I know that a lot of you slip
into “pumpkin mode” once September arrives; for me, it takes a bit longer. I
don't really jump onto the pumpkin bandwagon until early October. With it
looming near week's end, and a number of farmers’ market and pumpkin patch
visits in my immediate future, the smell of pumpkin-y baked goods is beginning
to waft through the house.
If you're like me, you probably
have stacks of pumpkin recipes just waiting to be tried, and enjoy reading them
while sipping a pumpkin spice latte. I was doing just that when the idea for this
sauce popped into my head. The caramel/pumpkin combination is one that hasn't
been explored nearly enough, I don't think, and I'll be making pumpkin
ice cream again this year to try with incredible this sauce. I am already swooning
at the thought.
One caveat when it comes to
making caramel, well, two, actually. First of all, do not be afraid. Second,
know that the color “amber” is subjective. When I made caramel for the first
time, it was heaven in a bowl. When Mr. O-P tried it, and he cooked it to what
he considered to be “amber” (and what looked more to me like “copper”) his
caramel sauce was bitter from overcooking. Don't let this keep you from trying
this wonderful sauce, just be mindful and, if necessary, err on the lighter
rather than darker side of amber.
Pumpkin Spice Latte Caramel Sauce
1 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter,
sliced into tablespoons
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup solid pack pumpkin (like
Libby’s)
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 - 1 teaspoon espresso powder, to taste
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Place sugar in a heavy-bottomed
medium/large sauce pan. The mixture gets pretty rowdy when you add the cream so
be sure to pick one with high sides.
Cook over medium-low heat
stirring often. Be patient, it takes a while for the sugar to turn into a light
amber liquid, about 7-12 minutes. Do not leave it unattended, it will burn
quickly.
Once the liquid turns amber, add
the butter and stir until it’s melted. Add the heavy whipping cream in a slow
stream. It will bubble up as you add it to the mixture.
Turn off the heat and then stir
in the pumpkin, spice, espresso powder, and vanilla. Stir until smooth.
Cover and store in the
refrigerator. Keeps for about 2 weeks, if it lasts that long, and may require a
slight warming in the microwave prior to using.
