Make sure you've got a clean pastry brush in a measuring jug filled with iced water at the ready! We use this to brush the sides of the pan to prevent crystallisation of the sugar when you're boiling it!
Add the water and sugar to a large saucepan and dissolve the sugar over a low heat! Then, bring it to the boiling point!
While the sugar is cooking, you'll want to wash down the insides of the pan with the pre-prepared pastry brush to prevent any sugar crystals from forming! You'll probably need to do this more than once!
Cook the sugar until it turns a deep amber colour! Once it does, turn off the heat immediately and whisk the double cream into the pan!
Put the pan back over a high heat and let it bubble for 2 minutes, stirring the sauce with the whisk as it does! After the 2 minutes are up, turn off the heat!
If you aren't using the egg yolks, this is the point at which you're done! Strain off the sauce and pop it in a container in the fridge, and once it's cooled, enjoy! However, if you'd prefer a richer and smoother sauce, follow the next few steps!
Pour a little bit of the caramel onto the egg yolks, and then add these yolks and the caramel back to the pan! Heat it to 80C, making sure not to boil it!
Once it reaches 80C, take the pan off the heat and pass it through a strainer! Put it into a container, and pop it in the fridge until you use it! Make sure to stir it occasionally to stop a skin from forming on the top! Enjoy!
