Brown Butter Coconut Caramel

This sauce. 

If you've never eaten anything with brown butter, you're in for a real treat - even if you're not a caramel fan (which I am not). Brown butter, or beurre noisette, is more than just melted butter. The word "brown" refers to the caramelization of the milk solids, giving the butter a nutty, malty, sweet flavor. (Read a bit about the Maillard reaction, here.) The addition of the coconut? A fun twist that adds a subtle taste of the tropics (literally!), which I'm sure can be appreciated by anyone who spends November-March in the cold.

Drizzle this caramel over a holiday pie, ice cream, or popcorn. Layer it in a cake, swirl it into a cheesecake, the options are endless. My Christmas gift to you!

Speaking of Christmas, if you're in need for some new tunes, I'd love to recommend two favorites of mine:

Heard this gem by Tim Halperin at the library after I had finished my last final. It's been stuck in my head ever since, and I don't mind at all!

Now onto the caramel:

60% there to perfecting my pie recipe. Apple pie with a pate brisee (all butter crust) and brown butter coconut caramel.

Brown Butter Pumpkin Pie (recipe via Four & Twenty Blackbirds)

Recipe: Brown Butter Coconut Caramel

Adapted from: Four & Twenty Blackbirds

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6 tablespoons of unsalted butter

1 cup of brown sugar (1 cup of granulated white sugar + 1 tablespoon of molasses)

2 tablespoons water

1/2 cup of whole fat coconut milk

1/2 tsp of vanilla extract

salt, to taste (optional)

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Cook until the butter turns nut brown (depending on the water content of your butter, this can take anywhere from 5-15 minutes, so keep an eye on it!). 

When the butter is nut brown, add the brown sugar, whisk, and then carefully add the water to loosen. Bring the mixture to a boil and then simmer on medium until the mixture darkens and smells like caramel. 

Remove from the heat and gradually add the coconut milk (be very careful as the mixture will bubble rapidly). Whisk to combine the vanilla extract. 

If the sauce is too thin for your liking, you can return it to medium heat and cook until it has reduced to your desired thickness (I like the sauce to coat the back of a spoon but still be easily spreadable). Set aside to cool. 

When the caramel has completely cooled, add salt to taste. (I'm not a big salted caramel fan, so I opt out.)

Note: you're boiling sugar here, so this mixture will be dangerously hot! Wait for it to fully cool before tasting, and handle the sauce with care at all times. No holiday accidents in the kitchen, please!

 Merry Christmas!