Caytlin’s Famous Apple Bourbon Caramel Sauce

This apple bourbon caramel sauce has turn out to be a staple in Chef Cayt’s kitchen, and it’s an all-time favourite recipe together with her family and friends. It’s turn out to be so widespread that she even makes large batches to promote, and across the vacation season, orders come flooding in months upfront. With this recipe, you may whip up this crowd-pleasing sauce in your personal kitchen utilizing just some fundamental elements and a splash of apple bourbon. You’ll not consider how many individuals will love this, and it’s certain to raise any dessert that makes use of caramel!

For extra caramel sauce recipes, attempt our Sea Salt Caramel Sauce or our Fireball Cinnamon Caramel Sauce.

Our apple bourbon caramel sauce is so scrumptious, and it solely requires a number of elements, most of that are most likely already in your pantry or fridge. The particular ingredient is apple bourbon, which provides it that flavorful punch that makes it to die for!

Ingredient Notes

• Salted butter: It’s also possible to use unsalted butter, simply be sure to add an additional pinch of salt to the recipe.
• Sweetened condensed milk: This helps make the caramel creamy and candy.
• Mild corn syrup: For this recipe, be sure to get mild corn syrup reasonably than a darker selection.
• Apple bourbon: That is what makes the flavour of this caramel sauce so distinctive and thrilling, so do what you may to search out apple bourbon! If you happen to can’t get any although, you may substitute plain bourbon. And if you’d like an alcohol-free model, you may omit the bourbon altogether, and also you’ll nonetheless get a yummy caramel sauce.

Caramel Levels

When making caramel, it’s useful to be conversant in the assorted levels it goes via because it cooks. The method of sugar remodeling into caramel happens over a number of distinct levels which might be identifiable by temperature, and every ends in its personal consistency.

The method begins with the “thread stage” (230–235°F), the place the sugar syrup kinds skinny threads when dropped into chilly water. That’s adopted by the “delicate ball” stage (235–240°F), so named as a result of the syrup kinds a malleable ball in chilly water, however flattens as soon as eliminated. The “agency ball” stage (245–250°F) is when the syrup holds its form when shaped right into a ball however nonetheless stays pliable. As the warmth rises, you attain the “laborious ball” stage (250–265°F), which provides you a agency ball that holds its form. The “delicate crack” stage (270–290°F) and “laborious crack” stage (300–310°F) create a agency, brittle syrup. If continued previous these factors, the syrup will flip right into a darkish, richly-flavored caramel at round 320-350°F, superb for sauces and confections.

Figuring out these levels is essential to find out the ultimate consistency of your caramel. For this recipe, intention for a temperature between 200–205°F. That will provide you with a easy and velvety sauce with out reaching the delicate ball stage.

Sweet Thermometers

Sweet thermometers are essentially the most correct approach to get your caramel to the specified consistency, nevertheless it’s undoubtedly potential to make caramel with out one.

When your caramel begins to simmer, pay shut consideration to its look and texture. For this recipe, we’re aiming for a easy and velvety sauce. The caramel ought to turn out to be thicker, and small bubbles ought to constantly break the floor.

To verify the consistency of the caramel, you may fastidiously take a small spoonful of caramel and let it cool for a second. As soon as it’s cool sufficient that it received’t burn you, use your fingers and pinch the sauce between your thumb and index finger. Pull your fingers aside, and as you do, the sauce ought to kind a thread that stretches however doesn’t instantly break. When you’ve hit that time, you’ll know that you just’ve gotten to the precise consistency.

From there, take away the saucepan from warmth and permit it to chill for a couple of minutes earlier than you stir within the vanilla extract, apple bourbon, and salt. Then you’ll stir till all of the elements are effectively mixed. Let the sauce settle down, then switch it to jars for storage.

Troubleshooting Grainy Caramel

Grainy caramel is usually a results of sugar crystallization throughout the caramelization course of. To stop this, stir the combination constantly when you warmth up the caramel.

Graininess may happen due to condensation, which might occur if you happen to cowl the caramel when it’s nonetheless too heat. If that occurs, reheat the combination till it boils once more, and that can assist eradicate the grainy texture.

Serving Ideas

This sauce can go on absolutely anything that like to make use of caramel sauce for. We love dipping apples in it, making apple nachos, drizzling it over ice cream, or utilizing in nearly any dessert you need! Be at liberty to get inventive and incorporate this superb sauce nevertheless you need.