InternationalSalted Caramel Sauce
A buttery, glossy salted caramel for drizzling over ice cream, brownies and apple tart. Basic melts brown sugar and butter into a quick toffee sauce, Better cooks a proper wet caramel with cream, and Ultimate builds a deep dry caramel finished with crème fraîche, vanilla seeds and fleur de sel.
Ultimate version
A chef's dry caramel taken to a bittersweet amber, enriched with crème fraîche, vanilla seeds and butter, and finished with fleur de sel.
Ingredients for 4
- 200 g caster sugar
- 1 vanilla pod , seeds scraped
- 90 g unsalted butter , cubed, cold
- 100 ml double cream , warmed
- 60 g crème fraîche
- ¾ tsp fleur de sel
Method
- Add the sugar to a clean heavy pan in a thin even layer and place over a medium heat.
- As the edges melt, gently draw the liquid sugar into the centre with a spatula until fully dissolved and a deep bittersweet amber.
- Off the heat, whisk in the cold butter and the scraped vanilla seeds, standing back as it splutters.
- Pour in the warmed cream in a steady stream, whisking to a smooth glossy caramel.
- Whisk in the crème fraîche for a subtle tang, then stir through the fleur de sel.
- Cool until thickened but still pourable; it keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for two weeks.
Equipment
The three ways, side by side
A fuss-free toffee sauce of brown sugar, butter and cream melted together in one pan.
A proper wet caramel, cooking white sugar to a deep amber before whisking in butter and cream.
A chef's dry caramel taken to a bittersweet amber, enriched with crème fraîche, vanilla seeds and butter, and finished with fleur de sel.