Barraquito Cocktail

 

Mention tiramisu, liquid or otherwise, and you have my attention. When Richard Ayoade said that the Barraquito cocktail that he sampled in the ‘Tenerife’ episode of his show, “Travel Man” tasted like liquid tiramisu, I knew I had to try it. I wanted mine to be authentic, so I hunted down a bottle Licor 43, found a nice set of clear coffee mugs, and set to work.

It takes a talented bartender to produce the five layers that this fabulously good tasting dessert cocktail is supposed to have. I wasn’t so lucky. My numerous attempts nearly put me into a stupor, so I figured that I should be satisfied with just three. The ingredients are placed into the cup (or tall, heat-resistant shooter glass, if you prefer) in the order listed. Even slowly drizzling the espresso down the side, I couldn’t get it to layer with the Licor 43 no matter how hard I tried. It’s well worth making no matter how it turns out. Serve it on a saucer with a dessert spoon so that the imbiber can give it a good stir before savoring each sip. It’s dessert in a cup.

 As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Holy Water

 

There were a couple of things that attracted me to the cocktail for this week. First of all, the color, is that not a gorgeous color, I ask you? Imagine how beautiful it would look on a table set with sea tones. This one, for example. Gorgeous! Second, it made use of the peach schnapps that I had bought for some mysterious reason, as well as citrus vodka, ditto. This drink is potent. So, don’t suck it down like you’re having an iced tea. Otherwise I doubt that you’ll see the conclusion of your movie, book, or anything else that has served as your evening’s entertainment. Don’t ask me how I know.

The recipe is on the top photo. Pin it and you’ll have it forever. I used bottled, sparkling French lemonade, and it was wonderful. Feel free to use anything that you like including Squirt or 7-Up. Wonderfully refreshing.

Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino

 

It's pumpkin spice season and if you’re anything like me, you are finding yourselves with small amounts of leftover pumpkin from the various recipes for quick breads and muffins that you’ve tried. This recipe will make use of that in fine fashion; anywhere between 1/4 cup and 1/3 cup works just fine here, it’s not written in stone. Why spend top dollar, have to put on pants, and get in the car to buy one when you can whip up something magnificent at home? Feel free to experiment. If you happen to have Bailey’s Pumpkin Spice Liqueur at home, add some of that if you want. I won’t judge. I’m not your mom. For something even more decadent, add a scoop of ice cream -- pumpkin, cinnamon, and vanilla all work equally well here. Don’t ask me how I know.

Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino

 1 c. strong cold brew coffee, chilled

⅓ c. canned pumpkin puree

½ c. whole milk

2 T. pure maple syrup

1 t. vanilla extract

½ t. pumpkin pie spice

½ t. cinnamon

4-5 ice cubes

Whipped cream, for topping

Cinnamon, for topping

 Place all ingredients EXCEPT whipped cream and cinnamon garnish into the work bowl of a high-speed blender (I use one of those mini ninja blenders). Blend for 30 seconds until combined. Taste and adjust for sweetness, and top with a dollop of whipped cream and a few sprinkles of cinnamon.

Makes one serving.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

  

Sordid Tale

Fans of Bridgerton recently learned that season two will become a reality on March 25th of this year. If you happen to be such a fan, the wait will no doubt seem interminable. To ease the pain, let me introduce you to this delightful companion book, The Regency Book of Drinks, Quaffs, Quips, Tipples, and Tales from Grosvenor Square by Lady Thornwood a.k.a. author Amy Finley. It is a charming and beautifully illustrated book on proper cocktails, all with a Bridgerton leaning.

I chose to make the cocktail known as “Sordid Tale,” and was not disappointed. It’s a pimped out Bloody Mary made extra special via the addition of olive juice. I employed the use of alcohol in mine. Yum! Yum!

