Christmas pudding sundaes with salted caramel

1.Heat the sugar with water in a saucepan over medium heat.

2.Try not to stir it, swirling the pan instead to encourage the sugar to dissolve evenly.

3.Simmer for 7-9 minutes, or until the liquid begins to turn amber. Be careful, as it can burn easily after this point, so quickly add the butter (careful because the caramel will bubble and spit when the butter is added).

4.Stir the mixture until it is completely melted, which takes about 2-3 minutes.

5.Very slowly, drizzle in the cream while stirring. Again, it will bubble and/or splatter so use a wooden spoon with a long handle to stir.

6.Boil the mixture for 1 minute until it is smooth, golden and thickened. Then remove it from the heat and stir in the salt. Allow it to cool down before tasting to see if it needs more salt – it is salted caramel after all!

7.Keep warm until ready to serve.

8.Layer small cups or glasses with scoops of ice cream, crumbled pudding (or cake), then a generous drizzle of salted caramel sauce.

9.Add a dollop of whipped cream and a pinch of cinnamon to finish.