Easy Foolproof Caramel

This has been my go-to caramel recipe since I was 14. It is so incredibly easy, the result is delicious, and it is 100% foolproof. It’s silky smooth and goes perfectly in any dessert. It is so versatile but these are a few of my favourite ways to enjoy it: It’s my go-to cake filling, it makes the most perfect drizzle on any dessert, and it tastes great by the spoonful.

Making your own caramel means that you have full control of how you want it to taste. The deeper you caramelize it, the more bitter and rich the flavour becomes. Add some flakey salt to turn it into a salted caramel! There are endless possibilities with this simple dessert.

Click HERE to watch the full recipe video!

INGREDIENTS:

• 200g Caster/Granulated Sugar
• 80ml Water
• 190ml Double Cream/ Heavy Cream, warm
• 70g Butter (salted or unsalted [if you’re using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt when you add the butter)

STEPS:

1. Combine sugar and water in a saucepan.
2. Transfer it to the stove over medium heat and slowly bring it to a boil. Don’t stir, but you can gently shake the saucepan to get the sugar dissolved evenly.
3. Leave it to bubble until the mixture starts to deepen in colour. Keep an eye on it. Leave it to caramelize until it reaches a very dark amber colour. Keep in mind that the darker it caramelizes, the more bitter it will be. You also want the colour at this stage to be darker than what you want the end product to be, because you will be adding cream which will lighten the caramel.
4. When it reaches your desired caramelisation level, add the warm cream. The mixture will bubble aggressively. Stir with a rubber spatula until the steam calms down and the caramel bubbles less.
5. Move it off the heat and add butter. If you are using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt to balance out the flavours. Stir and let the residual heat melt the butter as it combines with the caramel.
6. Pour it into a heatproof container and let it cool. 

TIPS:

• STORAGE-
  • Keep it in the fridge and it should keep for at least a week (always use a clean spoon to scoop the caramel and keep it sealed so it can last longer)!
• CONSISTENCY CONTROL-
  • When cold, the caramel will be more solid. This is useful when you want to portion and shape your caramel for filling cookie dough!
  • At room temp, the caramel will be spreadable. Perfect for pipping into cakes for filling or spreading it on toast!
  • Microwaved for a few SECONDS, it’ll become runny and drizzelable. Just a slight bit of warmth will make it more runny so you can drizzle it over cakes, porridge, or even pancakes!