ISSUE 01: Food | Jennie's Miso Caramel Sauce

A different take on a salted caramel

Pictured: miso caramel in a small glass bowl

Inspired by my conversation with Libby Goldman of Pickle Envy, involving Mae’s Mom’s miso, I wanted to share a recipe using the salty, umami ingredient. This miso caramel recipe is something I came up, to layer into a banana pudding recipe, because I’m a sucker for any kind of salty/sweet combination. It’s a great take on a traditional salted caramel sauce, and the addition of miso really adds and earthy, savory note. Since miso is already a very salty ingredient, so you can leave out the extra salt, or simply add salt to taste, at the end.

How can you use this caramel sauce? Add it to anything you’d add a traditional salted caramel to. I like to use it over vanilla ice cream, dark chocolate brownies, and it’s a great filling for layer cakes!

Ingredients

Makes about 1 1/2 Cups

• 1 Cup pure granulated sugar

• 1/4 Cup water

• 4 Tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1/2 Cup heavy cream, room temperature

• 2 Tablespoons white miso

• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste

Directions

1. Combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Mix sugar and water together, just enough to wet all the sugar, then let it dissolve over medium heat. It’s really important NOT to touch the sugar, or agitate it in any way while it caramelizes, as this will cause your sugar to crystallize and become hard.

2. The mixture will begin to bubble over the heat, so allow your sugar/water to darken in color, about 20 minutes. You’re looking for the sugar/water mixture to turn into a light brown, amber-like color. As the sugar caramelizes, it will also start to smell nutty and sweet. You can use the photos below to check for doneness as well.
   If you have a food thermometer, your sugar should be done caramelizing when it reaches 220 degrees Fahrenheit.

   

   Pictured, left: sugar before caramelization; Pictured, right: caramelized sugar

3. Once the sauce reaches the desired amber color (see above), remove pot from heat and begin to whisk in butter, one Tablespoon at a time. Your sugar will bubble up when you add the butter, so just keep whisking to combine!

4. Whisk in the miso, one Tablespoon at a time.

5. Finally, whisk in heavy cream. It’s important for your heavy cream to be room temperature at this point so that your caramel doesn’t harden like it does when it’s exposed to a cold temperature. Continue to whisk, then allow your caramel sauce to cool down enough to taste. Here is where you can add 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, to your liking.

6. Allow your caramel to cool completely, then store in a heat-proof container, in the refrigerator, for up to a week!

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