THREE LIQUEUR INFUSED TRUFFLES RECIPES

 

JUST A TRUFFLING ALONG......
How to Make Homemade, Liquor Infused Truffles.

TRUFFLE COMES IN THREES ... The Recipe Ingredients

Limoncello Coconut Truffles
8 Oz. Good Quality White Chocolate
1/2 C. Heavy Whipping Cream
2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, Cut into Pieces
4 Pieces of Lemon Peel
1 Tbsp. Toasted Coconut Flakes
2 Tbsp. Limoncello
Extra Toasted Coconut Flakes for Coating Truffles
Melted White Chocolate for Coating Truffles
Lemon Sugar Crystals for Decorating
  Coffee Liqueur Chocolate Truffles
8 Oz. Good Quality Dark Chocolate
1/2 C. Heavy Whipping Cream
2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, Cut into Pieces
1 Tbsp. Coffee Grounds
Pinch of Sea Salt
2 Tbsp. Coffee Liqueur
Mixture of Ground Espresso and Cocoa for Coating Truffles
Melted Dark and Milk Chocolates for Coating Truffles
Dark Chocolate Decorations

Spicy Rum Cherry Chocolate Truffles
8 Oz. Good Quality Dark Chocolate
1/2 C. Heavy Whipping Cream
2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, Cut into Pieces
2 Tbsp. Benjamin Twiggs Cherry Pepper Jelly
2 Tbsp. Drunken Cherry Rum*
24 Drunken Rum Cherries*, Chopped Small*
Spiced** Cocoa Powder for Coating Truffles
Melted Milk and Dark Chocolate for Coating Truffles
Dried Cherries for Decoration

*I took 24 of the Benjamin Twiggs Dried Cherries and macerated them in 3 tablespoons of Bacardi Torched Cherry Rum overnight. Then I drained off the rum and kept both the cherries and the rum for the recipe.

**I used just a pinch of cayenne and chili powder with a pinch of sea salt.

THERE'S TRUFFLE BREWING ... The Directions

First, I infused the cream with flavorings - here it was lemon zest and toasted coconut for the LEMONCELLO COCONUT WHITE TRUFFLES and ground coffee for the COFFEE LIQUEUR TRUFFLES. I set the cream infusions aside to get more flavorful in the fridge.



Second, I chopped up all my chocolate into very small pieces while I watched television.



Next I melted my chocolate in a double boiler, stirring constantly.



When the chocolate was pretty much melted, I got my cream out of the fridge and into a small saucepan to scald. It only takes a minute or so for the cream to get warm, please note I said "scald" not "boil". You only want the cream to start bubbling around the edges so it's warm enough to melt the chocolate.



Then I poured the warmed cream over the melted chocolate, stirring as I poured. This is now officially a ganache! I continued to stir as I added the pieces of butter, the liqueur and/or jam and the truffle additions (this is where I would add in chopped nuts, bits of dried fruit.)

After the ganache was completely blended and nice and shiny (from the butter), I applied a layer of plastic wrap right to the surface and put it in the refrigerator to set up for a few hours.



This type of ganache sets up pretty hard so when you want to make the truffles you'll need to take it out of the fridge and allow it to warm up until you can scoop and roll it into balls. I brought mine out 2 hours ahead of shaping time.

BTW, this ratio of cream to chocolate is specifically for making truffles. If you want a ganache to spread or pipe you need to bring the ratio of cream up to equal proportions with your chocolate. This mixture can also be whipped for a lighter frosting.

HOW I ROLL WITH TRUFFLES...

Once my ganache has reached a warm enough temperature to roll I simply grab a round shaped spoon and scoop out enough to roll a 1" ball in my hand and roll it! I place each ball on a parchment lined cookie sheet until I've finished the amount I want.

Since you can keep ganache for a few weeks in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer, I often only do what I intend to serve and save the rest for another day. I have also been known to take the remaining ganache, warm it up a bit and add a little more cream then use it as a frosting.



I roll my truffles in a number of coatings like cocoa powder, crushed nuts, crushed coconut, crushed candies - the type of dry coating here is wide open to your own preferences.

I also save a few truffle balls aside to dip in a tempered chocolate coating. You can use all types of chocolate here like dark, semi-sweet, milk and white chocolate, and these can be dipped into the dry toppings as well.



