4 minute salted caramel sauce, from scratch
Homemade salted caramel sauce is amazing in espresso. I also use it to sweeten and complexify coffee ice cream, a latte, tiramisu, mocha drinks and coffee eggnog.
It's super easy to make, once you know how.
You'll need 500g (1lb) of white sugar, 1 liter of heavy cream (quarter of a gallon), 4 pinches of salt, and 4 minutes of your time.
AI summary:
The process of making salted caramel from scratch begins with melting sugar over a powerful heat source. About half a kilo (one pound) of sugar is added to a pan and whisked continuously until it fully liquefies. As it melts, the sugar changes color, turning into a rich brown caramel. During this stage, it may produce smoke, but that doesn't mean it's burning—it's simply undergoing caramelization.
Once the sugar reaches the desired color, heavy cream is added gradually while whisking vigorously. This step helps break up any remaining clumps and transforms the caramelized sugar into a smooth sauce. The mixture continues to boil for a short time while being stirred, ensuring an even consistency without any sticky bits. The ratio used in this recipe is 1 kg of cream to 0.5 kg of sugar, which results in a thick, velvety caramel sauce.
After turning off the heat, the caramel needs about 30 minutes to cool before adding salt. Since tasting hot caramel can be difficult and inaccurate, the salt is incorporated after cooling to achieve the perfect balance of sweetness and saltiness. This homemade caramel can be used in coffee, desserts, or as a topping for various treats.
This method highlights how caramelization works and provides a simple, effective way to create high-quality salted caramel at home.
Updated 2022/12/05