Sordid Tale
For 2

16 oz. tomato juice
2 oz. hot sauce
1 oz. Worcestershire sauce
1 - 2 t. prepared horseradish
1 - 2 oz. tamari
1 - 2 oz. green olive or capers brine

Mix in a small pitcher, adjusting ingredients to taste. Serve over 1-inch ice cubes in highball glasses, garnished with a lemon wedge and several green olives impaled on a skewer. If one’s m’lady is grieved to the point that spirits are required, add 2 ounces gin to each glass.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of The Regency Book of Drinks from Abrams Books as a part of the Abrams Dinner Party Program for 2021-22.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Peppermint Milk Shake

 

Is it just me, or does every month seem to have its own flavor? The autumn months seem to be apple and pumpkin flavored; December and February always taste like chocolate to me. May tastes like strawberries, June and July like fresh tomatoes, but January, that’s reserved for peppermint. As we start off the New Year (and here’s hoping it’s heaps better than the last two), I’m going to do so with a Peppermint Milk Shake. This is a recipe that I found online and is supposed to be a copycat recipe from Chick-fil-A. Having never been to Chick-fil-A, I can’t say how close it is, but I will say it is incredibly delicious. For an adult version, add a splash (or more) of peppermint schnapps. Heaven!

Peppermint Milk Shake

Slightly adapted from ohsodelicioso.com

 8 candy canes

¼ c. shaved semisweet chocolate

1 c. whole milk

4 c. vanilla ice cream (about 8 scoops)

½-1 t. peppermint extract

 Shave chocolate bar using a microplane grater.

Crush candy canes into pebble-sized pieces by pulsing them in a blender.

 Place some milk, ice cream, extract, crushed peppermint and chocolate into a malt mixer or high-speed blender. Blend until thick and creamy. Pour into glasses and top with whipping cream and a stemmed cherry.

 Makes 4 shakes.

 Happy New Year, everybody!

 As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

Festive Cranberry Gin & Tonic

This post contains affiliate links.

 

My “go to” cocktail for this pandemic year is one that I thought I had concocted myself. It was based upon my love for gin and tonic, the excavation of cranberry juice in the back of my fridge, and the over purchase of limes (I thought I was buying one and ended up with a bag of them). I Googled to see if I had indeed created a new cocktail, but instead became sadly aware that I wasn’t the genius that I thought I was, as a version can be found on the blog A Nerd Cooks. Great minds, obviously. I have adapted mine to include Fever Tree tonic. If you’re going to make a cocktail, do it right and use the best ingredients available. For tonic lovers, there is no other. Try it; it will make a world of difference.

 

Festive Cranberry Gin & Tonic

Slightly adapted from A Nerd Cooks

 1.5-2 oz. gin*

2 oz. cranberry juice

½ lime, juiced

2 oz. Fever Tree tonic water

Lime wedge and fresh cranberries, for garnish

 Pour the gin, cranberry juice, and lime juice over ice in your most festive holiday glass. Top with the tonic water and garnish with a lime wedge and cranberries.

 *I use Hendricks gin. Feel free to have a heavy hand with it. I won’t judge you.

 

Chai Tea

After watching “Victoria Wood’s Nice Cup of Tea,” a documentary available via Acorn TV, I became obsessed with making tea. I dug out all of the bags, boxes, and loose tea tins that had piled up in the back of my pantry, and every day would brew a different variety. I enjoyed this on many levels. First of all, it forced me to relax, something that tends to be a bit foreign to me. Secondly, it allowed me to enjoy my small collection of teapots in a way that I hadn’t previously, when I made tea in more of a rush. Lastly, this daily ritual allowed me to savor each sip, and in the doing I found myself appreciating every aroma, unique flavor, and nuance of the various types of tea that I tried.

In the process, I found myself becoming interested in something I had previously resisted (largely because it seemed so, well, “millennial,” not that there's anything wrong with that), and that is chai tea. I think the fact that it’s loaded with milk and sugar is what put me off of it the most. I decided to tinker around with the main ingredients, lightening up both the sugar and milk to see how I would like it. While I didn’t have a proper pottery cup made of mud from the bottom of the River Ganges in which to enjoy it, I surprised myself by liking it. To me, it was more like dessert, and something to be enjoyed after a meal. Still, the kick of the spices and heat of the peppercorns, coupled with sweet, might just make this a nice morning eye-opener. 

Chai Tea

3” piece Melissa’s ginger, cut into thin rounds

3 cinnamon sticks

2 teaspoons black peppercorns

15 whole cloves

10 cardamom pods

1 whole anise

6 cups cold water

6 bags of black tea (Darjeeling is best)

1 ¾ cups whole milk

¼ cup brown sugar

 Combine first 6 ingredients in medium saucepan. Using the back of large spoon, lightly bruise spices. Add 6 cups water; bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover pan, and simmer gently 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add tea bags and steep 5 minutes. Discard tea bags. Add milk and sugar. Bring tea just to simmer over high heat, whisking until sugar dissolves. Strain into a teapot and serve hot.

