Aquavit Ginger Snap
December 9, 2014
WSJ dec 2014 … NYC Aquavit restaurant makes 1 bottle, serve with spiced hot chocolate
Aquavit
- scrub 1 thumb size piece ginger, slice into coins. Add sliced ginger to a glass mason jar or bottle.
- 5 cinnamon sticks
- 30 cloves
- zest of ½ orange (use vegetable peeler)
- 750 ml good vodka.
- Seal and store in cool place out of direct light 5-7 days. turn bottle every couple days. Strain away all spices. fine sieve or coffee filter.
Spiced Hot Chocolate – serves 2
- Into a med pot add:
- 1¼C milk
- Zest of ¼ orange
- 1 cinnamon stick crushed into large fragments
- 10 cloves
- 1½ TB peeled and coarsely chopped ginger
Simmer gently 15 minutes, do not scald milk. Then add:
- Add 1 TB cocoa powder
- 3 TB light brown sugar
- 1¼ oz dark chocolate
Whisk until chocolate melts and cocoa is completely mixed. Turn off heat. Add 1 to 2 oz of Ginger Snap aquavit to hot chocolate. Strain into 2 cups/glasses.
Whip ½ C heavy cream until soft peaks form.
top cups/glasses with whipped cream, sprinkle with cocoa powder.
Bourbon and Chocolate Pecan Pie
January 1, 2012
Let’s start with dessert, why not? And a decadent dessert at that. This is a Tyler Florence recipe from FoodNetwork, “Bourbon and Chocolate Pecan Pie.”
Ingredients bake at 350 (or hotter up to 380), 45 minutes
Pie Pastry (basic but with a twist: add ground pecans) chill 30 minutes
- 1 Cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 C ground pecans
- 1 T sugar
- pinch salt
- 1/2 C (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
- 2 TB ice water (plus more if needed)
Filling
- 1/4 Cup (1/2) stick unsalted butter
- 2 oz unsweetened chocolate
- 3 large eggs
- 1 Cup sugar
- 3/4 Cup Dark corn syrup
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 TB bourbon (Maker’s Mark used)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 Cups pecan halves/pieces.
Directions
Pastry: Combine dry ingredients: flour,pecans,sugar,salt – then add the butter, mix with hands or pastry blender until mixture is like crumbs. Add ice water, work to bind the dough until it holds together but not too wet or sticky. Squeeze together, if too crumbly add more ice water, 1 TB at atime. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll out dough into 12 ” circle. Lay in a 9″ pan. Press dough into pan so it fits tight, trim excess around rim.Place pie pan on cookie sheet.
Filling: Melt butter & Chocolate in saucepan on med-low, remove from heat and let cool. Beat eggs until frothym then add sugar. Stir in syrup, vanilla, bourbon,salt and then the chocolate/butter mixture.
Arrange pecans on bottom of pie crust, pour egg mixture over. Bake until filling is set and puffed, about 45 minutes (or longer) Test for doneness – stick in thin knife, if pretty clean, it’s done.
Olsson Recipes 