Drink of the week

This blog post has been adapted from my Drink of the Week in The Huntington News published 5/26/11.

For Memorial Day weekend, my entire home state of New Jersey made our annual pilgrimage to the Jersey Shore. While there, I’m sure everyone above the age of 21 will prefer an alcoholic drink that’s less gross than the infamous “Jersey Turnpike.” In case you haven’t heard, this brew is created when a bartender wipes up all of the spilled alcohol off a bar at the end of the night and rings it out into a shot glass. It’s meant to represent how trashy the Turnpike is (no worries, it’s not actually meant to be consumed). On the more delicious side, this white wine sangria, with its rough estimation of ingredients and brisk, refreshing taste, is a light and summery beverage to sip on the beach down at the Shore. Maybe not as delicious as the white wine sangria we had at Spicy's this weekend, it's still awesome. Add in peach schnapps for an awesome twist (that's what the lovely people at Spicy's do).

White wine may not be everyone’s favorite, so for a non-alcoholic beverage, I’ve decided to share my favorite sparkling lemonade concoction which was accidentally created at my high school graduation party. But, if you make it in bulk and decide that you feel like getting a little shitty, add in a bottle of vodka and some Triple Sec.


White Wine Sangria

Huntington News Staff Photo/Laura Finaldi

Ingredients:
1 bottle white wine of choice
1 liter seltzer water
½ liter lemon-lime soda
3 shots Triple Sec liqueur
⅔ cup sugar
2 lemons
2 limes
2 oranges

Directions:
Cut the citrus fruits into thin slices and place in a pitcher. Pour all of the liquid ingredients and the sugar over the fruits. You can let it sit up to overnight, but if you feel like diving right in instead, go for it.

Huntington News Staff Photo/Laura Finaldi

Sparkling Lemonade
Ingredients:
1 can frozen lemonade mix
1 can pink lemonade mix
1 liter sparkling water (lemon-lime flavored)
2 liters ginger ale
1 liter club soda
2-3 lemons
2-3 limes

Directions:
Thaw the frozen cans of lemonade mix in the refrigerator overnight. Slice the lemons and limes and set aside. Mix all of the liquid ingredients. Add lemons, limes and plenty of ice in a pitcher.

Forbidden Fruit

Infographic by Culinary Schools.org

Dulce de Leche brownies

Ingredients:
8 tablespoons (115g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
6 ounces (170g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup (25g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
3 large eggs
1 cup (200g) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (140g) flour
1 cup Dulce de Leche (store bought or homemade)
*I thought these lacked some instant espresso powder… but that’s just me. Next time, I’d add in a teaspoon or two into the melting chocolate.

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (175 C).
2. Line a 8-inch (20 cm) square pan with a long sheet of aluminum foil that covers the bottom and reaches up the sides. Grease the bottom and sides of the foil with a bit of butter or non-stick spray.
3. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the chocolate pieces and stir constantly over very low heat until the chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. Add in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the sugar and vanilla. Stir in the salt and flour until just incorporated. Don’t over mix at this stage, or the brownies will be tough.
4. Scrape half of the batter into the prepared pan.
5. Drop decent sized blobs of Dulce de Leche, evenly spaced, over the brownie batter. Spread the remaining brownie batter over, then drop spoonfuls of the remaining Dulce de Leche in dollops over the top of the brownie batter. Use a knife to swirl the Dulce de Leche slightly.
6. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. The brownies are done when the center feels just-slightly firm. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Homemade Oreos

Ingredients for the chocolate wafers:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg

For the filling:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:
Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375°F.
In a food processor, or bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. While pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.
Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately two inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.
To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.
To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round tip, pipe teaspoon-size blobs of cream into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream. Dunk generously in milk.

From Smitten Kitchen

Baked caramel apple donuts

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 medium apples, peeled & shredded
1 1/2 cup chewy caramel candies
1 tablespoon whole milk

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray donut pans with cooking spray & set aside. Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth. Whisk in oil and vanilla. Stir into the flour mixture until just combined; stir in the apples. Spoon the batter into the prepared donut pans until almost full. Baked until golden and a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out dry. It takes about 15-20 minutes. (Mind ended up taking 18)
3. In a small, microwaveable bowl, combine the caramel and milk. Microwave for 1 minute at medium power. then stir; repeat in 30 second intervals until melted and smooth. If making small donuts, dip them directly into the caramel. For larger donuts, spoon caramel topping on top!

Credit

Oreo Truffles

Ingredients:
2 packages oreo cookies
2 (8 oz) blocks cream cheese, softened
4 packages semi-sweet chocolate (8 blocks in each package)
any toppings: crushed candy, toasted coconut, white chocolate, andes mint chips, more crushed oreos

Directions:
1. Crush the oreos into fine crumbs. ( I don’t have a food processor so, I use a ziplock bag and my heavy rolling pin and wood cutting board)
2. Blend the oreo crumbs with softened cream cheese until it forms a sticky, thick mix.
3. Roll into 1″ to 2″ balls (or 1/2″ to 3″ completely up to you) and place on a cookie sheet covered in wax paper
4. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

5. While the truffle balls are chilling, slowly melt your semi-sweet chocolate.
6. Drop one or two truffles at a time into the melted chocolate, using forks take them out slowly rotating them to drip off excess chocolate. Place onto wax paper.
7.If you are topping them with oreo crumbs, crushed candy canes, toasted coconut.. this is the time. If you want to top them with melted drizzled Andes mint chocolate, melted drizzles of white chocolate.. etc… chill them and then top them.

