Caramel

I've not had a post dedicated to this most delicious treat, and it's high time I rectify that. I love caramel. It's cheap and easy to make and remake (for those times when we should be watching the stove but something fascinating just started happening on Facebook or TV or something).

I was blown away when I tried a friend-of-a-friend's caramel recipe, the one used with the chocolate and salted caramel brownies. The sour cream and salt combine to form this slightly tangy, slightly salty, sweet treat.

I wanted to use that caramel as a glaze to accompany my mother's apple cake recipe (something else I need to post on here). But the tanginess and saltiness wouldn't quite hit the right notes of the apple cake. So I decided to add browned butter to offset some of those flavors. Just a tablespoon. But oh my, what a difference it makes. And this is the recipe I provide to you:

Browned Butter Salted Caramel Sauce
yield: about a half cup, but this recipe is easy to duplicate

1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp water

1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp sour cream
1 tbsp browned butter

Place the sugar and water in a pot set over medium to medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar is melted, and the mixture begins to boil. Let it boil for 6-8 minutes, watching it carefully. Once the mixture begins to turn golden, you'll have roughly 1-2 minutes before it turns a dark amber.

When the mixture has reached an amber or dark amber color, add the cream and sea salt. It will spit and sputter, but whisk until it calms itself down. Add in the sour cream and browned butter, whisking until combined. Place in a bowl and let it cool down before placing it in the refrigerator for safe keeping.