I am a lucky lady. Late last night, as I was just about to close my eyes for sleep, I had an intense craving for something sweet. This isn’t usually like me, so I decided to go for it. To my dismay, there was nothing around to munch on. But my hankering for something sweet was so strong, that even if I got one less hour of sleep, I was determined to create the something buttery and sweet from scratch. As I rifled around looking for chocolate chips to make eggless chocolate chip cookie dough, there I found the most amazing discovery. Two tightly sealed bags of cookies. One of chocolate chip cookies (dear god, yes!) and one bag filled with Samoas (Girl Scout cookies, are you kidding me?). I hit the jackpot. Cue the choir of angels.
Like I said, lucky. It was like my late night snack fairy godmother was looking out for me. Given the maniacal desperation for something sweet I experienced last night, today I’m going to cover my bases.
So I’m makin’ caramel sauce, but not just any caramel sauce. Ho ho, yes, indeed– passionfruit-orange caramel sauce is what’s goin’ down.
This citrusy sauce is good on just about anything sweet and it keeps for a long time in the fridge, perfect for those sweet tooth crazy moments in life. Here are just a few applications I plan for my sauce:
- slathered on top of a plain cheesecake with some sliced almonds
- as a dip for bananas and Granny Smith apples
- folded into buttercream frosting (where the preferable destination is chocolate cake)
- stirred into a cup of black coffee or hot chocolate
- drizzled over ice cream (of course)
- swirled into some brownie batter
- spread on toasted brioche
I will never be left high and dry again, at least as long as this jar of caramel lasts.
It’s pretty darn quick to make and only takes a handful of ingredients, some of which you might have already lying around. When you’re on the lookout for passionfruit puree, check the freezer aisle next to the other Mexican ingredients. You’ll find pouches of fruit purees like tamarind, guava, passionfruit, lime, and mango. These purees are awesome and so versatile, you can use them in desserts, drinks, and sauces. I really recommend them and use them in many of my recipes.
Let’s just talk for a minute about the flavor of this caramel. This isn’t your normal caramel sauce. It’s brighter, fresher, and more complex. The aromatic orange zest and tangy-floral passionfruit flavors really stand out, while you still get that toasty, sweet, creamy taste from the caramel. And even though I’d consider this a grown up caramel sauce because of the sophisticated flavor profile, my 3 year old son had no problem devouring a spoonful. Yup, it’s gooooood.
What sweets do you crave? What would you use this caramel sauce for? Has the snack fairy visited you? Tell us your story! See you next time.
Passionfruit-Orange Caramel Sauce Recipe
Author: Danielle
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 15 mins
Serves: 2 cups sauce
This bright and fresh Passionfruit-Orange Caramel Sauce recipe is like regular caramel sauce’s more sophisticated cousin. It’s tangy and floral, perfect for topping your favorite sweets.
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup corn syrup
- ¼ cup water
- pinch of salt
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon orange zest
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons passionfruit puree
Instructions
- Place the sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt in a medium saucepan with a heavy bottom and place over medium heat. As the mixture begins to boil, wash the sugar crystals from the side of the pan with a wet pastry brush. This will help prevent your caramel from seizing (turning into a rock hard mass when the heavy cream is added).
- Simmer the sugar mixture until it turns an amber honey color. (Just like the pic in the post). Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the heavy cream, orange zest, and vanilla. Whisk for about 5 minutes to cool, then stir in the passionfruit puree.
- Allow the caramel to cool, then use immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.