This super simple caramel sauce has been at the top of the list for ways I like to use candy caps. Put it on ice cream, put it on cake, put it on a shoe-it's going to taste great, and it's oh so candy-cappy
I've been playing around with candy caps a lot lately, and none of the employees at the restaurant have been complaining. The dried mushrooms are so powerful, it seems like you could really do anything with them, but like most mushrooms, the more ingredients you put with them, the less you'll taste them.
In this recipe, I re-hydrate candy caps, then strain the reconstituting liquid to remove any foreign particles. I buy my candy caps from the Pacific Northwest, and chances are if you're cooking with candy caps you are too, and they're likely pretty clean.
My point is that I've had success just grinding up dried candy caps without soaking and straining, then adding them to different sauces and recipes, that was there's no water to try to incorporate into a recipe in order to save some of the mushroom's flavor.
More Candy Cap Recipes
Candy Cap Flan (Creme Caramel)
Candy Cap Mushroom Caramel Sauce
Equipment
- 1 2 quart saucepan stainless steel
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ ounce dried candy cap mushrooms crumbled* see note
- ¼ cup Brandy
- 4 T butter
Instructions
- If you've never made caramel or creme brulee, you should watch a video of cooking sugar to caramel. I've linked to a video in the notes.
- In a stainless steel sauce pan, cook the sugar with ¼ cup of water on medium high heat until the sugar melts and turns to caramel. Turn the hood vent on, or open a window as there may be a little smoke. This is something you need to watch closely as it cooks, but don't stir it too much.
- As the sugar slowly changes color from light brown to amber, turn the heat down and swirl the pan to help melt any clumps. If the mixture clumps don't worry, it will melt eventually after you add the cream.
- When the caramel is amber colored, but not too dark, add the butter and melt. It will sizzle a lot. Remove the pan from the heat and add the brandy and cook for a minute to evaporate the alcohol. If you have a gas burner the pan may ignite-this is natural so don't worry.
- Add the cream, mushrooms, and whisk to incorporate, The heat and reduce the sauce until thickened to your liking.
- If it’s too thick, add a tablespoon of water at a time to loosen it. The sauce will keep for a couple weeks in the fridge. As it chills it will firm and solidify. To refresh it you can microwave it briefly to make it loose again.
Teresa Branda
I am very confused with this recipe. Am I supposed to reconstitute the mushrooms or not and if so how, and when do I add them to the recipe it doesn't say anywhere when to add them?
Alan Bergo
Hi thanks for commenting. It's in there, you add them with the cream. Most commercial candy caps are very clean and don't need rehydrating. If you prefer to use them rehydrated to remove grit, you'd want to finely chop the rehydrated mushrooms, and reduce the liquid with the brandy before you add the cream.
Alexandra
I’m very lucky to have access to fresh candy cap mushrooms. I thought drying them brings out their flavor but rather than drying and reconstituting should I just use fresh for this recipe?
Alan Bergo
If you have fresh, by all means use them. They'll get candied and chewy as they sit in the sauce.