July is nearly all gone and for me it went way too quickly. I had a nasty cough for most of the month and was bogged down with work. However, I did go to a baseball game, watched a drive-in movie from the back of a pick-up truck and drank beers on a sunny patio. Also, for the first time ever, we watched every single stage in the Tour de France, which was silly, exciting and just plain fun to watch. So what did I end up doing when faced with a screen filled with fit cyclists attacking the Pyrenees mountains by brute force and sheer athletic ability? Well, I ate coffee ice cream topped with this deliciously evil drunken caramel sauce.
This sauce is dangerous. Not only is it boozy and has a good pinch of salt to counter the sweet, but the number one factor that makes it a true killer is that it’s way easy to make. In fact, I’m pretty sure you already have every single ingredient needed to dig into a bowl right now. It’s obviously great over ice cream (especially topped with roasted almonds and cocoa nibs), but I can see this being a brilliant topper over an apple pie or a peach tart. If you’re not into the booze, you can just leave it out and it will still be fantastic. And it’s vegan as long as you choose a good non-dairy margarine. See, I told you this caramel sauce was pure evil.
Don’t worry too much about this little indulgence because my next post will be about turnips.
Elsewhere: I’m using umeboshi vinegar again over at Poppytalk. Check out my recipe for an orzo pasta salad with baby bok choy. Over at ReadyMade I’m sharing the Community Sponsored Agriculture love – what do you make with your haul?
totally evil drunken sauce
(adapted from Salty Sweets by Christie Matheson)
1/2 c unsalted butter (use a non-dairy margarine for a vegan version)
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/4 – 1/2 t kosher salt
1/8 t cinnamon
2 T dark rum (or whiskey or bourbon)
2 t vanilla extractIn a small saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar over medium heat until the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the cinnamon and salt and mix until the sauce is smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the rum and vanilla. Cool slightly and serve. Any leftovers can be reheated in the microwave or by placing the bowl in hot water and giving things a stir until the sauce melts.
