Caramel au beurre salé or salted caramel!

Jars of delicious caramel, ready whenever you need to use it

Whenever you hear someone talking about caramel your taste buds are stimulated or whenever you come across a recipe that calls for the use of caramel you will know that for sure this dessert will be extra special. Take a humble dessert, drizzle it with some caramel sand immediately you will take it to a higher and more complex level.

Dark, creamy, aromatic, sweet but with a salty hint

Sugar caramelization started in France during the 17th century, and since then this creation has found endless uses and was featured in many recipes that took advantage of the unique flavors caramel imparts to recipes.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy caramel is through the traditional French recipe: caramel au beurre salé  which basically means salted butter caramel or simply salted caramel. It is made either with salted butter or you can add salt if you are using the more common unsalted butter.

A thick, decadent sauce that adds lots of flavor to many desserts

Here's an easy way to make this heavenly and decadent sauce. Be careful, the sauce is highly addictive.

Here's what you need to make almost 2 cups:

• 150 g sugar (white granulated)
• 40 g water
• 60 g cold butter
• 300 ml cream (35% fat content, or more)
• 3/4 tsp fleur de sel (if not available use regular salt)

Combine sugar and water in a heavy bottom saucepan. Let the sugar dissolve completely without touching it, just swirl to make sure all the sugar melts. If you whisk the sugar while melting, this will not allow it to melt nicely, you will have clumps and crystals which will prevent you from having the smooth and creamy caramel you long for.

After few minutes on the stove the sugar will start changing color, when it reaches a nice amber color and you can clearly smell the characteristic caramel aroma, it's time to add the cold butter (it´s better if it's cold as this will stop the sugar from further cooking and burning) stir a bit then add the salt, as it melts at the end add the cream.  Be careful when you add the cream as it might splatter, so keep your face away! Stir well after adding the cream, and if you want a thicker caramel leave to reduce for few more minutes on a gentle heat to avoid burning your caramel.

Pour it in a glass container and let it cool. You can preserve it in an air tight jar and kept in the fridge.

Now you have a great sauce to goes really well with so many desserts!

Suitable for so many desserts, make sure to have some on standby!