THE TROUBLE WITH TRUFFLES.....
is they are so good you're going to want to eat them all. Don't. At least not all at once. Unless you want a big butt. Share that big butt opportunity with your family, friends & neighbors! Package your sweet truffles up in some pretty little candy papers and a fun gift box tied all up with a fancy ribbon and hand some over to others to share the wealth....and the calories!



NOBODY KNOWS THE TRUFFLES I'VE SEEN......

Yes, I tried latex gloves but they kept slipping
around so I gave up and just dove in!

Truffles are easy to make, really! But they're not a quick process. It took me two days to complete all the truffle recipes here but it was two days of fun. It was also two days of making a complete chocolate mess of my kitchen and myself but in the end I had over 60 handmade truffles in a variety of flavors, colors & coatings. I had eaten at least 5 before they were finished from tasting along the way!

I shared the rest. Let them deal with the big butt issue........

DOUBLE, DOUBLE, TOIL AND TRUFFLE;
Chocolate Melt and Cauldron Bubble
 

Updated 5-2022PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

Cafè Noir Espresso, Whiskey Cocktail

  Fratelli Branca sent me a bottle of their Caffè Borghetti, along with a Whole Foods gift card, to make a cocktail featuring their lovely espresso liqueur for National Espresso Day. I opened the shipping box at ten in the morning but still cracked open the bottle to taste. I'm not known for my patience and I love coffee liqueur ... and nobody was around to see. If you like coffee booze, in my opinion, this one beats the others by a mile. Made with real espresso, it has a nutty nose with deep chocolate notes that blend nicely with the espresso for a rich mocha experience.  It's smooth, gentle and perfect on it's own or with some coffee as an after dinner drink.  

I know it will be great as a coffee liqueur in any of my Coffee Cocktails but, for my first cocktail recipe using this delicious liqueur, I wanted something unusual and powerful. Espresso is the big brother of coffee, stronger and more manly, a touch of bitterness softened by a lot of heart. I wanted to do a cocktail that expressed that.

However, I honestly had no idea how I was going to get there and I really wanted to go outside of the standard coffee and cream cocktail box. Then I got to Whole Foods and spied a bottle Del Bac Clear Mesquite Smoked Whiskey. I've been wanting to try this whiskey produced by Hamilton Distillers (a local distillery here in Tucson) very badly. The minute I saw that bottle I knew I was going to do a version of San Francisco bartender Jon Santer's Revolver, a rye and coffee liqueur cocktail with a dash of orange bitters.

I suspected that the Del Bac whiskey might be a bit reminiscent of a great smoky tequila or a mescal* because it's a clear, unaged whiskey with it's barley smoked over mesquite wood fire. I was right. So, as well as a riff on the Revolver, this cocktail is also a kind of a butch Mexican Coffee, minus the coffee and cream and with hints of orange and cherry. I  love it when a plan comes together.

Definitely serve this with at least two of the Bordeaux cherries. (I grabbed a third cherry right at the end.) This is a real man's cocktail; strong, powerful and sexy. Eating the cherries as you sip adds an extra hit of sweetness, much like that hidden touch of romanticism you find buried in those strong, silent types. Heaven.
DO NOT leave out the orange bitters and twists either, aside from the fact that orange bitters are an integral part of Santer's Revolver, they add a beautiful nose and punch up the cherry from the Luxardo.

The
Caffè Noir
Cocktail   INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 Oz. Del Bac Clear Mesquite Smoked Whiskey
1-1/4 Z. Caffè Borghetti Espresso Liqueur
1/4 Oz. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
Dash of Angostura Orange Bitters
2 Orange Twists
2 Bordeaux Cherries (or 3!)
Large Ice Cube

Glass: Old Fashioned   TOOLS: Bar Spoon, Large Ice Mold   DIRECTIONS:
Chill your glass in the freezer.
Rub the interior of the glass with one orange twist then toss away this twist.
Add the large ice cube to the glass then pour in the Del Bac Mesquite Smoked Whiskey, the Caffè Borghetti Espresso Liqueur and the Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur.
Stir in the glass 25 times to chill, express the oils of the second orange twist over the ice, rub the rim with the twist then add it to the cocktail.
Garnish with a couple of Bordeaux cherries and serve.

