From Scratch Caramel Sauce

Make this and keep it on hand throughout the holidays.

This is the caramel sauce that was drizzled on my brownies, then sunk in and created Molten Caramel Lava Brownies!

What to do with it? Serve it with fruit, ice cream, floats, pie and cake. Stir it into coffee or hot chocolate. Or just eat it with a spoon! ‘Tis the Season!

Caramel Sauce

1 cup granulated sugar

¼ cup water

½ cup heavy cream at room temperature

2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pour sugar into middle of saucepan. Pour water around the sugar and heat on low, stirring gently with a long handled spoon or silicone spatula, avoiding the edges of the pan.

Raise heat to medium and let mixture boil, stirring only if it bubbles too much. If you remove the spatula, wash with hot water and dry before putting back into the mixture.

When sugar begins to turn light to medium amber, take it off the heat. Add the heavy cream slowly, stirring all the while.

Add unsalted butter and stir until incorporated, then add vanilla and salt and stir. Pour into heat safe jar or creamer pitcher, let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate.

To keep mixture from crystallizing, do not reheat, but remove from refrigerator one hour before using.

If cooking for a crowd feel free to double or triple the recipe, just remember to upsize your saucepan. The mixture, before boiling, should not fill more than 1/3 of the saucepan. This keeps the mixture from boiling over, or splashing hot sugar on you.