This is the perfect finish to the apple dumplings. When you have eaten one of them with the caramel sauce and a little vanilla ice cream you might as well head on up to heaven because it will never get any better.

JULIA CHILD’S CARAMEL SAUCE

This is the best Carmel sauce you will ever make and it keeps for weeks in an airtight container in the fridge. Serve it cold or warm it in hot water.

TO MAKE CARMEL

Ingredients

1cup sugar
1/3cup water



Have a large pan of water at your side. In a heavy 6-cup saucepan that has a tight fitting lid, blend sugar and water. Bring to simmer. Remove from heat and swirl the pan by its handle to be sure that the sugar has dissolved completely and that the liquid is perfectly clear. Cover the pan tightly and boil the syrup for several minutes over moderately high heat---keep peeking, after a minute or so, and boil until bubbles are thick. Uncover pan and continue boiling, swirling the pan slowly by its handle a few seconds more, until it is a light caramel brown, then remove from heat and continue swirling, it will darken more. When it has reached your desired caramelization set the bottom of the pan in the cold water to stop the cooking.

TO MAKE CARAMEL SAUCE

Caramel from the above recipe
1cup heavy cream
2tsp pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

When the caramel has cooled but is still liquid, blend in the cream, whisk will partially congeal the caramel. Simmer, stirring, for several minutes over moderate heat while the caramel dissolves. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and salt. Serve warm or cold. If you wish you can prepare ahead-of-time and store in a covered jar in the fridge for weeks. To serve warm of liquefy, heat the jar in a pan of simmering water.