Tag Archives: Bourbon

Kentucky Bourbon Balls

Posted on by Laurie


BourbonBalls

Kentucky Bourbon Balls

Makes 24 pieces of confections

Ingredients

2 oz. bittersweet chocolate

2 oz. semisweet chocolate

1/4 c. unsalted butter

2 T. Kentucky Bourbon

2 c. confectioner’s sugar

2 T. dried currants or chopped raisins.

3/4 c. chopped nuts

Directions

1. Melt together chocolates and butter, stirring until perfectly smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in Bourbon, then sugar until mixture is soft, smooth and glossy. Stir in currants or raisins.

2. Scoop about 2 t. of mixture and roll into a ball. Roll in chopped nuts to coat. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

These confections are a delight to lovers of chocolate & Bourbon and are super easy to make! Enjoy!

Old Fashioned Christmas (Cocktail)

Posted on by Laurie

Inspired by classic bourbon cocktails such as the Old Fashioned, this cocktail has been spruced up for Christmas but still retains a pleasing balance between bitter, sweet, fruity and bourbon flavors. Cheers!

Old Fashioned Christmas

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Ingredients

2 oz. Woodford Reserve or other good bourbon whiskey

1 oz. Pallini Raspicello Liqueur

1 oz. Travis Hasse’s Apple Pie Liqueur

4 dashes Angostura Bitters

ice, for shaking

lemon peel, for garnish

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add bourbon, liqueurs and bitters. Cover and shake well –  to mix ingredients, to chill the drink and to allow a little of the ice to melt. Strain into a decorative martini glass. Garnish with lemon peel and serve.

Happy Holidays!

Chocolate Bourbon Pots de Creme With Orange Bourbon Cherries

Posted on by Laurie

I always need to get an early start on my Thanksgiving planning and preparations. In thinking about what desserts I might want to serve – a month from now – this is one that came to mind. Not only is it completely decadent, but it is also very easy to prepare … which is incredibly nice given all of the work that goes into the holidays. This dish requires only about 15 minutes of work, plus chilling time. The key to its success is the use of fine quality chocolate and bourbon.

ChocolateBourbonCoupe

Chocolate Bourbon Pots de Creme

makes 8 servings

Ingredients

• 14 oz. best quality bittersweet chocolate (finely chopped)

I used Ghirardelli Twilight Delight Intense Dark 72% Cacao bars.

• 2 lg. eggs (beaten)

• 3 T. really good bourbon

I used Woodford Reserve Bourbon.

• 1 1/3 c. half-and-half

• Lightly sweetened whipped cream, for garnish

• Orange Bourbon Cherries, for garnish (recipe below)

• Gold-colored decorator’s sugar, for garnish (optional)

Directions

1.Place chocolate, eggs and bourbon in the bowl of a large food processor.

2. Scald half-and-half.

3. While running the food processor, pour hot half-and-half through the feed tube. Process until perfectly smooth. (If you don’t have a food processor, beat ingredients in a large mixing bowl.)

4. Ladle into serving cups. Chill for at least three hours before serving. Cover with plastic wrap if making Pots de Creme more than a few hours in advance.

5. Meanwhile, prepare cherries.

6. Just before serving, whip cream. Garnish Pots de Creme with whipped cream, 3 cherries each, and decorator’s sugar.  (The sugar adds a little sparkle and also a little crunch.)

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Orange Bourbon Cherries

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 c. frozen dark sweet cherries (at least 24 cherries)

• 1/4 maple syrup

• zest from one mandarin orange (or a fragrant-skinned orange), about 1 T.

• 1/4 c. really good bourbon

I used Woodford Reserve Bourbon.

Directions

Place all of the ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan. Gently stir. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a clean glass jar. Refrigerate uncovered until cool, then tightly seal jar. Store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

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Enjoy! Happy Dining!

