Frost the rim of a shot glass with sugar and lemon. Add the vanilla vodka and Frangelico hazelnut liqueur; stir together. Lick the sugar rim, shoot the mixture, and bite a piece of lemon.
Combine cider, cinnamon stick, clove, orange slice, and lemon slice in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Strain cider mixture through a sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Stir in brandy. Serve warm. Garnish each serving with 1 cinnamon stick, if desired.
6 servings
1. Preheat oven to 325°. Sift together flour and 3/4 cup sugar. Sift again and set aside.
2. In a large bowl or standing mixer, beat egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt. Beat until soft peaks form. Add 3/4 cup sugar and the vanilla and almond extracts. Continue beating until egg whites are firm but not dry.
3. Sift one-third of the flour-sugar mixture onto the egg whites and, with a rubber or silicone spatula, gently fold the mixture into the egg whites. Add remaining flour in two batches, folding gently after each addition. Turn batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan and bake until browned and firm to the touch, 50 to 60 minutes.
4. Invert cake (in pan) on a cooling rack for at least an hour. When completely cool, run a long, thin, sharp knife between cake and pan to loosen, and remove cake.
5. Put candy canes in a large sealable plastic bag. Crush them into small pieces with a meat pounder, rolling pin, or the bottom of a small frying pan. Sift crushed candy with a fine-mesh strainer and reserve candy dust for another use (see Notes). Set crushed candy aside.
6. In a large bowl, beat cream with remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar until soft peaks form. Frost cake with whipped cream using a spatula to form swirls and peaks. Sprinkle frosted cake with crushed candy canes. (To get candy on the sides, hold your hand about 1 in. from the cake and gently toss crushed candy at the sides.) Serve immediately, using a serrated knife to cut slices.
Makes 8 to 10 servings
1. In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (bottom of bowl should not touch water), stir chopped chocolate and butter often until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from over water and let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on high speed, beat sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Add chocolate mixture and beat until well blended. Stir in flour and baking powder, then beat just until moistened. Stir in macadamia nuts, chocolate chips, and coconut.
3. Drop dough in 1-tablespoon portions, about 2 inches apart, onto buttered or cooking parchment-lined 12- by 15-inch baking sheets.
4. Bake cookies in a 350° oven just until firm on the edges but still soft when pressed in the middle, 8 to 10 minutes (see notes); if baking more than one pan at a time, switch pan positions halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then use a wide spatula to transfer to racks to cool completely.
1. In a 2- to 3-quart pan over low heat, frequently stir butter and chocolate until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, and marshmallows until well blended.
2. Spread batter evenly in a buttered and floured 8-inch square baking pan. Sprinkle top evenly with walnuts.
3. Bake in a 350° oven until deep brown, 30 to 35 minutes.
4. Run a knife between pan rim and brownie. Let cool in pan on a rack, about 1 hour. Cut into squares.
Yields 1 dozen brownies.
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Pulse flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a food processor to combine. Add butter and vanilla, and process until mixture comes together. Shape the dough into a ball.
2. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick; cut out shapes with a 3 1/2-by-2 1/2-inch diamond-shape cookie cutter. Space 1 1/2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake cookies until firm to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cookies cool completely on wire racks.
3. Melt white chocolate, stirring, in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Drizzle chocolate over tops of cookies. Let set before serving, about 30 minutes. Cookies can be stored in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.
Yields 14 cookies.
Red Beans And Rice @ Group Recipes
Chocolate Cherry Biscotti @ Group Recipes
24 brown mini M&Ms plus , more for filling (optional) Hershey's Chocolate Cupcakes Dirty Green Simple Buttercream 12 chocolate sugar cones 1 pound black licorice laces, cut into 1/4-inch, 1/2-inch and 2-inch lengths 12 candy corns Using a melon baller, scoop out the center of each cupcake, and fill with mini M&Ms, if desired.
Cover the tops of each cupcake with a generous mound (about 1/3 cup) of buttercream. Insert one candy corn into each cupcake to form a nose. Using brown mini M&Ms, insert two into each cupcake to form eyes. Place two short lengths of licorice above the eyes to form eyebrows for the witch. Place the shorter licorice lengths above the eyebrows to form bangs. Place an inverted cone on top of bangs, pressing gently into buttercream to adhere. Place the longer licorice lengths under the cone hat to form the hair.
