homemade caramel sauce

And now, a little break from all things pregnancy-related, for you all to meet my new best friend:

Homemade. Caramel. Sauce.

Are you drooling yet? Because you should be.

I have weird taste in desserts -- my favorite candy is always the stuff that nobody buys. Chad makes fun of me for it -- this Halloween, when I came home with a huge bag of Dots, the first words out of his mouth were, "you have the worst taste in candy." Seriously, the kind that I pick most often, hands down: Good & Plenty. Inevitably, they're always stale (I think convenience stores restock it once every seven to nine years). But I love them.

So after that ringing endorsement, are you ready to take my word for it on a dessert recommendation?

You should be. Of the non-candy desserts, caramel is my absolute favorite flavor, and I consider myself a bit of a connoisseur. And homemade caramel sauce? A thousand times better than anything you've been served from an ice cream shop or a bottle. This tastes completely pure and absolutely delicious.

So, go ahead. Whip up a batch and spoon it over some ice cream. You can even top it with some Good & Plentys -- I swear, they're actually really good!

Caramel Sauce

INGREDIENTS

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS

In a small saucepan, combine sugar, salt, vanilla and water. Cook over medium heat until sugar is amber-colored, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in heavy cream; add butter, and stir until combined. Let cool to room temperature or slightly warmer, and serve.