Buttermilk Maple Toffee Sauce

So, you don't know what to fix for dessert?

And you feel a bit guilty cause you don't have time to make something homemade?

But you want something crazy-good, right?

Do you have 20 minutes?

That's all you need to put together this rich, decadent, super delicious toffee sauce that will have everyone begging for "just a bit more".

So if time's an issue, and you need a great dessert in a hurry, just pick up a carton of good vanilla ice cream. Then whip up a batch of this Buttermilk Maple Toffee Sauce and dessert will be done. Well done.

The sauce starts with plain old sugar. You warm it in a saucepan till it melts and transforms into a beautiful amber-hued liquid caramel.

Then comes pure maple syrup, buttermilk, butter and a splash of cream. Crank up the heat just a bit till it bubbles, then let it go. 10 minutes later, you'll be shocked at the deep, syrupy, delicious looking sauce staring back at you as you add the final touch - a drizzle of vanilla. Don't taste it quite yet as it's super hot but it won't take long before it's ready to roll.

I tried a few combination before coming up with this Buttermilk Maple Toffee Sauce.

Buttermilk???

I wanted to incorporate buttermilk because I love the delicious bit of tang it gives to baked goods and desserts. I thought it would be fun to use it in a sweet, buttery dessert sauce. Cream adds a richness and maple syrup - well you know how yummy maple syrup is. Put them all together and you've got a fabulous sauce that might just make you famous, (well, maybe not famous but you'll definitely get requests for the recipe).

Want to really have some fun? Serve this sauce over vanilla ice cream along with a drizzle of this Best Ever Hot Fudge Sauce (so easy, it's almost ridiculous). Add a few of these Sweet and Spicy Maple Pecans - oh my! You'll have a dessert worthy of royalty.

What else can you do with this Buttermilk Maple Toffee Sauce? It's just perfect for a drizzling/finishing/garnishing sauce for all kinds of desserts; pies, cakes, tarts etc. We love it on this Sticky Apple Pecan Cake (below) - an amazing combination! But you'll have to wait till Friday for that recipe. It's our latest obsession! Bon appetit till then.

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Buttermilk Maple Toffee Sauce

Super delicious and comes together in 20 minutes. It's wonderful with ice cream or as a drizzle for pies, cakes, tarts, etc.

Author: Chris Scheuer

Prep Time: 3 hrs 18 mins

Cook Time: 3 hrs 18 mins

Ingredients

• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup buttermilk*
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• ½ cup pure maple syrup
• 4 ounces butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Place sugar in a heavy bottom medium-size pot (it should be at least 2 quarts to prevent sauce from boiling over the top). I like to use a pot with a wide opening as the sugar will melt faster and the sauce will cook a bit quicker.) Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently with a fork till small lumps begin to appear. This will a minute or two. Once the small lumps appear, stop stirring (if you continue to stir it can cause the sugar to crystalize) and reduce heat to medium low. Continue to cook, allowing sugar to melt. It will usually start around the edges and in the center and you'll notice a amber colored liquid forming.
2. Continue to cook for a few more minutes until most of the sugar has been melted. Watch it carefully and swirl the pot occasionally to evenly melt the sugar. When almost all of the sugar is melted, remove from heat and swirl a few times to finish the melting process. Carefully add the buttermilk, cream, syrup and butter. The mixture will spatter a bit when you add the liquid so be careful. Don't worry, the melted sugar will harden and turn quite gloppy at this point.
3. Return pot to the stovetop and cook, stirring continuously over medium heat until sugar is melted again and mixture is smooth. This will take a minute or two.
4. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently. Watch careful and reduce heat if sauce starts boiling too fast and rising up sides of pan. You may have to play with the temperature a bit to maintain a steady simmer but not allow it to boil over. Mixture should be syrupy when finished but will thicken up more as it cools.
5. Add vanilla, stir well and allow to cool in pot for 20 minutes, then transfer to a airtight glass jar or storage container. Will keep for a week to 10 days in the refrigerator.

Recipe Notes

*If you don't have buttermilk, you can use just heavy cream for this recipe (1 cup). It will still be delicious but won't have the little "tang".
I have also substituted Greek yogurt for the buttermilk (same amount) and it's quite yummy.
Recipe can be doubled but the time for melting the sugar and reducing the sauce will be a bit longer.