Salted Caramel Sauce
Caramel sauce might be one of Hubby’s favorite things ever. He will always choose a caramel treat over a a chocolatey treat. I’ve just recently gotten more comfortable making my own caramel sauce. It actually is so much easier than I thought it was. Having a candy thermometer is a must for making caramel at home. But that’s really all you need. If you haven’t made your own caramel sauce, do it. Trust me, it’s worth the minimal effort required.
I ended up making a triple batch of this salted caramel during the holidays. I ordered some cute jars online and gave them away as gifts to some family members. Hubby also enjoyed a bunch of this caramel sauce heated up over vanilla ice cream.
One Year Ago: Crunchy Nut Encrusted Chicken Tenders
Two Years Ago: BBQ Chicken Pizza Sticks
Salted Caramel Sauce
Salted caramel sauce is easier to make than you could ever imagine. And it makes a great gift!
Yield: 2 cups
Ingredients:
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp cold unsalted butter
1 tsp fleur de sel
Directions:
Add water to a 2-qt saucepan. Gently add the sugar to the center of the pot - it will mound, that's fine. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
Once boiling, uncover the pot and insert a candy thermometer. Continue cooking until the mixture registers 300 F and is just starting to develop some color, about 15 minutes.
Reduce heat under the pot to medium and cook until the syrup is amber and registers 350 F on the thermometer, about another 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, pour the cream into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. If it simmers before the syrup is ready, just take it off the heat and set aside.
Remove the caramel from the heat and add about 1/4 of the warm cream to the pot. It will bubble furiously so be careful. Once the bubbling subsides, add the remaining cream. When it stops bubbling, whisk gently to incorporate fully. Add the butter and the salt and whisk to combine.
Refrigerate up to 1 month.
Recipe from Cook's Illustrated, as seen on Erin's Food Files
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
Wow, these look great! Kudos for your success at another baking first!
Your cheesecake pops looked clean-cut. Perfect cubes and they really look good in cubes! Nicely coated!! Unlike mine, lol.
The squares look great.
bakingdelights.com
Mine had footprints.. and finger prints from the pint sized assistant!
Wow, your shapes are so clean and perfect. Very nice job!
Everything looks so perfect. Great job
Well done in getting them dairy-free. I don’t have access to Tofutti in the UK and have had to go for the whole-dairy version, which I have to take a lactaid just to look at. Yours are lov-er-ly looking.
Perfect geometrics! Nice job–and glad you enjoyed them with the extra, dairy-free challenges.
I love how perfectly cut those are – well done!
My first batch of pops I coated by microwaving the chocolate, I think I am going to try it over the water like you did, to try to get a more consistent coating this time – they’re just in the freezer now…
These turned out beautifully..they are such clean lines! Very nice!
Carrie
your pops look so perfect! i wish my cheesecake had been that firm! congrats on adapting the recipe to suit your needs 🙂
Aw, bummer about the lactose intolerance (I too have lactose issues normally). I’m so glad you could figure a way around it and isn’t the new DB site awesome?! 🙂 Your pops turned out beautifully! Great job.
Wow! Did you cut your squares with a knife or dental floss? They are really pretty and precise looking! I’m glad the soymilk/margarine substitute worked for you.
Awesome. I love your squares!
I really love the square pops, they are so elegant. Thanks for the tips on dairy-free pops!
Maggie, I used a knife to cut my shapes.
Great job! I did squares too.
Congratulations on your lactose-free pops. I love their cute little square shape!
Your pops are adorable! I was so happy to see a dairy free version. My little nephews are on a dairy free diet. This is a perfect treat for them. Thanks!
Great looking pops and a nice adapation of the recipe.
Ooo I love the squares and triangles. Very cute. Congratulations on completing the challenge and being able to adapt it to something you can enjoy!
I love the square pops! I’m also lactose intolerant, but I admit to loving dairy too much to give it up. Lactaid is my friend!
Your squares are absolutely perfect!! Great job on this challenge – especially with adapting it so that you could enjoy it!
Love your geometric cheesecake pop shapes. I wish my cheesecake had been firm enough to try that approach. I may try tofutti next time…
Gorgeous cube pops! They remind me of those chocolate See’s suckers 🙂
woot!! Cute little square pops 😉 they look wonderful, and so perfect..soo very perfect lol
Your pops look wonderful!
Wow! Your pops look awesome. Does it taste like real cheesecake with your toffuti substitute.
perfect squares 🙂 I love them !
Great job ! congrats !
i know this post is old but i was wondering if you could share the orginal recipe that isnt dairy free? my email is vertigoxcured@gmail.com
They look and sound great! I will have to try these out.
Hi- just wanted to tell you I’ve been making these every year since you posted this. I never print the recipe and every fall I have to google it to find this specific one- we all love it! My kids (13, 11 and 5) ask for these the first time we say the word pumpkin in August. So thank you!