The Show-Off's Salted Caramel Sauce

Learn to make a buttery, rich, homemade salted caramel sauce from scratch. This golden, liquid treasure is the perfect sweet-and-salty complement to a creamy, dreamy cheesecake.

Now, this one is for when you really want to show you're cookin' with gas. Making caramel from scratch can feel like a bit of a high-wire act, but just keep your eyes on the pot and you'll be rewarded with a sauce so delicious, you'll be tempted to eat it with a spoon. The little kiss of salt is what makes it so sophisticated.

What You'll Need:

• 1 cup Granulated Sugar

• 1/4 cup Water

• 6 tablespoons Salted Butter (cut into little cubes. Yes, salted!)

• 1/2 cup Heavy Cream

• 1 teaspoon Flaky Sea Salt (or to taste)

How to Make the Magic:

1. Prep Your Ingredients: Have your butter, cream, and salt right by the stove. This process moves fast!

2. Melt the Sugar: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Stir just until the sugar is wet, like damp sand.

3. Hands Off! Turn the heat to medium-high and let it bubble. Do not stir it! You can gently swirl the pan if you see one spot getting dark too quickly. Just let it bubble away until it turns a beautiful, deep amber color—like an old copper penny.

4. Stop the Cooking: As soon as it hits that color, take it off the heat immediately.

5. Add the Butter: Carefully whisk in your cubes of butter. It will bubble up like a science experiment, so be careful! Keep whisking until all the butter is melted and combined.

6. Add the Cream: Now, stand back a bit and slowly, slowly pour in the heavy cream while whisking constantly. The mixture will seize and bubble again—that's normal!

7. Smooth It Out: Put the pot back on low heat and keep whisking for about 1-2 minutes until any seized-up bits have melted and the sauce is perfectly smooth.

8. The Final Touch: Remove from the heat and stir in your sea salt. Let it cool completely before drizzling it (generously!) over your cheesecake.