Boozy Maple Pumpkin Butter

Don't worry, all of the alcohol cooks out so you can serve this pumpkin butter to those under 21 worry free.

-3 cups Pumpkin Puree (see my previous Instructable for recipe).

-3/4 cup maple syrup*

-2 tsp maple extract*

-1-2 shots of your favorite Bourbon*

-1/2 cup brown sugar*

-2-3 tbs cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spices if you prefer)*

-1 tsp salt

-2-3 tsp fresh lemon juice

*= to taste. Start on the lower side when adding ingredients, stir and taste and add more ingredients until the flavor matches your preferences. What I like in terms of sweetness might not be the same as what someone else likes, so adjust accordingly.

Add all of the ingredients, except for the lemon juice and bourbon, to your crock pot and stir well.

Let cook on low for 4-6 hours. After 2 hours, check your pumpkin butter for darkness and thickness. The longer the pumpkin butter cooks, the more the flavors will evolve.

Add the bourbon and lemon juice, stirring and taste testing to make sure the flavor is where you want it.

Let cook an additional 30-60 minutes on high. At this point, you may choose to do the rest of the cooking time uncovered.

Once you are satisfied with the taste and consistency of your butter, turn off the heat and let it cool until you're ready to store it. I'm giving my pumpkin butters away to friends and coworkers, so I split the butter between several different sized canning jars.

Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks or freeze for up to 3-4 months.