Caramel Sauce

Show: Barefoot ContessaEpisode: Happy Ever After

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (58)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(58)

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
Chavon Chester, PA 03-15-2010
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"Sweeeeeeeeeeeet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

One day I wanted some ice cream & apples with caramel. The problem I didn't have no caramel sauce, so I searched fo the... recipe on Food Network & here it was the best homemade caramel sauce. I didn't run into any problems, I also watched Alton & Ann's video recipe and made some adjustments. I followed Ina recipe, I brushed the side of the pot with water (from Ann) and started out on high heat (from Alton) but the rest was Ina's. I could have used 1 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream instead 1 1/4 like I did, I also read some of the reviews & some also said they put a pinch of salt in which also helped. Overall it came out perfect just like caramel out the jar. This was my 1st time doing any homemade sauce & my son & I were so happy with the results I said " I'm not buying caramel from the store anymore!!! It may be a difference with some having problems making this recipe based on if you have a gas or electric stove. I have a gas stove and it came out "AWESOME" thanks Ina!!!!!!!Read more
recipe Caramel Sauce
Danielle Omaha, NE 03-15-2010
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Awesome!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

this was the first time I ever tried this or any kind of candy.....the word "Napalm" really turns me off to it.....eeek but I... really wanted it so I thought I'd bite the bullet and give it a shot. I didn't have heavy cream or heavy whipping cream....but I found a user comment on another site where the mom and son used 2/3 cup of butter with little under a cup of milk melted together (it ended up looking like a science project :-/ ....) but I thought I'd give it a shot anyways.... everything went perfect (sorry Ina...but I watch Alton too and he said to look for the wisp of smoke then add cream) I added my dairy concoction and it acted just like it shows on TV with an incredible smell...... I let it bubble away for a couple more min then took it off....stirred some waited for the spoon to cool a bit then tried it..... it was so yummy and even kinda caramel textured.... It's cooling now, so I don't know what the end result will be... I wanted it for a make shift coffee drink so I really don't need the texture....just the flavor....either way it's a good deal with the dairy science project....lol.... saved me a trip to the store and I've never ever had a use for dairy cream.... now I can just make it when I feel like it..... thanks for posting the recipe for us :-)Read more
recipe Caramel Sauce
Joy Vale, NC 03-10-2010
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Just Won't Work for Me...
Rated: 1 stars out of 5

Maybe it just me....but I've used a whole bag of sugar and 2 hrs trying to get this to work. I just keep ending up with a... pot of dry, crumbled sugar cubes! Oh well....it sounded good. Maybe I'll try with brown sugar...?Read more
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