Q: My caramel sauce always turns out crunchy or broken and separated. How can I make a smooth caramel sauce?A: Making caramel and caramel sauce is difficult and takes practice. Try the following:
First, make caramel. Be sure the heavy-bottomed saucepan you use is very clean; small particles of anything including clumps of melted sugar can make the sauce lumpy. Add the sugar and mix it well with the water and lemon juice (if using), bring the mixture to a boil and lower the heat to medium. Cook the sugar mixture without stirring it after it begins boiling. Have a pastry brush and a bowl of water handy to brush down the sides of the pan as the sugar cooks, washing any particles of sugar that bubble up back into the boiling mixture. When the sugar reaches the point of caramelization (about 340 degrees on a candy thermometer) and is a golden amber color, remove it from the heat.
To make the caramel sauce, carefully add the cream — it can splatter up so stand back from the pan — and stir until smooth. If it is lumpy at this point, put it back over the heat and stir constantly to melt any lumps. Remove the pan from the heat again and stir in the butter until it has melted and the sauce is smooth. The sauce should be served warm, but not hot.
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