Caramel sauce goes with summer ice cream and summer desserts so well - we love a bowl of vanilla ice cream with rich caramel swirls. You can buy the stuff in a jar, or you can make caramel sauce yourself.

It's really quite easy, and one of the advantages is that you can control how dark the caramel turns out. We are fans of dark, nearly burnt caramel with just a pinch of salt. You decide if you want it that dark, or if you want it lighter and sweeter. All you need is a little sugar and cream, and the sauce will stay good for weeks in the fridge - ready for impromptu summer sundaes.

D.I.Y. Caramel Sauce
about 3 cups

2 cups cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
Pinch salt
1/4 cup butter

Warm the cream in a small saucepan over low to medium heat. While it's warming, add the sugar and water to a large, heavy, high-sided pan over high heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then leave it alone to boil until it reaches a deep amber color. You are looking for a dark caramel here, because you will be adding cream, so don't flinch and take it off the heat when it's still just pale gold!

Remove from heat and whisk in the cream. Be very careful and add the cream slowly - the caramel is going to bubble up violently! Add the pinch of salt and butter and whisk smooth. Simmer until slightly reduced.

This will keep in the fridge for at least two weeks.