Homemade Bourbon Vanilla Extract

I am officially obsessed with using bourbon in my cooking. I don't particularly care for the taste of bourbon alone, but with other things I love the flavor it gives. Last week I made several batches of Bourbon Pickled Jalapenos and gave them away to our friends and family as gifts. They were a huge success so today I made little jars of Bourbon Vanilla Extract to give away. In my opinion,homemade Bourbon Vanilla Extract is more flavorful and less expensive than the store bought kind. This is a great gift for someone who loves to bake. It is also a lovely Christmas gift. The longer the extract sits, the more flavorful it becomes. Have a great evening and thank you so much for stopping by!

Homemade Bourbon Vanilla Extract

recipe adapted from Southern Living 

1 cup bourbon 

1 vanilla bean

Cut the vanilla bean crosswise and place in a small clean jar, or you can split the bean and scrape the vanilla beans out and place those into the jar. Cook 1 cup of bourbon over medium to high heat in a small saucepan for 5 minutes, but no longer. Pour the bourbon into the jar and let cool to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Place the lid tightly on the jar and let sit at room temperature. Wait at least 1 week until using and shake once daily.