Whisky Sauce

Ingredients for Whisky Sauce:

There are few desserts that can't be improved with a drizzle of whisky sauce. Even better, you only need a handful of ingredients and about 20 minutes to make this delicious dessert sauce. Here's what you need:

• 4 egg yolks
• Salted butter. You can also use unsalted butter, but will probably want to add a bit more salt if you do.
• Brown sugar or honey.
• Whisky! My preference is to use bourbon whisky in this sauce, but you really can use any kind of whisky you like. It's not necessary to use top-shelf whiskey in this recipe, but it is important that it's something you like enough to drink on its own. If you wouldn't drink it, don't make this sauce with it.
• Salt - as much or as little as you like
• Pure vanilla extract

How to Make Whisky Sauce

The sauce is easy to make, only takes about 20 minutes, and will keep well in the refrigerator for weeks. Here's how to make it:

1. Crack the egg yolks into a bowl and set the bowl on a kitchen towel. Setting the bowl on a towel will keep it from sliding around on the counter while you whisk hot brown sugar and whisky syrup into the yolks later.
2. Set a measuring cup with a pour spout next to the stovetop. You don't have to do this, but having a measuring cup with a spout close by makes the process easier.
3. Add butter, brown sugar (or honey), whisky, and salt to a saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, until the butter and sugar are melted and the mixture is smooth.
4. This is where the measuring cup comes in: Pour the hot whisky syrup into the measuring cup. Then, very slowly pour the butter mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly as you do. It's important to add the hot liquid slowly so you don't end up with scrambled eggs
5. Scrape the mixture back into the saucepan and cook it over low heat, whisking constantly, until the sauce thickens to a consistency like caramel sauce.

How to Know when the Whisky Sauce is Done:

There are two ways to know when the whisky sauce is done.

#1. Use an instant-read thermometer. Once the sauce reaches 160°F (71°C), it is done and you can remove it from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

#2. The line test. Dip a spoon in the sauce, lift it out, and run the end of a paper towel down the center of the spoon. You can also just run a finger down the back of the spoon, but the whisky sauce is hot, so be super careful to not burn yourself.

If the sauce holds the line rather than running across the spoon over the area you just ran through, it's thick enough and you can remove it from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

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