any bits of hardened sugar, whisk the sauce over low heat until smooth. Serve warm.

　　

Storage

Step 3

This sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Rewarm it gently in a microwave or by stirring in a saucepan over very low heat. If the sauce is too thick, you can thin it by adding a small amount of milk or additional cream.

　　The Perfect Scoop