It won't do to dream of caramel, to think of cinnamon and long for you...

It won't do to dream of caramel, 

to think of cinnamon 

and long for you

 ~Suzanne Vega~

Car-mel, cara-mel, caramel, however you pronounce it, this must be the thing the angels serve up in Heaven. Dear God, one silky spoonful of this sauce, and you will never, I promise you, never buy the store bought stuff again. I have seen the light and it's golden.

I've had this recipe tucked away in a folder since 2005, when I first sampled it on Martha's Vineyard. Shame on me for waiting 5 years to make it. A big shout-out to Amy Miller, a family friend, and professionally trained pastry chef who specializes in cakes, pastry and all things chocolate. A reliable source tells me that Amy's grandfather was the head chocolatier (I don't know if that's a real word) at Hershey's. Now that's some serious confectionary credibility right there.

 I love that this recipe uses lemon juice. The acidity of the lemon cuts the sweetness that can often be cloying in many caramel sauces, and brightens the flavor considerably.

 Just a gentle squeeze from half a lemon will do it.

 This recipe calls for salted butter. I generally only have unsalted butter on hand, so I improvised with sea salt. How do I love thee salt?

 Use a wooden spoon while cooking the syrup. Metal conducts heat and this concoction is like molten lava.

 Keep the syrup at a gentle boil and watch carefully as it begins to turn golden.

 I used a metal spoon so the camera would pick up the color, but stick with wood!

 Now the syrup has turned a deep golden color. Watch it carefully and rely on your sense of smell as well as your eyes to avoid scorching the sugar, which would make it bitter and un-tasty.

 Okay, let me tell you, it was NOT easy to pour cream into molten sugar while taking the picture. I got lucky with this one!

I made sundae's for my kids, but this caramel sauce can be served warm or cool on just about anything - use your imagination.

Caramel Sauce (Adapted from Amy Miller's original recipe)

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• 1/2 cup salted butter (or unsalted butter with 1/2 tsp. sea salt)
• 3/4 cup heavy cream

1. Boil the syrup till it begins to turn golden around the edges.
2. Lower the heat a bit, continue boiling to a deep golden color; it will darken rapidly.
3. Meanwhile, combine and heat the butter and cream until warm and melted.
4. Remove from the heat. Slowly, carefully add butter and cream - it will sputter and spatter up - Beware!
5. Return to low heat, stir until completely melted and smooth. 
6. Cool and serve hot or chilled.