While I’m away attending and speaking at the BlogHer Conference (who’s idea was that anyway?) I’ve got an amazing team of bloggers who are willing to hold down the fort! Today’s Post: Sweet Balsamic Reduction with Vanilla Ice Cream from Let’s Eat Grandpa looks so so fancy! I guess this beats my Crockpot Caramel Sauce. To show our appreciation to all these amazing bloggers, I hope you’ll leave a quick comment!

Sweet Balsamic Reduction with Vanilla Ice Cream

Hello TCB readers! My name is Cori and I blog over at Let’s Eat Grandpa. My blog is full of DIY, decor projects, modern sewing, crafting, and travel — and sometimes I make yummy things! Today I’m excited to share a recipe that you may find a bit odd, but I swear, it’s delicious. A sweet balsamic reduction drizzle, which I’ve paired with vanilla ice cream!

In 2011, my mom and I celebrated two big birthdays (my 30th, her 60th), so we decided to take a culinary tour in Italy with Culture Discovery Vacations. For eight days, we cooked, ate (and ate and ate and ate), and toured Umbria and Tuscany. It was pretty much just as amazing as you might imagine! One of the things we learned to make was a balsamic reduction. My mom and I make it often, and have tweaked the recipe a little to make it work better for us, and I’m happy to share it with you today!

How to Make Balsamic Vinegar Reduction Sauce

The balsamic reduction is wonderful on vegetables, meats, and as a salad dressing, but my personal favorite is drizzled over vanilla bean ice cream. Reducing the balsamic vinegar takes the vinegar out — leaving a sweet, bright, tangy balsamic. It’s divine.

Ingredients

1 cup (8 0z) good quality balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons butter
a pinch of salt
2 tablespoons sugar
Vanilla bean ice cream

Directions

In a small saucepan, bring balsamic vinegar, butter, and salt to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often.

Add the sugar, and simmer for another 5 – 8 minutes, until the amount of liquid is reduced by about half. I use a fairly aggressive simmer — otherwise it doesn’t reduce as well. Stir often.

Once reduced, let the reduction sit for an hour on the stove in the saucepan to cool.

Stick the saucepan in the fridge for another hour. Once cooled, a layer of butter will have risen to the top. Skim off the butter — it will help the reduction stay liquid when you store it.

To store it, I put it back in the bottle it came in, but any airtight container will work.

When choosing an ice cream to pair with this drizzle, I like a high-quality vanilla bean ice cream or gelato — you know, one with little vanilla bean speckles throughout it. Talenti’s Tahitian Vanilla Bean is pretty much perfect. Drizzle the cooled balsamic reduction over a bowl of ice cream — you don’t need a lot! — and enjoy!