Simple Brown Sugar Sauce

This sauce recipe is one of the quickest and easiest cooked sauces, and a classic flavor that goes well with a variety of desserts. Everyone loves a sweet, rich butterscotch flavored brown sugar sauce. A few crucial things: the brown sugar must be whisked until smooth to avoid a lumpy or grainy sauce. To cut the sweetness slightly, add a pinch of salt. To make a thicker, richer sauce, use milk or cream in place of the water, just be careful not to burn it during cooking. For a more flavorful sauce, add a teaspoon of vanilla or rum flavoring, or stir in a tablespoon of your favorite type of liquor, and either boil the liquor off or add it in at the end for even more flavor. 

Simple Brown Sugar Sauce
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small saucepan, whisk together the brown sugar and flour until no lumps remain. Whisk in the water and vanilla. Bring mixture to a boil over medium high heat. Cook until of desired consistency. 

You can make this sauce as thick as you wish by boiling it longer. For bread pudding, as in yesterday's post, I like to keep the sauce on the thinner side so it spreads over the pudding and doesn't just land in one large clump. Keep the sauce thinner for things like ice cream, cakes, and pies. Make it a bit thicker for items such as squares and cookies. The sauce will thicken slightly upon cooling as well, and can be served either warm, cold, or at room temperature. It reheats as well.