Anyone who knows me—or any of the Kings—for that matter, knows about our (well deserved) love for Fenton’s caramel sauce. All through my childhood, it was a special treat to go to Fenton’s in Oakland and get a delicious sundae smothered in that glorious cold caramel sauce (you specifically have to ask for the cold caramel, cause it’s way better than the warm version). A few years back, I even used to commute from SLC to Oakland every week for work and I would always pick up a bottle of the sauce to keep on hand in Salt Lake. But guess what?? My mom found a recipe that tastes almost exactly the same! My dad says he likes it even better. So, I decided to take a crack at it because 1) I need this sauce in my life, and 2) I wanted to take on a challenge. 2.0 and I have discussed adding a Baker’s Challenge segment on the blog and this recipe kicks it off! After giving this a go while calling my mom—The Master—to give me all the tricks, I thought I’d share this recipe and challenge with you! Let us know what you think and if you have questions or even tips that you’ve found working with similar recipes. Not every recipe we post will be easy, but certainly you will find a phenomenal reward for your effort.

1 cup whipping cream
1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup sugar
pinch of salt

1. In a small saucepan, start to heat whipping cream and whisk in butter, one piece at a time; stir until mutter melts.

2. Place sugar in a large saucepan (do not use a nonstick pan) over low heat and cook while stirring until sugar melts and turns a rich caramel color- this might take longer than you expect. The sugar will seem kind of crumbly as it comes together, but give it time,  it will smooth out.

3. When sugar is fully melted, add the cream (make sure that you keep the heat on low and that it’s not too hot when you whisk in the warm cream mixture—pour in slowly while whisking constantly). Your caramel will bubble and spit a little but don’t be scared, that’s normal.  At this point, there might be some seized up bits, but keep sauce on the heat and whisk until almost all the way smooth.

4. Strain the mixture through fine mesh sieve into a bowl and add the pinch of salt and stir in until all the way mixed in.

5. Refrigerate to thicken. Sauce can be stored in airtight container in refrigerator for up to one month.

This sauce will make your life better and happier and richer—and that’s a fact.

-CK 1.0

(Recipe originally found and adapted from Contra Costa Times newspaper, many years ago)