Rum Caramel Sauce
Yield: 1 Pint (16oz)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/4 Cup Water (warm)
1 Cup Heavy Cream (warm)
2 Tbsp Dark Rum
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 tsp Butter (cold, cubed)
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
DIRECTIONS:
Combine sugar and water in saucepan.
**Choose a pan that holds at least 2-3 quarts of liquids! As you make the caramel, you’ll need this excess room, as cream will bubble up when added!
Heat sugar and water over high flame. Only stir until the mixture begins to boil. Once it boils, do not stir it!
Cook for 10-15 minutes without stirring. Let the sugar mixture caramelize and become a golden browned amber color.
Remove from heat, add cream while stirring constantly with a long handled whisk! Mixture will vigorously bubble, but will settle after 5 seconds of rapid whisking. Keep whisking until sauce is smooth.
Allow to cool 5 minutes, then whisk in cold butter, sea salt, vanilla extract, and rum.
Pour caramel in glass jar, or allow to fully cool, then transfer to plastic container. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
RECIPE NOTES:
Caramel has a bad reputation for being finicky and challenging to make… don’t be intimidated! Once you try this recipe, you’ll wish you’d been making homemade caramel for years!
If using a gas stove top I like to use a wet pastry brush to brush down sugar on the sides of the pan so it doesn’t burn from the flame. If one spot browns too soon or unevenly, you can stir it… but only briefly! It’s okay if you need a quick stir but avoid excess movement while the sugar and water crystallize.
Have ingredients measured out and ready to add in so caramel doesn’t burn in the meantime while measuring.
With caramel sauce I really like to push it to it’s limits. There is a prime stage with caramel sauce, if you take it off too early, it hasn’t reached that key stage and it will be lacking in flavor (it also won’t be as thick), but if you leave it on just a few seconds too long it can burn and become bitter…
So really, really pay attention to the shade of the caramel. A rich but not super dark color. You’re looking for that golden ‘Florida Tan’ shade. Once you’ve gotten it right and know what color to look for, you’ll be a caramel pro.
STAGES OF CARAMELIZATION