PRINT RECIPE

If you prefer coffee to tea, this spicy Mexican Coffee is a great winter warmer.

This post contains affiliate links.

Witches Brew Coffee

Halloween, like St. Patrick’s Day, is one of those few days when I begin my morning with spiked coffee. There is something so decadent about the combination of coffee and liqueur. It’s not often that I indulge myself like this, but this morning Witches Brew was on the menu. I enjoyed it by flickering candle light in galvanized jack-o’-lanterns.

However you celebrate, have a spooky Halloween!

Witches Brew Coffee

4 Demerara sugar cubes
4 cups freshly brewed Sumatra coffee
8 oz. rum
2 oz. cinnamon liqueur
Cinnamon cream (recipe follows)

In a heatproof pitcher, stir the sugar into the coffee until dissolved, then stir in the rum and cinnamon liqueur. Pour the coffee into warmed mugs or heatproof glasses and spoon the Cinnamon Cream on top. Serves four.

Cinnamon Cream: In a medium chilled bowl, whip 4 ounces chilled heavy cream with 1 ounce Cinnamon liqueur and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar until soft peaks form. Spoon big dollops on top of hot coffee.

PRINT RECIPE

If you prefer cocoa to coffee, you will swoon for this Pumpkin Pie Cocoa.

This post is linked to:

Wonderful Wednesday

Wine’d Down Wednesday

Full Plate Thursday

Thursday Favorite Things

This post contains affiliate links.

Old Fashioned Homemade Lemonade

It was only on rare occasions that my mother would make lemonade. I think the reason being was that it contained a decent amount of sugar, and she was afraid she would drink the entire pitcher. Yep, it was that good. But, considering the nutrition in the fresh lemon juice, I can’t help but think that offsets any negative aspects the sugar can bring. And, hey, with this hot weather we need to stay hydrated, right? I can’t think of a better way in which to do that than by drinking healthy quantities of this refreshing beverage.

Old Fashioned Homemade Lemonade

1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice (I used Melissa’s Meyer lemons*)
1 cup Sugar
4 cups water, divided

Make simple syrup by placing 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water into a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium/high heat, stirring occasionally until sugar is completely dissolved. Set aside to cool. 

Add lemon juice and simple syrup to pitcher. Stir to blend. Add remaining 3 cups water, and stir until well mixed. Refrigerate at least 1 hour to chill. Pour into a tall glass (I like these) and enjoy! Garnish as you see fit.

If you’d like to make pink lemonade for the kids, stir in a half cup of maraschino cherry juice, and garnish with some cherries.

*Meyer lemons are sweeter than regular lemons and will give your lemonade an excellent taste. I highly recommend using these whenever you make a sweet drink.

PRINT RECIPE

Another equally refreshing drink is this Lime Cordial.

 This post is linked to:

Happiness is Homemade Sunday

What’s for Dinner Sunday

Dishing It & Digging It

Cooking & Crafting with J&J

Amaze Me Monday

Busy Mondays

Over the Moon

Celebrate Your Story

Inspire Me Tuesday

Reader Tip Tuesday

Tuesdays with a Twist

The Scoop

Dream, Create, Inspire

Wonderful Wednesday

O My Heartsie Girls Wonderful Wednesday
Wine’d Down Wednesday

Full Plate Thursday

Thursday Favorite Things
 Funtastic Friday
Best of the Weekend
Pink Saturday
Snickerdoodle Create Bake & Create

Grace at Home

Friday at the Fire Station
Create, Bake, Grow and Gather

This post contains affiliate links.

Mexican Coffee Smoothie

By now, you all should be drinking and enjoying cold brew coffee, because I told you how to make it here. And because I’m sure that you all have some in your fridge, you are going to want to begin your celebration of National Cold Brew Coffee Day with a Mexican Coffee Smoothie. It is eye opening-ly delicious, spectacularly refreshing, and so full of coffee and chocolate goodness that it works equally well at breakfast as it does dessert. With a decided Mexican leaning, with the combination of coffee, chocolate, and cinnamon, you can also use it to start your day on Cinco de Mayo. I love a recipe that does double duty.

