Perfect Caramel

This caramel is easy to make and is perfectly delicious! And when I say it is easy to make, I mean it! Because caramel can be tricky, but this recipe will have you shouting for joy at how easy it is!

You will need:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 Tablespoons of butter (no substitutes)
• *Optional: 1/3 cup smooth peanut butter

Measure your ingredients out ahead of time and set them aside. You want them to be ready as soon as you need them, because caramel needs to be stirred at all times!

Once you have measured all of your ingredients, then pour your 1 cup of sugar into a pot. Turn the heat on medium-low. Stir constantly! The sugar will begin to clump and harden and stick to the pan and the spoon and to itself. Don’t worry- just keep stirring! Make sure you stir constantly, because if the sugar sits on the direct flame for too long it will burn and it ruins the flavor of the caramel.

Keep stirring. As you stir the clumps will begin to melt into a golden brown liquid. Make sure that it does NOT look dark brown- that means you are burning it! If it burns, you will have to start over. If you notice that the coloring is getting dark and you are certain that you are stirring constantly, then try turning the heat of your burner down.

When the sugar has turned liquid and the clumps are gone, then add your 5 tablespoons of butter. The caramel will bubble up a little, so be careful. Keep stirring. The butter will melt. Once it has melted the butter and sugar will initially remain separated. Continue to stir the mixture until the butter and liquid sugar amalgamate (become one liquid mixture- no separation!). Once the liquid is completely amalgamated, then add your heavy cream. The cool cream will make the caramel spit a little. Keep stirring until the ingredients are well blended, then remove the caramel from the heat.

If you would like to you can add your 1/3 cup of peanut butter now. It does not give a super strong peanut butter taste, but adds flavor and thickens the caramel. I almost always add it, unless I know that someone really doesn’t like peanuts, or has an allergy.

Enjoy!

This caramel is perfect for so many things! It is wonderful on ice cream, in coffee, in my Twix snack bites, in between cake layers, on top of apple pie or brownies and so much more! I hope you love it as much as we do!