Fluffernutter Cookies

Ingredients:
1 Cup creamy peanut butter
1 large egg
1 cup marshmallow cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl mix the peanut butter and egg until well combined with a spoon. Slowly stir in the marshmallow cream until just combined. You want to see the marshmallow cream not fully incorporated, almost like swirled through. With a small-medium cookie scoop, scoop dough onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until baked through. Let cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheet before transferring to a cooling rack. Definitely grab some milk with these bad boys and Enjoy!!

Makes about 18 cookies

Bacon, egg and toast cup

Ingredients3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
8 slices white or whole-wheat sandwich bread
6 slices bacon
6 large eggs
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter 6 standard muffin cups. With a rolling pin, flatten bread slices slightly and, with a 4 1/4-inch cookie cutter, cut into 8 rounds.

2. Cut each round in half, then press 2 halves into each muffin cup, overlapping slightly and making sure bread comes up to edge of cup. Use extra bread to patch any gaps. Brush bread with remaining butter.
3. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium, until almost crisp, 4 minutes, flipping once. (It will continue to cook in the oven.) Lay 1 bacon slice in each bread cup and crack an egg over each. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Bake until egg whites are just set, 20 to 25 minutes. Run a small knife around cups to loosen toasts. Serve immediately.

Note
Standard muffin pans come in 6- or 12-cup size; if baking 6 items in a 12-cup pan, leave empty space in between. Nonstick pans are nice but not essential. Beware of very thin pans, which often lead to burning. Place pans on a baking sheet to make them easier to get in and out of the oven.

Credit

Mint chocolate chip cookies

Ingredients
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon mint extract
6 to 8 drops green food color
1 egg
1 cup creme de menthe baking chips
1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks

Directions
1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter, extract, food color and egg until soft dough forms. Stir in creme de menthe baking chips and chocolate chunks.
2. Using small cookie scoop or teaspoon, drop dough 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool 3 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Serve warm or cool completely. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

Blueberry martini jello shots

(Adapted from an adapted recipe by the LA Times for Blueberry martini jelly shots at Bar Nineteen 12)

Ingredients
10 1/2 ounces Stoli Blueberry vodka
2 ounces simple syrup (add more if blueberries are sour - combine equal parts sugar and water in a saucepan, and stir over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.)
3 1/2 (1/4 ounce) packets of gelatin powder
About 60 fresh blueberries (more if the blueberries are small)

Directions
1. Off heat, combine the vodka and simple syrup in a small saucepan. Add gelatin powder to the vodka mixture.
2. Heat the saucepan over low heat, stirring, until the gelatin is dissolved and incorporated into the vodka mixture, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
3. Place a few blueberries in the bottom of each individual ice cube mold, and carefully pour the vodka mixture into each. Refrigerate the ice cube tray until set, preferably overnight. These cocktails will keep, refrigerated, for as long as 2 days.

Homemade Samoas

Ingredients
For the cookies:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
up to 2 tbsp milk

For the topping:
3 cups shredded coconut
12-oz good-quality chewy caramels
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp milk
8 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips are ok)

Directions
For the cookies:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar.
3. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well, then add vanilla and mix well again. The goal is for the dough to come together in a soft (but not sticky) ball, so you may need to add a tablespoon or two of milk. A little warning: I thought the dough wasn’t coming together well and added a tablespoon of milk, and the dough ended up being way too sticky. I needed to add quite a bit more flour to bring it back to a workable state (which turned out fine in the end, but just saying: add less milk than you think you need, if any).
4. Work the dough into a ball and set it between two sheets of wax paper. Roll it into a sheet about 1/4″ thick.
5. Using a small cup (about 1 1/2″), make rounds and set them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
6. Using the tip of a knife, cut a smaller hole in the center of each round.
7. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes and let cool

For the topping:
1. Spread the coconut in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Toast in the oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. (The instructions say to toast it at 300F, but that temperature started to char my coconut; I found that the lowest setting worked better in my oven.)
2. Take your caramels and put them in a microwave-safe baking dish with the salt and milk and microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until smooth.
3. Fold in the toasted coconut.
4. Using an offset spatula, spread a little caramel/coconut mixture onto each cookie.
5 Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl (stirring at 30-second increments) until smooth. Dip the bottom of each cookie into the chocolate and let the excess drip off; set on a parchment-lined baking sheet or large plate.
6. Final step: put the rest of the melted chocolate into a Ziploc and cut a small hole in 

one corner. Drizzle the chocolate over the tops of the cookies. Let cool in the refrigerator until the chocolate is set before storing in a single layer in an airtight container.

Cookie Dough Truffles

Ingredients:
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
2¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1½ lb. semisweet (or bittersweet) chocolate, coarsely chopped
Mini chocolate chips (for garnish)

Directions:
1. Combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture has firmed up enough to form balls.
2. Shape the chilled cookie dough mixture into 1-1½ inch balls. Place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Cover loosely, transfer the pan to the freezer and chill for 1-2 hours.
3. When ready to dip the truffles, melt the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Dip each chilled truffle, one at a time, coating in chocolate and shaking gently to remove the excess. (If at any point during dipping, the cookie dough balls become too soft, return to the freezer to chill for 30 minutes.) Transfer to a wax-paper lined surface. If using mini chocolate chips for garnish, sprinkle on top quickly after dipping each truffle before the chocolate sets. Once all the truffles have been dipped, store them in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Source: adapted from My Kitchen Cafe, originally from Taste of Home