We are big berry fans and when we can’t find them in season, we use frozen berries. I always have at least one bag of frozen berries in the freezer. For this sauce, I used fresh, but frozen works just as well. This sauce follows the same method as my Raspberry Grand Marnier Sauce, but it’s made with Chambord! What’s Chambord? It’s a delicious red and black raspberry liqueur from France. I usually use Grand Marnier in my sauces, but this one adds a different flavor profile that pairs so well with blackberries. If you love blackberries, you’ll go crazy over this sauce.
HOW TO MAKE THE SAUCE
This sauce comes together quickly so it is not one I would walk away from. Let’s go.
Add about 10-12 ounces of blackberries (fresh or frozen) to a sauce pan with a little sugar and water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and use the back of a wooden spoon to mash the fruit against the side of the pan. A wooden spoon works best since it’s rigid. This breaks up the fruit and releases the pulp. Stir frequently so the sugar doesn’t burn at the bottom of the pan.
Note: If using frozen berries, reduce the amount of water since the frozen fruit will contain more water.
Once mashed together and the fruit has broken up, add the preserves and stir until melted and blended together. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce for a few minutes to reduce and thicken. Stirring occasionally to prevent any sticking.
Add the Chambord and cook for an additional minute just to cook out the alcohol. If you don’t want to cook out the alcohol, don’t, simply turn off the heat before adding the liqueur. Stir well to combine and strain the sauce through a fine sieve. Using a rubber spatula, push the fruit against the side of the sieve to push through the fruit pulp. This will remove any impurities and ensure a smooth sauce. Rinse the spatula before removing any pulp from the bottom of the sieve. Add the pulp to the sauce and stir well to combine.
Note: I alternate between cooking or not cooking out the alcohol. It all depends on how thick my sauce is. The actual alcohol amount isn’t going to intoxicate anyone, so that has never been my concern. If you are concerned, cook it out for a minute.
Allow to cool completely at room temperature before serving. Yields about 1 1/2 cups of sauce. The sauce keeps well refrigerated up to a week and frozen up to a month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using. Enjoy!
Blackberry Chambord Sauce
A rich and smooth blackberry sauce with Chambord liqueur. This sauce is a perfect accompaniment for any cheesecake, cake, custard or poured over ice cream.
Ingredients
- about 10-12 ounces fresh or frozen blackberries either a pint of fresh or a small bag of frozen berries
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons water
- ½ cup seedless blackberry or black raspberry preserves use a good quality brand
- 2-3 Tablespoons Chambord liqueur
Instructions
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Combine the blackberries, sugar and water in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Stir frequently so the sugar doesn't burn.
Note: If using frozen fruit, reduce the water to 1 Tablespoon or cook longer to reduce and thicken the sauce.
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Use a wooden spoon to mash the blackberries against the side of the pot to release the pulp and cook until the sugar has dissolved.
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Add the preserves and continue to stir until the preserves have melted and combined with the sauce. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for a few minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce and thicken.
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Add the Chambord liqueur and you can either cook the alcohol out for a minute or turn the heat off and stir to combine.
Note: If serving minors, I cook the alcohol out; however, it's not enough alcohol to intoxicate anyone.
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Strain the sauce for best consistency. Using a rubber spatula, press the fruit against the strainer to push the pulp through until you have pushed all the pulp through. Rinse the spatula to remove any seeds and scrape the bottom of the strainer to remove the pulp that has collected at the bottom of the strainer. Add the pulp to the sauce. Stir well to combine.
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Allow to cool at room temperature. You can refrigerate up to a week and freeze up to a month. Just thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Makes about 1½ cups.
