Vanilla Caramel Bourbon Sauce

A few weeks ago, a co-worker brought me some amazing vanilla. I mean the real deal. Made in an actual tropical country and everything. And the bottle is huge! So what do you do with a ginormous bottle of vanilla? Make caramel homemade sauce, obviously. It's so much better than anything you could buy at the store. This recipe seriously has me digging caramel now.

All of your key food groups are included too. Butter. Sugar. Bourbon. And it pairs nicely with my favorite food, ice cream.

What You'll Need:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon bourbon

What to Do: 

Mix sugar and water over medium heat until mixture turns a pretty amber color. Be careful not to burn it! Reduce heat to low and slowly pour in heavy cream (it will sputter and bubble so watch out). Mix in remaining ingredients until smooth. Sauce will thicken as it cools. 

This is also awesome in coffee (that would be food group #4) and makes a great gift.