Classic salted caramel sauce

By: Chloe Timms
From: Salted Caramel Dreams
Makes: 500 g
Photographer: River Thompson

Most recipes in this book rely on this mother recipe, so add it to your repertoire before you venture any further. It’s such a wonderful sauce, coppery, thick and scoopable at room temperature, and silky smooth when warmed. I’ve noted down a few simple adaptations, but do experiment – the world is your... um ... sticky, caramel oyster.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
200ml	double cream
3/4 teaspoon	sea salt
225g	caster sugar
3 tablespoons	glucose syrup
4 tablespoons	water
65g	salted butter
	Wet caramel

Method

In a small saucepan, warm the cream and salt over a low heat until hot but not boiling, stirring often to avoid scorching. Alternatively, warm in the microwave in a suitable jug. Cover to keep warm while you make the caramel.
Make a dark wet caramel with the sugar, glucose syrup and water.
Once the caramel is ready, remove from the heat and, being very careful, gradually add the warmed cream and salt. It will bubble and spit ferociously. Do not stir until the bubbles have died down.
Add the butter and stir well. If you have lumps of caramel, return to a low heat and stir until the lumps have dissolved. If not using immedietely, pour the sauce, or any of the variations below, into sterilised jars while still hot. The sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 2 months.

Chocolate salted caramel sauce

For a thick chocolate caramel sauce, add 65g good-quality dark chocolate to the caramel after the butter has been added.

Miso salted caramel sauce

For a salty miso caramel sauce, leave out the sea salt and add 1–2 tablespoons sweet white miso paste after the butter has been added.

Brown butter salted caramel sauce

Following the instructions for Brown butter (in the cornerstones chapter), make a brown butter using the quantity of butter specified in the recipe plus 2 teaspoons. Leave to cool in the pan, then, once solidified, scrape out, wrap in parchment and refrigerate until ready to use. Use as directed in the recipe to replace the salted butter.

Malty caramel sauce

For a rich, malty caramel sauce add 1–2 tablespoons malt syrup after the butter has been added. Alternatively, boil a bottle of your favourite ale in a large pan until syrupy, then add 1–2 tablespoons of the ale syrup instead.