In a heavy saucepan, melt the chocolate chips with 1 cup milk. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Spread half into a waxed paper-lined 8-inch square pan and allow to cool for 10 minutes (or until firm).
Meanwhile over low heat, cook and stir the candy coating with the remaining milk until the coating is melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the peppermint extract and the food coloring. Spread over the bottom layer and chill for 10 minutes (or until firm).
Warm the remaining chocolate mixture if necessary and spread it over the mint layer.
Chill for 2 hours (or until firm), remove from the pan and cut into 1-inch squares.
Using a food processor, grind the cookies to a fine powder.
With a mixer, blend cookie powder, cream cheese and vanilla extract until thoroughly mixed (there should be no white traces of cream cheese).
Roll into small balls and place on wax-lined cookie sheet and refrigerate for 45 minutes.
Line two cookie sheets with wax paper.
In double-boiler, melt the milk chocolate. Dip the balls and coat thoroughly. Then with a slotted spoon, lift the balls out of chocolate and let the excess chocolate drip off. Place each ball on a wax-paper-lined cookie sheet.
In separate double boiler, melt the white chocolate. Using a fork, drizzle white chocolate over balls.
Allow to cool and then store in airtight container, in refrigerator.
Divide chocolate into 2 batches, 4 cups & 2 1/2 cups.
Melt the 4 cups of chocolate in microwave.
Cut marshmallow into large squares and stir into the melted chocolate, add peanuts and stir, place into a foil lined 9x12 pan, refrigerate till set.
When set slice down the middle length wise and then each piece into 5 giving you 10 good size pieces.
Melt remaining chocolate and coat each piece with pastry brush leaving one side bare so you can see the marshmallow.
Refrigerate till chocolate is set.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, then cook spinach, stirring, until wilted and tender, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and cool, about 10 minutes. Squeeze handfuls of spinach to remove as much liquid as possible, then coarsely chop. Transfer to a bowl and stir in feta, nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Melt remaining 1 stick butter in a small saucepan, then cool.
Cover phyllo stack with 2 overlapping sheets of plastic wrap and then a dampened kitchen towel.
Take 1 phyllo sheet from stack and arrange on a work surface with a long side nearest you (keeping remaining sheets covered) and brush with some butter. Top with another phyllo sheet and brush with more butter. Cut buttered phyllo stack crosswise into 6 (roughly 12- by 2 3/4-inch) strips.
Put a heaping teaspoon of filling near 1 corner of a strip on end nearest you, then fold corner of phyllo over to enclose filling and form a triangle. Continue folding strip (like a flag), maintaining triangle shape. Put triangle, seam side down, on a large baking sheet and brush top with butter. Make more triangles in same manner, using all of phyllo.
Bake triangles in middle of oven until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool slightly.
In a container, mix together the olive oil, garlic powder, oregano, basil, pepper, salt, onion powder, and Dijon-style mustard. Pour in the vinegar, and mix vigorously until well blended. Store tightly covered at room temperature.
Rub rim of a highball glass with lime wedge; invert glass in a small dish of coarse salt, twisting to coat rim. Fill glass halfway with ice, 1 teaspoon lime juice, and 1 ounce platinum tequila, then top with Mexican grapefruit soda. Stir. Place cored-out lime half in drink and fill with tequila (try a reposado for added flavor).
Preheat a grill pan over medium heat. Using a serrated knife, carefully slice ciabatta horizontally into thirds; reserve top and bottom crust for bread slices.
Place bread slices on work surface, crust side down; butter cut side of each slice. Top 1 slice with 6 slices cheese, tomato slices seasoned with salt and pepper, and basil leaves. Top with 6 more slices cheese and then with remaining bread slice, buttered side down. Butter 1 exterior side of sandwich, seasoning with salt and pepper; halve sandwich to fit grill pan.
Place sandwich butter side down onto grill pan. Weight sandwich with a large cast-iron skillet; cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Remove from pan, butter exterior side of top bread slice; turn, weight down sandwich, and cook for 3 minutes more. Repeat with remaining sandwich half. Slice sandwiches crosswise into 2-inch pieces. Serve immediately.
