Sundaes just aren’t sundaes if they don't have some sort of sugary syrup on them. Chocolate, strawberry, butterscotch are all great options. Personally, nothing quite beats that simple caramel flavour. Perfect over ice cream or just a dip to enjoy with some fruit, the flavour of caramel really brings many of us back to our simpler days of being carefree children. We’re offering you this easy to make at home caramel recipe for you to enjoy however you chose. 

You will need to use a heavy bottomed saucepan to ensure your caramel doesn't burn. It will also need some decent amount of space to allow the caramel to bubble up, so skip the tiny saucepan for this. You may also use a lighter cream, even whole milk will work, but the higher the fat content, the thicker the creamy caramel syrup will be. Heavy cream works perfectly. This recipe takes 15-20 minutes to make, but will require your attention throughout. Keep an eye on your pot at all times to prevent burning since not all stoves are made equal. Only use a wooden spoon or a silicone tipped utensil. Do not use plastic or metal utensils. 

Be extremely careful when handling melted sugar as it can stick to your skin and cause burns.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup White Sugar
• ¼ cup Water
• 6 Tbsp of Butter (cut into slices)
• ½ cup Heavy Cream

DIRECTIONS

• Add the sugar and the water into the saucepan.
• Mix it together to create an even surface area. Your sugar should have absorbed all the water and looks like a big blob of paste. 
• Turn the stove on to just above medium heat. 
• Let the mixture heat up and come to a bubble. DO NOT stir. 
• Once bubbling consistently, you may swirl the saucepan on occasion, but do not stir or whisk. 
• The sugar will eventually bubble up and look like it is forming cloudy clumps, this is a good sign. 
• Swirl the pan if need be and try to push down the sugar from the saucepans side walls to prevent crystallization. 
• The syrup will eventually turn a honey yellow. Keep cooking and gently swirling on occasion until it reaches a dark amber colour. 
• CAREFULLY add in the slices of butter and whisk to mix together. The mixture will bubble up quickly, be very careful, but keep whisking. 
• Remove the saucepan from the heat. 
• Slowly pour in the cream and whisk constantly until all of the cream has been incorporated.
• Let the creamy caramel cool in the saucepan for 10 minutes.
• Pour the creamy caramel into a clean sealable jar and refrigerate.