Cranberry Caramel Apple Sauce

This is a wonderful caramel sauce to top ice cream or cake. This is a quick answer to dessert if you don’t have time to bake something.

Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings: 8

Prep Time: 20 minutes   Cook Time: none  

Ingredients

4 very large apples

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 Tablespoons butter

1 Tablespoon vanilla

Directions

Gently fry apples in a pan with high sides and enough butter to keep them from sticking to the pan. You want them to start to soften, but not to turn into applesauce. Stop cooking when they begin to soften and brown a little. Place them aside.

Place the cranberries in a bowl and cover with boiling water. When they “plump”, drain them and put them with the apples that you have put aside.

Place the sugar in a heavy saucepan. Heat over medium low and stir constantly until melted.
Cook without stirring until it turns golden. You can move it gently in the saucepan as it begins to brown. Do not let it burn. ***Stay with it at all times and watch it. Sugar gets to high temperatures and can burn fast.***

Pour the cream slowly down the inside of the pan and whisk it over low heat until hard bits melt. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla.

Let cool a bit (cooked sugar is very hot and could burn) and gently mix the apples and cranberries in.

Categories: Desserts, Sauces

Submitted by: patrice on November 23, 2010