It's Halloween so it's time to cover all your best desserts and cocktails with blood. But before you reach for that gross, sticky Karo syrup and food coloring, I have a better tasting, all-natural, less stain-y blood sauce that you will actually want to eat... by the bucket.
The Basic Recipe
1 small bag of frozen raspberries
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1. Pull all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Let cook and reduce until slightly thicker about 15-20 minutes.
2. Use an immersion blender and carefully and puree very well. (You can use a regular blender but be very careful with the hot liquid and leave the lid ajar to allow steam to escape).
3. Set up a fine sieve over a bowl, and pour hot puree through, and gently pushing the mixture through. This will take some. Discard solids. Taste for sweetness and adjust by adding more sugar and whisking well. Let cool, then store in fridge up to 3 days.
Variations
Use mixed berries instead of just raspberries for a deep flavor, but don't use too many blueberries or it will turn very dark and purple.
For a thicker sauce, substitute up to 1/3 to 1/2 fresh cranberries, cooking a little longer until cranberries burst. You will likely need to add more sugar but the final result will be thicker due to the pectin in the cranberries. This is great for a bloody cake topping.
Replace regular sugar with brown sugar for a deep note of molasses.
Replace water with orange juice or apple cider.