Fruit Caramel
One way to extend the life of fresh fruits is to incorporate them into caramel sauces. Any caramel sauce base can be enlivened by ripe or slightly overripe fruit, such as bananas, strawberries and stone fruit. This fruit caramel sauce is an excellent way to add a deeper sweetness and a hint of the season to your favorite desserts.
- Total:
- Serves: 1 person
Ingredients
- 1cup granulated sugar
- 4ounces fresh or frozen fruit, peeled if necessary, such as bananas, peaches or berries, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces (3/4 cup)
- ½teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
- ¼cup heavy cream
Instructions
Step 1
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until it all melts into a light gold syrup, 5 to 6 minutes. Continue to cook to a golden brown color, about 1 minute more. Carefully add the fruit all at once and reduce the heat to medium-low. The hot syrup may bubble and become foamy.Step 2
Continue to cook, stirring constantly until any hard clumps of caramel dissolve and the fruit pieces soften and break down, about 4 minutes. Stir in the salt and heavy cream until there are no white streaks then remove from heat. Transfer to a bowl and use immediately, or cool and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.Step 3
Serve warm as a topping for ice cream, pies or tarts, or use as a caramel filling for layered cake or trifles. If cold, reheat gently in a small saucepan over low heat.