Sunday, March 2, 2014

Mama's Favorite Caramel Sauce

I often lament at how overpriced a caramel frappuccino or caramel macchiato (both my favorites!) are at the well-known chain. After scouring for recipes, and many failed attempts at creating something I enjoyed, I have come up with my favorite caramel sauce! 

To make the caramel sauce, you will need:
1/2 cup sugar (you can use refined if you choose, but it will be a lighter caramel)
3 Tablespoons of salted butter
1/4 cup of half and half (or for a thicker caramel, use heavy whipping cream)



Place the sugar in a pan over a medium-high heat and whisk until melted. This usually takes me about four to six minutes. 





As soon as it is melted, add in the 3 tablespoons of butter, and whisk this together quickly and remove from heat when combined. Note: Do not boil, a few bubbles are okay, but you don't want to burn the caramel.



Once removed from heat, immediately add the half and half. Combine this quickly, then let it sit for approximately 10 minutes to cool. 



This only makes approximately 3/4 of a cup of caramel. You can store this in a pint sized mason jar in your refrigerator until it is gone. Or, if you want another fun option, store it in a squirt bottle for that awesome drizzle over your coffee or dessert! 




I found these Sistema small 35 ml squirt bottles at my local grocery store, and they are fun for my kids! These are also great for giving a serving of syrup, caramel, ketchup, or other condiments that you would like to control portion size.






Now, for the most amazing coffee recipe: Kristin's Caramel Macchiato

Fill your coffee 3/4 of a way full with your favorite brewed coffee. Admittedly, I use Folgers for myself, but you can use any brand you choose. Stir in a teaspoon of your prepared caramel sauce (see above) into your coffee, until melted. Add half and half to taste. Top with whipped topping and a caramel drizzle. Now, sit back and enjoy your cheap knock-off, and think of all the things you can do with that extra $4-5 dollars. Also, the coffee house chain that I sometimes splurge with is selling these AWESOME reusable cups for $1, so it makes an even better fake-out! Just be careful with these cups because they are not insulated and get extremely hot. 



I also enjoy my morning coffee with a cutie! She gets "coffee" too! I put about 1/4 cup of coffee in a small cup, add 1 teaspoon of caramel, and fill the cup the rest of the way with organic almond milk. Then, top with whipped topping and a caramel drizzle. It is something that only Mama gives to her, so it is a special treat.









Now, that is a smile :)

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