Caramel au Beurre Salé
My favourite recipes are those that make a giant leap between what you start with and your end result. The confiture caramel au beurre salé is the epitome of those recipes: It is simple to make, the ingredients may already be in your kitchen (it’s only sugar, butter, salt and cream) and the result is just incredible. I make it a lot for small presents when friends invite me over, and people always ask for more!
Confiture Caramel au Beurre Salé
300g granulated sugar
50g water
240g butter, cut into small pieces
5g salt
200g cream, warmed
Place the sugar and water in a saucepan, and cook on low heat until it turns golden brown. Do not overmix, or your sugar will crystallize.
Add the butter little by little while gently stirring with a wooden spoon. (Be careful! The mixture is very hot; it sizzles and might splatter.) Add the salt, and cook for an additional two minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the heat, and add the warmed cream. Mix until well combined.
Pour into jars and let cool. The spread should keep for at least three months in the refrigerator. Keep in the refrigerator so that your confiture has a beautiful, spreadable consistency.
A few notes on cooking the sugar: When you cook your sugar, stir as little as possible. It´s actually enough to just rotate the pan a bit. Cook it until you get a golden brown colour (about 5 minutes on the highest temperature, if you have a thermometer, 190° C is perfect, but don´t worry the range is not too small, a golden brown colour is as good as a lightly golden brown one, just don´t burn it.) Some people find it easier to do this step without water. Adding water just makes it easier for you: it helps the sugar to heat evenly in the pan. All the water will be evaporated when your sugar gets golden so the result is exactly the same.
