I didn’t mean to do it. I didn’t mean to take over Father’s Day with my new favorite thing on this green earth. It was supposed to be about celebrating the man, the dad, the father figure, the brave, strong, absurdly handsome male specie who knocked me up and has been there every step of the way supporting me through grueling 2 a.m. cough, McDonald’s, cough runs or three trips to the grocers in less than an hour for the 16th, 17th and 18th bottles of Russian making, pickling causing vinegar — and that was just during my human oven months. Sure, I could complain that he couldn’t keep a good thing going or rejoice that he finally let us change it for the better, but inadvertently I stole his triumphant day, his first Father’s Day, and made it about me. That’s for 8 hours of labor, bucko.

I jest. I was blessed with the ability to literally pop out an 8-pound man child in barely no time at all — but look at me, I’m stealing the spot light again. We’re here for the four best words — my new favorite words (unless we could some how include vanilla bean — oh wait, I have — and brown butter — I’m sure there is a way!), and admittedly my husband’s as well:  1. Salted.  2. Bourbon.  3. Caramel.  4 .Sauce. It’s no joke. It’s the best. It’s mine. Until you make it and invite me over. Then it will be mine again.

I take the salty sweet combination quite seriously here. In fact, I just told you about three of my favorites. But this is different. It’s a sauce, which means it can be drizzled, slathered, and spooned onto and into anything (read: my mouth). Two years ago, back before the whole third wheel happened, Josh and I did fun things like hopped planes to warm exotic lands during cold and wet snowy months and I gave early presents like salted caramel candies and caramel coated pop corn and other sweet delicious things. In essence, I love caramel. That burnt sugary amber liquid gold I get weak in the knees over is, as I am finding, incredibly easy and has so much more depth of flavor when homemade than the putrid one-toned bottled stuff from the stores. It was exactly what he (read: me) wanted for Father’s Day next to some boozed up cherry hand pies.

Sunday, the day of man celebration honoring, was a coleslaw and grilled sausages picnic on the deck kind of a day, and we did, oh so gleefully, pour this over our bowls of vanilla bean speckled ice cream and dipped our hand pies into it — we thoroughly enjoyed every last bite.

Did I mean to steal the day he gets to pick dessert? No. Am I glad I did? That would be a resounding yes. And he’s pretty glad too.

If your week has been anything like ours — swelteringly hot, humid, sticky and oppressive — then you are probably hibernating within your AC-ed dwellings as we are. I typically was under the impression that hibernation strictly happened in the cold wintery months, but I now see that view is faulty. I’ve loathed every day I’ve had to trudge 12 feet to the mailbox or the…okay, so that’s the only thing I’ve actually done with the outdoors this week, but I hate it. I’m sticking to the indoors, folding myself within the arms of cool walls and snuggling into…we’re not counting…bowls of ice cream dribbled with caramel ribbons. Summer this way, is the only way, the perfect way in which I will spend my time and think you should too.

Salted Bourbon Caramel Sauce
Adapted from Bon Appetit Feb 2012

I’ve learned that there are two different methods to making caramel: the dry method (throwing sugar in a pan and cooking it) or the wet method (throwing sugar and a little bit of liquid in a pan and cooking it.) My mother in law prefers the dry method as the wet method can cause crystallization, and I don’t know about you, but something crunchy and sandy feeling in a sauce that is suppose to be smooth is like nails on a chalkboard, or finding someone’s hair in your food, or something as equally goose bump/loss of appetite causing. Both times I made this I had crystallization. But, my caramel still came out smooth. I was just careful to not scrape down the bowl as this would cause the hardened sugar to dislodge and get stuck in the caramel sauce.

Makes about 1 cup

1 cup granulated white sugar
3 tablespoons bourbon, divided
2 tablespoons water*
1 teaspoon corn syrup
1/2 cup cream, room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter**
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, or vanilla bean paste if feeling fancy

Stir sugar, 2 tablespoons bourbon, corn syrup, and 2 tablespoons water in a medium deep saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat, bring to a boil without stirring, and cook, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with a wet pastry brush, until sugar is deep amber in color, 6–8 minutes. Remove caramel from heat; whisk in cream, butter, and salt (mixture will bubble vigorously). Let cool for 5 minutes; whisk in remaining 1 tablespoon bourbon and vanilla. Let bourbon caramel cool slightly. Serve over ice cream or eat with a spoon or pour in your mouth. We don’t judge here.

*For my second batch I swapped out the water for more bourbon. It was sweeter than the original version, something my husband who only likes absurdly sweet things, enjoyed.

**I heard that European style butter is phenomenal in these kind of sauces and so I picked some up. Perhaps my palette is not that refined, but I sensed no difference between the fancy stuff and the regular unsalted store brand butter.