These Honey Maple Bourbon Glazed Carrots are simple and delicious, while being a little bit different. They're perfect for any occasion - or no occasion at all! No alcohol option included.
Melt half the butter in a frying pan. Toss in the carrots to get a bit of colour on them. A cast iron pan works really well here because it allows you to start them on the stove and then move them to the oven and then back to the stove as needed.
Another option is to toss the carrots with melted butter and a bit of olive oil and place them on a baking sheet. Roast them in the oven instead of in the frying pan. Your goal is to get a bit of caramelization and colour on them, which takes about 5-10 minutes.
Note: You don’t need to get the carrots completely cooked at this stage. They will continue once the sauce is added.
Once the carrots have a bit of colour on them, remove them from the pan. Add the rest of the butter to the pan, followed by the bourbon or orange juice. Be extra careful adding the alcohol if you have a gas range. You don’t want to cause a flare-up of flames!
Let the liquid start bubbling a little bit and then stir in the brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, and ginger. This mixture should get bubbly and frothy.
When that happens, add the carrots back to the pan, turn the heat down and put the lid on. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes, until the carrots are cooked to your liking. I prefer for them to be still slightly crunchy.
Finish them off with a sprinkling of salt (I prefer sea salt) and some fresh cracked pepper (optional). Some fresh rosemary, thyme, or parsley is a nice garnish for this