CARAMEL SAUCE

Makes 1 cup

This versatile sauce is amazingly fun to make (science in action!) and useful on quite a few recipes. We use it to make Candied Nuts, our Samoa Cake Balls, and inside our homemade chocolate candies. It’s delicious to drizzle it on special treats like ice cream.

Making caramel isn’t as hard as it might seem, but it takes patience and lots and lots of stirring. Get your big muscle arm out and prepare to watch bubbles grow!

INGREDIENTS

• ½ C honey
• ½ C maple syrup
• ½ tsp baking soda

INSTRUCTIONS AND HOW KIDS CAN HELP

1. Warm large sauce pan over medium heat, add honey and maple syrup to warm pan—mixture should gently bubble, but if it begins to immediately boil and brown it has burned and you should start over.
2. Once gentle bubbles begin to form, turn heat to medium low; have little hands continuously stir (to prevent burning).
3. Mixture will bubble and potentially expand over edge of pot, if that happens, remove from heat and stir; return to heat once bubbles subside.
4. Once sauce has thickened and the color has darkened (about 10 minutes), remove from heat to add baking soda.
5. Whisk in baking soda thoroughly and continue to stir as it starts to expand and bubble; return to medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Whisk constantly until sauce has become a thick, rich, bubbly sauce that does not reduce when moved off of heat.
6. Remove from heat and let cool, stirring occasionally–sauce will reincorporate to a thick caramel consistency.
7. Serve and use warmed (heat in microwave or on stovetop).
8. Store in an airtight container for several months in refrigerator.