Boozy Bourbon Brownies

Posted on by Laurie

A little something for National Bourbon Day …

(Not for children)

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Boozy Bourbon Brownies

Makes about 25 small rich brownies

Ingredients:

6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 c. unsalted butter

1/2 c. dried currants

2 T. bourbon

3/4 c. all-purpose flour

2 T. natural cocoa

1/4 t. salt

2 lg. eggs

1/2 c. granulated white sugar

1/2 c. dark brown sugar, firmly packed

Boozy Bourbon Cream Cheese Frosting (Recipe below)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Butter and flour a 9” square baking pan or spray with baking spray.
  2. Melt chocolate and butter together, stirring frequently. Set aside to cool.
  3. Combine the currants and bourbon. Set aside.
  4. In  small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa and salt. Set aside.
  5. In large bowl, beat eggs and white sugar together until pale, thick and creamy. (This takes about three to four minutes on high speed. Do not underbeat.) Beat in dark brown sugar and then beat in chocolate mixture. On lowest speed, beat in currants and bourbon.  Then beat in dry ingredients just until they are incorporated. Pour batter into baking pan. Spread evenly.
  6. Bake for about 32 to 37 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out almost clean and the brownies feel firm to the touch.  Place baking pan on a wire rack to cool.
  7. Before serving, cut brownies into squares and remove from pan. Frost tops of brownies with Boozy Bourbon Cream Cheese Frosting.

 

Boozy Bourbon Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes enough to frost one 9” square pan of baked goods or to decorate about 30 cookies.

Ingredients:

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. confectioner’s sugar

1 T. + 2 t. Bourbon, or to taste

 

Directions:

Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Beat until perfectly smooth. Taste. If desired, slowly beat in more Bourbon. Use to frost baked goods.

 

Have a great weekend!

Little Apple Manhattan Cocktails

Posted on by Laurie

We had fun entertaining over Thanksgiving. One of the cocktails that we served was a Little Apple Manhattan. Since several people asked for the recipe*, I decided to share it. Happy Holidays!

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Little Apple Manhattan*

2 oz. Four Roses Bourbon

3/4 oz Travis Hasse’s Apple Pie Liqueur

1/2 oz. Vya Sweet Vermouth

dash Angostura Bitters

apple slices

maraschino cherry

Place a few cubes of ice in an old-fashioned glass. Add bourbon, liqueurs and bitters. Stir well. Garnish with apple slices and a cherry. Cheers!

* This is based on Travis Hasse’s The Big Apple; but since Manhattan, Kansas is known as The Little Apple, I couldn’t resist changing the name.

Old-Fashioned Cocktail and Brandied Cherries

Posted on by Laurie

Recently, several people have asked me to post another cocktail recipe. So, friends, if anyone is planning to host a cocktail party, here is a classic …

OldFashioned2

Old-Fashioned Cocktail

• 1 cube of sugar

• 3 – 4 drops Angostura bitters (traditional in this cocktail) or Fee Brothers West Indian Orange Bitters (also very good)

• 1 – 2 brandied cherries

• 1 orange slice or lemon slice

• ice

• 2 oz. good bourbon (such as Woodford Reserve)

• 1 oz. cold water, optional

Place sugar cube in the bottom of an old-fashioned glass and then splash with bitters. Add 1 cherry and orange or lemon slice. Muddle ingredients together in bottom of glass.  Fill glass halfway with ice.  Add bourbon and, if a  lighter drink is desired, water.  Stir before serving to mix and chill drink and to make sure that sugar is dissolved. If desired, plop another cherry in the cocktail. Cheers!

Brandied Cherries

• 1 1/4 c. fresh cherries that have been washed and pitted (or frozen dark sweet cherries if fresh aren’t available)

• 1/4 c. granulated white sugar

• 1/4 c. water

• 1/2 t. fresh lemon or lime zest

• dash of ground cinnamon

• pinch of ground nutmeg

• pinch of ground cardamom

1/4 c. good brandy

Place all of the ingredients, except the brandy,  in a medium-sized saucepan. Gently stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 7 minutes or until liquid is thick and syrupy. Remove from heat. Stir in brandy. Transfer to a clean glass jar. Refrigerate uncovered until cool, then tightly seal jar. Store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Raspberry Mint Julep

