RIP Caramel Sauce

My life was never the same after making caramel sauce from scratch. I had no idea I could take something so basic as a little sugar and cream and create the most amazing caramel sauce I had ever tasted. I think I told everyone I ran into for the next week about the caramel sauce I made and how proud I was of myself. I would not shut up about this bowl of caramel sauce.

So, when I was invited to dinner to my friends' home, I really wanted to bring something special. First, I hadn't seen my best friend in probably three years and her mom was kind enough to spoil me with spices. http://www.cheapnotfrugaleats.blogspot.com/2010/09/i-am-spoiled.html

They are the best hostesses so I probably wasn't allowed to bring something over but I didn't ask. I was wracking my brain trying to think what would be nice. Caramel sauce and ice cream!!! A fantastic excuse to make caramel sauce.

I got the Ina Garten recipe I like and have seen her make on tv multiple times. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/caramel-sauce-recipe2/index.html

The only ingredients are:

sugar

water

heavy cream

pure vanilla extract

I started making the sauce. Everything is going as it should. I start having a problem a with the sugar crystalizing. This happened last time but I kept cooking it and it turned out fine. I keep cooking, it starts to change to that beautiful warm brown color. I add my cream at perfect moment. It's a lovely caramel color and I DIDN'T BURN THE SAUCE. Something is wrong! It is a funny color and doesn't start to get thick like it is supposed to. The sauce smells like amazing caramel sauce but looks funny. It did not turn out and I had to throw it out.

Learn from my mistakes. I have no idea how each of these things affected the sauce but they were different than what I had done with my successful, yummy sauce. I used imitation vanilla, rather than pure vanilla. I think I chickened out and didn't turn the heat up enough when I was supposed to. I am pretty sure this is what caused the crystallizing. And, I used heavy whipping cream instead of heavy cream. I stood in the dairy row at the store for a good long while staring at these two little cartons deciding what to do. I went back to the house with the carton of whipping cream because it cost half as much as the heavy cream. They seemed pretty similar but must not have been similar enough. Next time, I am definitely getting the heavy cream. RIP Caramel Sauce of September 9, 2010. I will remember you as I eat your successful caramel sauce pal sometime in the near future.