Caramel. Who does not love caramel? It is so versatile: in taste if you change ingredients added; in its usage – you can add it between cake layers, add it to cheesecake, or serve it on top. There are endless variations for adding it to desserts, macarons, waffles, pancakes, and even porridge during the festive season. But nothing, nothing feels as good as dipping the spoon into that jar, to just enjoy it like it is – in its pure form.

Ingredients

210 g white sugar
3 tbsp water
1.5 tsp honey
180 ml whipping cream
75 g butter, in pieces
1/3 tsp vanilla powder
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ ginger powder
1/5 tbsp coarse sea salt

Prepare

Pour sugar into a pot, add water and honey, and heat on a low heat. Do not mix, but swirl the pot around every now and then. When the sugar has melted and has begun to bubble, turn up the heat to medium and simmer until the caramel has turned brown. Then turn the heat to high and boil until it is the color of amber.

Remove from the heat, add the cream (be careful – it will splatter!) and stir until the caramel sauce is uniform. Boil for 1 minute. Take off the heat and mixing constantly with a hand whisk (not electric, but balloon), add the butter – piece by piece. You can add the next piece only when the first one has melted (mix all the time).

Add the last piece of butter and then vanilla, cinnamon, ginger and salt and mix 1 minute more (this will help the caramel stay even and smooth), pour into jars, seal, and cool.

Makes 2 x 250 ml jars

Recipe and pictures: Signe Meirane
Camera: Sony Alpha 7s
Plates, table and Christmas decorations: HM Home
Place: Sukņu stacija, Riga, Maskavas 196

Edible gits. Caramel