Posted on by Laurie

Mint Julep is the official cocktail of the Kentucky Derby, and yet, despite its renown, is not widely popular apart from Derby celebrations.  Though it is refreshingly cold and steeped with tradition, the flavors of this classic cocktail (Bourbon, mint, and sugar) are just – to some palates – not very well rounded. Having read that some bars are experimenting with variations on the Mint Julep, I decided to try my own creation – a Raspberry Mint Julep. The addition of raspberry mutes the mint slightly and blends well with the rich flavor of Bourbon. I think this pleasant cocktail could be served for almost any warm weather occasion. Let me know what you think!

2 oz. Woodford Reserve or other good Bourbon

1 oz. Raspicello or other good raspberry liqueur

5 mint leaves, plus leaves for garnish

5 raspberries, plus one for garnish

1 t. sugar

shaved ice

In a chilled Mint Julep cup or highball glass, muddle together mint leaves, raspberries and sugar. Add Bourbon and raspberry liqueur. Fill cup/glass with shaved ice, top with a Boston shaker, and shake well. Garnish with raspberry and mint leaves. Enjoy!

Note: Mint Juleps are traditionally served in a chilled, beaded silver cup and held with a napkin around the base.

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Preparing for Thanksgiving

Posted on by Laurie

I ordered some Amaryllis bulbs early in the Fall in the hopes that they would be in bloom for Thanksgiving. Somehow, I timed it just right. It’s always so nice when things work out that way.

One of the side dishes that I will be preparing on Thursday is Bourbon Mashed Sweet Potatoes.  The recipe was sent to me by one of our guests. It’s delicious. I tested it out this summer while I was visiting my mother.

Tim’s Bourbon Mashed Sweet Potatoes

4 – 5 large sweet potatoes, washed

8 T. unsalted butter

1/2 c. good Bourbon, or to taste*

1/4 t. vanilla extract

1/2 c. honey, or to taste

1/4 c. brown sugar, or to taste

1/4 t. ground cinnamon, or to taste

milk or cream, just enough to achieve desired consistency

(1) Pierce sweet potatoes with a fork. Cook in microwave until tender or wrap  in buttered aluminum foil and bake at 425 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes or until tender.

(2) Remove sweet potatoes from their skins. Mash together with the remaining ingredients, making adjustments as needed to achieve desired flavor and consistency.

* Note: the alcohol is not “cooked out” in this recipe.

Another one of the side dishes that I’ll be serving is my Cranberry Compote, which I make every year. I prepared the base this morning (photo below) and will add fresh apple just before serving on Thursday.

Cranberry Compote

1 c. granulated white sugar

1/2 c. cold water

6 whole cloves

3 whole allspice

2 cinnamon sticks

1/2 c. dried cranberries

1/2 c. dried apricots, diced

1/2 c. raisins, currants or chopped dried dates

3 c. whole fresh cranberries, washed and picked over

1/2 c. pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped

zest of 1 fragrant orange, finely minced or grated

1 1/2 c. chopped fresh apple or pear, or orange slices, optional

(1) In a medium pot, stir together granulated sugar, water, cloves, allspice and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low so that they syrup is barely at a simmer. Cook 10 minutes. Carefully remove spices.

(2) Add dried cranberries, apricots and raisins, currants or dates to sugar syrup. Bring dried fruits to a simmer  and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in cranberries, pecans and orange zest. Cover. Remove from heat. Let sit 5 to 10 minutes. The cranberries should just begin to pop. If they do not, you may need to return the pot to a low heat for a few minutes.

(3) Serve warm or chill before serving. If desired, stir in apple, pear or orange right before serving.

Note: Cranberry Compote is very versatile. It can be served on its own, mixed into yogurt, or mixed with maple syrup, warmed and served over French Toast. For Thanksgiving, I will be serving it as a chilled side dish.

Now, I’m off to do some more cooking! I’ll try to do a Thanksgiving Preparation, Part II tomorrow or Thursday morn. Just in case I don’t manage to get another post in before the holiday, Happy Thanksgiving!!!