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until onions have softened, about 15 minutes.
Add tomatoes, chicken stock, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook until tomatoes, onions, and garlic are soft, 10 to 20 minutes.
Working in batches, transfer soup to the jar of a blender and puree until smooth. Return to saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until soup is heated through. If soup seems too thick, stir in some extra stock to thin. Serve immediately.
For Cupcakes
For Frosting
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 3 standard 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.
Make the cupcakes: Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Mix in peanut butter. Mix in eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla. Add flour mixture; mix until combined. Mix in sour cream.
Spoon scant 3 tablespoons batter into each muffin cup. Bake until pale golden and a cake tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 13 minutes. Transfer to wire racks; let cool completely.
Make the frosting: Put cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and butter into the clean bowl of a mixer fitted with the clean paddle attachment; mix on medium- high speed until pale and fluffy. Stir in peanut butter with a rubber spatula.
Spread 1 1/2 tablespoons frosting onto each cupcake. Refrigerate until frosting is firm, about 10 minutes. Using tines of a fork dipped in confectioners' sugar, score each top in a crosshatch pattern. Cupcakes can be refrigerated in single layers in airtight containers up to 2 days.
Cut a 5-by-24-inch rectangle out of parchment paper; set aside. Cut a 4-by-7 1/2-inch rectangle out of cardboard or Foamcore.
Using a spoon, spread 1 tablespoon chocolate ice cream across the cardboard. Arrange 16 sugar wafers over cardboard; we laid 10 wafers side by side over the lower half of the cardboard; then we made two rows of 3 wafers, laid end to end, over the top half of the cardboard. You should have a flat, single layer of wafers. This will become the bottom of the cake.
Microwave both chocolate and vanilla ice creams until softened, about 20 seconds. Transfer chocolate ice cream to a medium mixing bowl, and transfer vanilla ice cream to another one. Stir both ice creams with a rubber spatula; place the bowl of vanilla ice cream in the freezer.
Using a small offset spatula, spread 2 cups chocolate ice cream as evenly as possible over the wafer layer. Arrange 16 more sugar wafers, as described in step two, on top of the ice cream. Transfer the cake and the bowl of chocolate ice cream to the freezer for 15 minutes.
Remove the cake and the bowl of vanilla ice cream from the freezer. Stir ice cream with a rubber spatula to resoften it, and spread 2 cups vanilla ice cream as evenly as possible over wafers. Arrange 16 more sugar wafers, as described in step two, on top of ice cream. Transfer the cake and the bowl of vanilla ice cream to the freezer for 15 minutes more.
Repeat the layering process, making one more chocolate and one more vanilla layer, with only 1 wafer layer in between; chill the cake after making each new layer. End with the layer of vanilla ice cream on the top. Transfer cake to the freezer, and chill cake until completely hard, at least 1 hour.
Using a long serrated knife, trim 1/4 inch from all sides of the cake, making them even. Wrap the parchment around the sides of the cake, extending 1/2 inch above top layer; secure the seam with a small dollop of ice cream. Return cake to freezer.
Set a heat-proof bowl or the top of a double boiler over a pan of barely simmering water. Place the chocolate and the shortening in the bowl, and stir occasionally until melted, about 7 minutes. Remove the bowl from heat; let chocolate stand until cool but still liquid.
Remove cake from freezer, and pour melted chocolate over the top. Using a spatula, quickly spread chocolate so it meets all four edges of the paper collar. Sprinkle chopped peanuts over chocolate. Return cake to freezer, and chill cake until it has completely hardened.
When ready to serve, place cake on a serving plate, and remove the paper collar.
Warm flour or corn tortillas Arrange steaks in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine 2 tablespoons lime juice and next 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Pour onion mixture over steaks; turn to coat evenly. Let marinate 10 minutes.
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add steaks with onion mixture. Cook steaks 1 minute per side. Add tomatoes and basil. Continue cooking steaks to desired doneness, turning occasionally, about 3 minutes longer for medium-rare. Sprinkle mixture with 1 tablespoon lime juice. Cook 1 minute longer to blend flavors. Transfer steaks to work surface. Cut across grain on slight diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick strips. Transfer fajitas to bowl and serve with tortillas.
