Making caramel seemed like a daunting task for the longest time...until I found this simple foolproof recipe from my culinary hero, Ina Garten. This luxurious caramel sauce stores perfectly in the fridge for long periods of time and is a great alternate to store-bought jars of preservative-laden caramel.
At room temperature, this sauce is the perfect consistency for apple-dipping, adding a spoonful to a cappuccino, or my favorite, coating a batch of freshly popped popcorn.
Keep a close eye on the saucepan the whole time. The mixture will be extremely hot and will turn brown faster than you can spell Mississippi. Once the mixture reaches a warm amber hue, remove it from the heat to avoid burning and add the heavy cream.