Mexican Coffee Smoothie

3/4 cups cold brew
1-1/2 cups coffee ice cubes
6 ounces vanilla Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
3 tablespoons chocolate syrup
Pinch of cinnamon

Put all ingredients into a bullet blender and blend until combined. Serve in a Pilsner topped with whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate syrup.

PRINT RECIPE

To refresh your memory, please see this tutorial on how to make cold brew coffee.

This post is linked to:

Full Plate Thursday

Thursday Favorite Things
Feathered Nest Friday
Funtastic Friday
Pink Saturday
Snickerdoodle Create Bake & Create

Grace at Home

Create, Bake, Grow and Gather

Share Your Style

A Bouquet of Talent

 

This post contains affiliate links.

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

I hate to admit to being one of those people who goes absolutely pumpkin crazy when the calendar turns from August to September. Generally, I try to keep this to myself, but it's not easy to do, because I am SO excited about all of the pumpkin things I've been making!

 

Today, it warmed up a bit, and I was in the mood for something cool and refreshing, as well as being pumpkin at the same time. That's not an easy task. So, finding myself with a partial can of pumpkin left in the fridge (Note to self: buy more pumpkin!), I decided to use it in a pumpkin latte at breakfast, and a pumpkin smoothie this afternoon. There is no need to go out to your local fast food place for a pumpkin shake or smoothie when you can make it so easily at home. Stock up on the pumpkin folks, you're going to want to make a lot of these. 

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

1/2 cup plain yogurt*
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1/2 cup pumpkin purée
1 cup ice**
Whipped cream and cinnamon stick, for garnish

Place all ingredients into blender, except for whipped cream and cinnamon stick. Blend until smooth. Garnish with a spritz of whipped cream, and cinnamon stick. (To thicken, add more ice; to thin, add more milk.)

*To make a Pumpkin Pie Milkshake, replace the yogurt with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. To make a Pumpkin Pie Malt, replace the yogurt with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream and 2 tablespoons of vanilla malt powder

**I use flavored ice. I tend to make ice out of every liquid in my house. In this case I used pineapple juice ice for added interest in nutrition. Feel free to use plain old ice from your freezer.

PRINT RECIPE

This post is linked to:

Full Plate Thursday

Grace at Home

Foodie Friday & Everything Else

Create, Bake, Grow and Gather
Share Your Style

Simple Saturday Blog Hop

A Bouquet of Talent

Paula's No Rules Weekend Blog Party

This post contains affiliate links.

Alycia's Peach Daiquiri

Today's recipe is another one from Alycia of Inspirational Sloppy Joe fame. I was going to hold off on this one, not wanting to put two of them from Alycia so close together lest she think I'm stalking her, but peach season is coming to an end, and you need to try this before it's over. It's been a long time since I've made myself a cocktail, but yesterday I decided it was high time. I don't treat myself as often as I should, and, in fact, I have pretty much been eating out of the freezer the past couple of weeks, so felt I deserved a little treat.

This is easy to put together, and I counted it as a serving of fruit on the daily nutrition pyramid, because it calls for an entire peach. Can you imagine another cocktail that's as good for you as this one? Not only is it good for you, but it is also absolutely delicious. The recipe, without alteration it fabulous, but, in the name of full disclosure, I changed it up a tiny bit using a handful of ice cubes made from pineapple juice. I imagine this would be delicious with any type of fruit juice-based ice cube, but do know that it is fine on its own.  I just happen to have an obsession with making ice cubes out of pretty much anything in liquid form.

Okay, run out and get yourself some fresh peaches and prepare to be treated to a luscious cocktail.

Alycia's Peach Daiquiri
Makes one ample portion…unless you're a lush

2 ounces Malibu rum
3 ounces sweet and sour mix
1 whole peach, pitted
Splash Grenadine
Ice (see above regarding my choice here)

Toss all into a blender, or bullet blender, and blend until the ice is crushed and incorporated; serve immediately. Double, triple, quadruple, go crazy. You're going to love this one.

This post is linked to:

What’s for Dinner Sunday

Happiness is Homemade Sunday

Dishing It & Digging It

Cooking & Crafting with J&J

Amaze Me Monday

Busy Mondays

Art of Homemaking Monday
Make it Pretty Monday

Celebrate Your Story

Home and Garden Thursday
 Weekend Linky Party
Grace at Home

Foodie Friday & Everything Else