A Quick Simple Rum Sauce

I love to eat! One of my favorite dessert sauces is made with Rum. Cooking with rum is something i have grown up with and although lots of alcohols are used in making a variety of sauces rum has proven to be my favorite! 

But that could be because i am really not a drinker - i love the flavor! My favorite ice cream is Rum Raisin, which tends to be expensive. Yet, when i allow myself it becomes a treat, a splurge in my diet and my budget as a frivolous delicacy.

I was introduced to rum sauce or sauces as a young girl in the Bahamas when eating Bread Pudding and sometimes Guava Duff, it all depends on who was making the sauce. It was also one of the well know alcohols used in many of the drinks i was fascinated with like rum and coke.

  Rum and coke, such a sophisticated mix of alcohol and coca cola, but too strong for me, although i appreciate both these products on their own. So, rum can be added to anything you want, for it has been used in a variety of recipes for any number of reasons.

The British Navy used it as a medicinal daily dose to the seamen to combat scurvy, it was known as grog. Grog has been traced back to the pirates, typically those of the Caribbean. Grog is equal parts rum mixed with water.  It was a cheap way as a preventative measure used well into the late 1900's.

Rum has gone through centuries of change and development for a myriad of functions. But is the by product molasses that is the true reason for the alcohol Rum to even be a drinking beverage.

Wherever sugar can, a bamboo like sweet stalk was grown the opportunity to make this potent drink was possible. Growing up in the Bahamas i ate sugar cane as a sweet treat right from the stalk or cutting from my grandparent's farm. 

Stripping the stalk was usually done with sliding a sharp knife along the inner tough edge and raised back and forth going down the edge. This was done to get to the edible sweet juice filled fiber, that is chewed on, to release its goodness.

Well Rum Sauce is simple, good and versatile. I usually used it as a simple sauce to add that extra something to simple pound or butter cakes, bread pudding or vanilla ice cream. Wow, talk about turning something up another notch and it is not a complicated process or something that is out of your ability.

Simplicity! Less than four ingredients! Easy to adapt through adding other flavors like vanilla or spices.

Ingredients:

1 stick of real butter

1 1/2 cup of white granulated sugar

2 capfuls of rum, dark, white, whatever your choice

How to make:

1. In a sauce pan heat and melt the butter

2. Add the sugar

3. Whisking constantly

4. Add alcohol

In the microwave:

1. Melt the butter, less than a minute or so.

2. Whisk in the sugar, until blended.

3. Add rum to the mixture.

Another version, quick and easy also, make a simple sugar syrup.

1 cup of warm water, enough to melt sugar

1 cup of granulated sugar

1 capful of rum

1 tablespoon of vanilla

How to make this version:

1. Heat up the water.

2. Stir in the sugar, until it is dissolved.

3. Add the rum and vanilla.

This rum sauce in any version is great to spice up raisins or pecans, any simple cake, bread pudding or ice cream.