I just made a caramel sauce yesterday with good results. Here is the recipe.

CARAMEL SAUCE

1 1/4 cups sugar (I used Safeway store brand)
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp. corn syrup (again no name brand here)
2 Tbsp. butter, unsalted
1/4 cup heavy (whipping) cream

Combine the sugar, water and corn syrup in a 3-quart stainless steel pan. Stir with a wooden spoon till sugar is dissolved (it becomes transparent), then cook over medium heat till amber in color. Remove from the heat and add butter and whipping cream slowly. Cool until desired.

When cooking caramel, have a small cup of room temperature water and a pastry brush (prefer natural bristles here) ready. As the caramel cooks it will rise up, dip your brush into the water and brush down the sides as needed.

Hope this helps.