Caramel Sauce

Show: Barefoot ContessaEpisode: Happy Ever After

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (55)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(55)

Cook Time:
13 min
Level:
Intermediate
Yield:
5 servings

Times:

Prep: 5 min
Inactive Prep: 4 hr 0 min
Cook: 13 min
Total:: 4 hr 18 min

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Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup water
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Mix the water and sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until the sugar dissolves. Do not stir. Increase the heat to medium and boil uncovered until the sugar turns a warm chestnut brown (about 350 degrees F on a candy thermometer), about 5 to 7 minutes, gently swirling the pan to stir the mixture. Be careful – the mixture is extremely hot! Watch the mixture very carefully at the end, as it will go from caramel to burnt very quickly. Turn off the heat. Stand back to avoid splattering and slowly add the cream and vanilla. Don't worry - the cream will bubble violently and the caramel will solidify.

Simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until the caramel dissolves and the sauce is smooth, about 2 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature, at least 4 hours. It will thicken as it sits.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Caramel Sauce
Perry Fresno, CA 11-23-2009
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excellent results
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Was a little leary based on the comments relating to beet sugar but tried it anyways. At the point when the heavy cream was... added it turned in to a big crystallized clump in a thin watery sauce. I thought what do I have to lose so I kept stirring (like the recipe says) and it turned into an awesome caramel sauce as promised. Just so everyone knows, the beet sugar does caramelize just like cane sugar. I proved it.Read more
recipe Caramel Sauce
Sally Indianapolis, IN 11-04-2009
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No issues with regular whipping cream...
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Tried this and thought it was excellent! Was easy and I did only have whipping cream vs heavy whipping cream (heavy cream is... the SAME as heavy whipping cream--is 36-38% butterfat vs regular whipping cream @ 30%). To thicken up a bit, just stuck it in the freezer and it was perfect. Also I added about 1/2 c peanut butter to make mine a caramel-peanutbutter sauce to dip apples in...was WAY better than what you can get in store!!!! Thanks Ina! You are one of my favs!Read more
recipe Caramel Sauce
Jill Kettle Falls, WA 10-30-2009
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Simple and delicious
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

The sauce turned out great for me. I usually burn anything on the stove that involves sugar, but this turned out just fine. ... I did have crystallization, for whatever reason, no swirling? lazy? a stray sugar crystal? rain? In all likely hood I did use beet sugar (I'm cheap that way) and had no problems. Also, my timing was off from the recipe, as others have noted, I have a persnickety electric stove, so I was just patient, and found that I needed to add about 10 minutes each to dissolving the sugar and then getting to turn that yummy caramel color. Changes next time? I might add some salt.Read more
recipe Caramel Sauce
Amanda Lemont, IL 09-27-2009
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CANE SUGAR is a must!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Unfortunately, recipes don't tell you to use CANE sugar. If the packaging doesn't specifically say the product comed from... cane sugar (brands like Domino, C&H, etc.) then the product is most likely made from SUGAR BEETS (brands like Crystal Sugar and generics.) Sugar beet sugar tastes just fine and will work for everyday baking and sweetening, but it will never caramelize. It has a slightly different molecular structure than cane sugar. I always use cane sugar for recipes like cinnimon rolls where you want good caramelization. Read more
recipe Caramel Sauce
Sally Northford, CT 09-06-2009
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Watch the kind of sugar you use.
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

The first time I made this receipe, it turned out exactly how it was supposed to. The next time, the sugar crystallized and... never came close to temperature. I dumped it and started again thinking I had contaminated the sugar water in some way. Same thing happened. Then I went through the reviews and comments and saw someone remark that if the sugar is not "cane" sugar, this would happen. I read the sugar pack that I had gotten from a discount supermaket and it said made with cane sugar. However, the next day I went and bought a container of name brand cane sugar, made the receipe and it came out like the first time. Read more
recipe Caramel Sauce
Taaliyah Jacksonville, FL 07-29-2009
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Good But.....
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

I just finished making this recipe and when i tasted it , it was a bit too sweet so i added a pinch of salt and it was... wonderful , balanced it out perfectly ....Read more