Salted Caramel Sauce

Makes 1 ½ cups

1 cup sugar 3 tablespoons water ¾ cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon butter ½ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium, heavy saucepan, combine sugar and water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring just until sugar is moistened. Let mixture boil, without stirring but with an occasional swirl of the pan, until it is a deep amber color and smells like caramel, about 9 to 12 minutes. The caramel will be very hot at this point.

Remove saucepan from heat and carefully add a little bit of the cream; the caramel will bubble up furiously.

Return pan to low heat and whisk in remaining cream a little at a time (to avoid bubbling over), then whisk in the butter, salt and vanilla. Continue to whisk until sauce is very smooth, another minute or so. Remove pan from heat and let sauce cool in pan; it will thicken as it cools. Serve warm or at room temperature.

BRENTON GOSPODAREK Finished recipe: Serve caramel sauce warm or at room temperature.

4. Return pan to low heat and whisk in remaining cream a little at a time (to avoid bubbling over), then whisk in the butter, salt and vanilla. This recipe is from “Modern Sauces” by Martha Holmberg (Chronicle Books, 2012, $35).

3. Remove saucepan from heat and carefully add a little bit of the cream; the caramel will bubble up furiously.

1. In a medium, heavy saucepan, combine sugar and water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring just until sugar is moistened.

2. Let mixture boil, without stirring but with an occasional swirl of the pan, until it is a deep amber color and smells like caramel.