- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons rum
Place the sugar in a heavy sauce pan or medium-sized pot and add the water. Turn the stove to medium-high heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved (avoid letting the sugar burn).
Cover the pot, turn the heat to high, and boil for 2 minutes.
Remove the lid and continue to boil on high heat until the syrup turns brown around the edges of the pan. Swirl the pan occasionally until the mixture turns a deep amber and begins to smoke.
Remove the pan from the heat.
Add the butter (the mixture will really bubble) and gently stir until all of the butter is mixed in.
Stir in the half-and-half (expect more bubbling).
Add the vanilla extract and rum.
Stir until the bubbling stops. (If the sauce become lumpy, set the pan over low heat and stir until smooth then remove from the heat.) Pour into a glass (or heat-safe) container.