If you prefer stemmed glasses, you can shake this cocktail with ice then strain into a coupe, this will dilute the strength a bit and bring the sweetness forward. Ladies seem to like the stemmed glasses, men like something they can get a grip on.

If you happened by here on November 23rd, Happy National Espresso Day!

* The aged Dorado version might be more like a peaty Scotch but haven't tried that one yet!

I was not compensated for this post but I did get some free booze.
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HOMEMADE CRANBERRY LIQUEUR RECIPE

    

IN THE BEGINNING THERE WERE CRANBERRIES
A Step by Step Process for Making Cranberry Liqueur

Equipment You’ll Need:
3 Quart Mason Jar or Sealable Glass Jar for Distillation/Infusion
Food Processor or Good Blender
Citrus Zester
2 - 3 Quart Glass or Stainless Steel Bowls with a pour spout, a handle is also very helpful
Large strainer that will fit over this bowl and not tip out or over
Cheesecloth
Coffee Filters
Large funnel the coffee filters will fit in
String (to make a cheesecloth bag for the cranberries)
Roasting Pan
Clean/New Decorative Bottles with sealable caps not corks (because corks allow evaporation) for finished liqueur. (You’ll end up with roughly 8 cups, 2 quarts or 64 ounces of liqueur so buy enough of the size you want to store your Cranberry Liqueur in.)

Ingredients:
32 ounces (2 Lbs) Fresh Cranberries
750 ml. (a fifth or about 3 cups) of vodka
3 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups water
Zest of two limes

Directions:
Wash and clean your cranberries – remove any stems, leaves, grit.
Allow them to dry on a towel.
Wash and sterilize your mason/infusion jar.
Create simple syrup from the sugar and the water by boiling them just until the sugar dissolves completely. Then allow this to cool.
Put the cranberries into your food processor and pulse until they are the consistency of small pebbles. You want them small but you don’t want a puree so don’t over process.
Put your ground up cranberries into a cheesecloth bag and then into your infusion jar (mason jar). Make sure you tie your cranberry “pebbles” securely in the cheesecloth so when you shake your infusion it won’t come open.
Zest your lime making sure not to zest into the bitter white rind.
Add the lime zest to your infusion jar.
Pour in your simple syrup mixture.
Add your vodka, stir and close your lid securely.
    Store in a cool, dark place for a minimum of one week and up to four weeks, the longer the infusion time, the stronger the cranberry flavor. Gently shake the mixture every day if possible, don’t open the lid, just shake.
AND LATER . . .
The First Filtering Step:
Grab your 3 quart bowl with the pour spout, place your large strainer over it and line the strainer with 2 or 3 layers of cheesecloth.
Open the mason/infusion jar and remove the bag of cranberries. Hold it over the jar to let any precious liqueur drip out then toss it.
Pour the unfiltered cranberry liqueur into your cheesecloth lined strainer but don’t over pour so it flows over the straining set up. You might have to do this in several steps. Empty the strained liqueur into your other glass bowl and cover while you process all the unstrained liquid - if your strainer is sitting in liquid it’s not straining.
Once all your liquid has passed through the first filtering process, pour it all back into your bowl with the spout and you’re ready for the final filtering step.

Second Filtering Step:
This is where that nice bowl with handle and spout will come in very handy.
Place one of your decorative bottles into the roasting pan. (The roasting pan is in case you’re sloppy and miss the funnel – waste not, want not – whatever you spill can then be poured back into the glass bowl again.)
Set your funnel into the decorative bottle’s neck.
Line the funnel with a coffee filter – you can use 2 filters but the drip will be slower.
Slowly pour the liqueur from the bowl into the funnel, stopping well below the top of the coffee filter. You will do this again and again until all the liquid has been filtered again so be patient.
Cover your glass bowl with saran wrap or a lid while you're filtering to keep out debris and stop any evaporation as each fill up filters through. It might look like it's stopped after a few seconds - just walk away and do something else for a bit and it will all filter though. You can then pour some more in. I'll change filters after a couple of fill ups.
Cap off each bottle as it’s filled and go to the next until finished.
This will take some time to filter all 8 cups but you’ll end up with a much clearer end product by this double filtering method.
Let your bottled Cranberry Liqueur rest for another few days. This will deepen the flavor and mellow out the liqueur. The longer you rest, the more mellow your liqueur.

Your homemade Cranberry Liqueur can be enjoyed for several months to a year depending on how often you open the bottle and it can be stored unopened for up to a year but I doubt it’s going to last that long.

