Bourbon-Vanilla Blackberry Sauce

Name: Bourbon-Vanilla Blackberry Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 13 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Pacific Northwest
Ingredients: Blackberries (1 cup); Water (2 fluid ounces); Bourbon (1 fluid ounce); Vanilla extract (½ teaspoon); Table sugar (1.5 tablespoons); Kosher salt (¼ teaspoon)

Servings: 2

A ripe blackberry plucked from the bush is warm, plump, and more tart than sweet. Subtle notes of vanilla naturally infuse the sweetness, so this recipe for blackberry sauce emphasizes the pre-existing flavors and adds oaken aromas through bourbon.

To prepare fresh-picked blackberries, rinse away any other plant-matter under cold water. Add the following ingredients to a small saucepan over medium-high heat:

Blackberries (1 cup)

Water (2 fluid ounces)

Bourbon (1 fluid ounce)

Vanilla extract (½ teaspoon)

Table sugar (1.5 tablespoons)

Kosher salt (¼ teaspoon)

When the sauce comes to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and mash the blackberries with a potato masher until the sauce is a consistent texture. Allow the sauce to simmer for a few minutes until slightly thickened, gently stirring as needed; then, take off the heat and serve with butter over pancakes or æbleskiver.