Bourbon Caramel Sauce
Bourbon caramel sauce is a gently sophisticated take on the classic. Caramel requires a little bit of knowledge, but it's not nearly as hard to make at home as you may think. Here's how to do it. Makes about 1 ¼ cups sauce.
Servings: 12
Calories: 24kcal
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup (157 ml) heavy cream
- ¼ cup (60 ml) water
- 1 cup (200 grams) sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) light corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) bourbon
- 1 tablespoon (15 grams) sour cream
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- In a small pot or in the microwave, warm the cream to at least 100°F (you don't need to use a thermometer — just be sure it's warm to the touch). A minute or so in the microwave should do it. Set aside.
- Place the sugar, water, and corn syrup into a large, impeccably clean pot (see notes below) and stir them together with a clean spoon or your index finger. Set the pot over medium heat and do not stir at all from this point forward.
- Let the mixture come to a boil and then continue to cook just until it turns a beautiful amber color, about the color of an old copper penny. If you like, you can use a candy thermometer and pull the pot off the heat as it's about to reach 350°F. I find it's just as easy to do it by eye.
- Immediately and very carefully begin pouring in the cream. It will bubble up furiously. Carefully give it a stir.
- Stir in the bourbon, sour cream, and salt. Pour into a heat-safe pitcher or jar to cool. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Use a heavy, light-colored, 3.5-quart pot. Stainless steel is a good option. The size will seem big, but you’ll need it when the sauce bubbles up as you add the cream. A heavy bottom will help distribute the heat well to prevent scorching as the sugar gets very hot, and the light color will help you keep an eye on the darkening of the sugar.
- When cooking caramel, it’s extremely important to keep everything perfectly clean and free of additives. As sugar melts, the microscopic crystals develop jagged edges that are just dying to seize up. Making a "wet" caramel (starting with some water) and adding a little bit of corn syrup helps with this, but any impurities can still result in problems, so make sure you're working with clean tools.
- The corn syrup is important in making this recipe foolproof. It’s an invert sugar, and it helps to keep the caramel from crystalizing and becoming grainy. This ensures a successful caramelization process and a smooth sauce.
- Store leftovers tightly sealed at room temperature for up to a week or in the fridge for up to a month.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 24kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 25mg | Sugar: 3g