Caramel Sauce

1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
1/4 cup (59 ml) pulpy orange juice*
Zest from one orange*
1 T (15 g) whole milk
4 T (57 g) butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

*ANY mashed fruit or flavor applies here!! Miso is especially amazing!

Gather all your ingredients in little bowls ahead of time (mise en place).

Make a dry caramel by pouring the sugar into a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. As soon as the sugar starts to melt, use a heatproof spatula to move it constantly around the pan—you want it all to melt and caramelize evenly. Cook and stir, cook and stir, until the caramel is a deep, dark amber, 3 to 5 minutes from when the sugar starts to melt.

Once the caramel has reached the target color, remove the saucepan from the heat. Very slowly and very carefully, pour in the milk, the orange juice and the zest. The caramel will bubble up and steam; stand back until the steam dissipates. Use the heatproof spatula to stir the mixture together. 

Add the butter, vanilla and salt, continue stirring. If it is at all lumpy or if there are any clumps of hardened caramel floating around the sauce, put the saucepan back over medium heat and heat the mixture, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth.

Let the caramel cool before using. It will keep in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to 2 weeks.

There are so many uses for this!! It’s fantastic on homemade vanilla ice cream, orange panna cotta, or even with a little duck!!

Recipe by Christina Tosi