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Caramel Almond Sauce for Sundaes
Prepare one can of condensed milk to caramelize, by boiling constantly for 4 hours, covered with water at all times. 1/2 can condensed milk, caramelized 2 tablespoons butter 4 tablespoons hot water 1/2 cup blanched almonds, broken in pieces Place the caramelized milk in double boiler, add butter and stir until melted. Add hot water gradually, stirring until smooth. Serve this over ice cream and garnish with almonds.
This is sweetened condensed milk turned to caramel in the can, then loosened with butter and water into a pouring sauce. Almost all the risk and all the flavour come from that first four-hour boil.
- Keep the can submergedAn unopened can boiled dry will overheat and can burst, throwing scalding caramel. Keep at least an inch of water above the can for the whole four hours and top up with boiling water from a kettle, never cold. Let the can cool completely in the water before opening; the contents are at boiling temperature and the can is under pressure.
- A safer route to the same caramelEmpty the condensed milk into a heatproof jar or bowl, cover with foil, and set it in a water bath in a 425F oven, or cook it in a covered saucepan of simmering water. You get the same colour in one to two hours and nothing is sealed.
- Condensed, not evaporatedThis only works with sweetened condensed milk. Evaporated milk has no sugar to caramelize and will simply scorch or curdle.
- Can sizeSweetened condensed milk comes in a can of about 14 oz today, so half a can is roughly 2/3 to 3/4 cup of caramel. The finished sauce comes to about a cup, enough for four to six sundaes.
- Why the double boilerCooked condensed milk scorches on direct heat almost at once. Gentle indirect heat also lets the butter emulsify rather than break out as a slick of fat.
- Add the water slowlyFour tablespoons of hot water all at once will seize the caramel into lumps. Dribble it in, stirring, until the sauce coats a spoon but still pours. More water thins it further; the sauce also stiffens considerably as it cools.
- Blanched almondsCover shelled almonds with boiling water for a minute, drain, and the skins slip off between finger and thumb. Break them by hand rather than chopping, and toast them at 350F for eight to ten minutes if you want them to hold up against the ice cream.
- Keeping the restThe other half can of caramel keeps refrigerated in a covered jar for about a week. Warm it over hot water to make it pourable again.