Makes
About 2 cupsIngredients
Method
- Cook off the alcohol. In a saucepan, bring the bourbon to a boil. Continue to boil until you have only 2 to 3 tablespoons left. The alcohol will be mostly gone so it is child safe, but the elixir that remains will have a rich, woody, smoky flavor. If you don't have bourbon or don't want to use alcohol, use 2 more tablespoons liquid smoke.
- Simmer the sauce. Add all the remaining ingredients to the saucepan and whisk until smooth. Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook for 15 minutes. Sample it and adjust the ingredients to your taste. Want more heat, reach for the hot sauce. Want it sweeter, add sugar or more jam. Simmer a few more minutes.
- Store. Pour the finished sauce into a very clean bottle and store in the fridge for months.
Notes
About the jam. I normally don't specify brands lest someone think I'm on the take. I call for Smucker's here because it has a great natural flavor and it should be easy to find. Use it to replicate my recipe, but feel free to use another jam of your choice (blueberry is nice). Go for something without skins and seeds. Beware that it may be sweeter or less sweet than my choice, so you may want to start with less and add more to taste.
About the hot sauce. I use Tabasco Chipotle hot sauce. Use whatever you like, but chipotle has an affinity for raspberry.