Homemade Soft Caramel

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Get the ingredients ready for the homemade caramel. I recommend using higher-fat cream, 33% or more (heavy cream). With cream like that, the finished caramel comes out very creamy and smooth.

2. Step 2:

   

   The first step is to melt the sugar. It's best to use a heavy-bottomed pan for this, but I've gotten the hang of doing it in an ordinary aluminum saucepan. Spread the sugar in a thin layer. Set it over the lowest heat and wait for it to start melting — don't stir it. At the first signs of melting, just tilt the pan in different directions so the sugar mixes a little on its own. That way it melts evenly.

3. Step 3:

   

   Pour the hot cream into the melted sugar. The mixture will start to hiss and foam — that's how it should be.

4. Step 4:

   

   Because of that, the caramel will seize up and harden. Keep the whole thing on the heat for another 10 to 15 minutes, stirring constantly. The caramel gradually dissolves into the cream.

5. Step 5:

   

   Strain the hot caramel through a sieve. This removes any sugar crystals that might be left, so they don't crunch between your teeth and the mixture turns smooth.

6. Step 6:

   

   Add the butter to the hot caramel right away and stir until it melts completely.

7. Step 7:

   

   Keep stirring the whole thing until the butter is fully blended in and the mixture is smooth. The homemade caramel is ready!

8. Step 8:

   

   Pour it into a jar and use as you like. While hot, the caramel is fairly runny. Put it in the fridge to cool completely — it firms up and becomes thick and gooey.