Caramel Sauce

This is seriously THE BEST CARAMEL SAUCE I have ever tasted!  So, I had to share it. :-)


After attempting another recipe which... =equaled=...FAILED from another blog, I resorted to the place that I should have started....yes, my favorite magazine/Internet subscription in the world......Cook's Illustrated  And when I attempted this recipe, the second time using Cook's Illustrated recipe....you got it!.....perfection!!!!  I LOVE Cook's Illustrated!!  (no I do not work for them or receive perks from them....their recipes actually work the first time you try them, that's more than enough reason for me to love them!)


So here we go.....


Classic Caramel Sauce
2 cups granulated sugar (either cane or organic sugar) Meijer sells both, other sugar is GMO
1 cup organic heavy cream or organic heavy whipping cream (Horizon is what I can find locally)
Pinch table salt
2 tablespoons unsalted organic butter, cold (Meijer has their brand of organic, it's all I use)


Instructions
1.  Pour 1 cup of reverse osmosis or filtered water into a 2 quart heavy-bottomed saucepan; add sugar to center of pot to keep granules from adhering to the sides of the pot, stir with wooden spoon.  Bring to boil over high heat, covered.  Uncover pot, insert candy thermometer and continue to boil until syrup is thick and straw-colored, registering 300 degrees on candy thermometer which will be about 15 minutes (if you don't own a candy thermometer, you can check the sugar syrup with an instant read thermometer than can read temperatures in excess of 350 degrees or follow the time approximations in this recipe and watch the color of the sugar syrup; it should be a deep amber color before the cream is added.)


2.  Reduce heat to medium; continue to cool until sugar is deep amber, begins to smoke, and registers 350 degrees on candy thermometer, about 5 minutes longer.  Meanwhile, when temperature of syrup reaches 300 degrees, bring cream and salt to simmer in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat.  (If cream reaches simmer before syrup reaches 350 degrees, remove cream from heat and set aside.)


3.  Remove sugar syrup from heat.  Pour about 1/4 of the hot cream into sugary syrup; stir, mixture will bubble (which is quite beautiful to watch), let bubbling subside.  Add remaining cream; stir, let bubbling subside.  Whisk gently until smooth, whisk in butter.  Let cool until warm; serve. (I poured mine into a pint glass canning jar, I could not fit it all in the pint, so recipe makes approximately 2 1/4 cups of sauce.  Can be refrigerated for up to 1 month (but trust me it will not last that long!); reheat by placing glass pint jar, uncovered, in a pan with water over low heat.)


I made this because I recently had a Pampered Chef party at my house and the dessert we chose called for a jar of store bought caramel...you know me...not happening in this house, so I made my own.  :-)  This sauce tastes DIVINE served over vanilla ice cream!  Or heck, who am I kidding it tastes great by digging your spoon into the sauce and eating it!  :-)  Enjoy!!!!  And let me know what you think!