I have seen recipes where you can add spices, though I haven’t tried it yet as I generally like to infuse spices at the single cocktail level. This way I’m not as limited in the use of my liqueur.

DON’T SAY I DIDN’T WARN YOU
A Few Helpful Tips

Please start with clean bottles and jars. Wash them and boil them to sterilize.
Use glass or stainless bowls because plastic and aluminum absorb flavors.
Wear old clothes – cranberries stain like a madman.
Yes, you can chop your cranberries with a blender but if it’s a cheap blender you might burn out the motor.
Don’t cut the recipe in half – this is a lot of work and you might as well get as much booze out of it as you can, and you can always give Cranberry Liqueur as a gift!
SHARE THE WEALTH
BYOB – Give the gift of your home made Cranberry Liqueur!    Now you want some recipes to use your Cranberry Liqueur in, right? CRANBERRY COCKTAILS
Updated 11-2018 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

It's Hard To Have Happy Hour Without Your Best Friend

 Pixel, May 2009
WHEN YOU LOSE YOUR WINGMAN It's hard to have happy hour without your best friend.   I must apologize for not posting up new cocktail recipes in the last few weeks. These last few weeks have been difficult for me and, as a rule, I never drink if I'm sad, unhappy or down, I find that a dangerous road to go down. Drinking to make yourself feel better is, at best, a temporary solution and at worst, a step towards dependency. I don't go down that road.

For me having a cocktail is a fun, enjoyable experience, but lately I have not had my heart in happy hour.  Many of you are aware that I lost my little dog, Pixel, shortly after her 17th birthday last month. This loss has left me numb and not willing to face the practice of our evening cocktail ritual without her.  It may seem silly to some, this mourning over "just a pet", but for me her passing over the Rainbow Bridge was a great loss as she was my constant companion, my dearest friend and my happy hour "wingman". She was the "person" I  talked to after a good day, the friend who comforted me on bad days, the one who was there, no matter my mood, no matter my circumstance. At the end of the day there was a cocktail and there was Pixel to make things better.

Pixel, May 2009
Happy hour time was as much hers as it was mine, Pixel loved the moment when I shut down the computer, put down my brushes and headed to the bar. If I worked past the time she considered happy hour should be starting, I got a little paw on my leg and a little doggy grin to remind me to get that cocktail shaker out ... along with some snacks. At the end of our day, out we would go, into the living room or out on the deck, to wind down and have our special play time or just enjoy a sunset and the critters in the desert. Pixel truly loved watching all those critters. She also loved the cocktail snacks, the friends and neighbors, and their dogs who would stop by to share drinks with us. (Pixel was, most definitely, a true social animal.) I'm finding it very hard to have a happy hour without her, I find myself avoiding those moments when her absence is most acute and I am having difficulty gathering the joy I got from creating a new cocktail then enjoying it while Pixel paced the deck, sniffed the air and bounded back for a quick head rub ... and maybe a little bite of my cocktail snacks.

It seems a bit wrong to celebrate the end of the day without her, but I will because life goes on and because I love cocktails almost as much as I love Pixel. So, today, thanks to a little gift and push from Caffe Borghetti, I go out to gather some special ingredients to make a new cocktail for National Espresso Day this coming Monday. I give myself permission to celebrate life again and to toast to living that life to the fullest. Pixel would approve, her spirit will be with me and I will toast to her life and the 17 years of wonderful love and memories she gave me.  

Our last Happy Hour, October 15, 2015  RIP my little wingman.
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All About The HARVEY WALLBANGER

During the 1970's the Harvey Wallbanger was a very popular cocktail, pretty much a staple in most bars. In fact, the drink was so popular in that era that in the 1972 presidential election "Harvey Wallbanger" garnered an impressive number of write in votes for president.

The Story
Legend has it that the Harvey Wallbanger was invented by Donato "Duke" Antone for a regular customer, Harvey, who had just lost a surfing competition and needed consolation. The story goes that Harvey consoled himself so much that he was banging into walls by the end of the evening. The nickname he was given "Harvey the Wallbanger" stuck not only to him but to the cocktail that caused the trouble. True or not, it's a fun story and one to regale your drinking buddies with when the conversation lulls.

The Recipe
Whatever it's origins, the Harvey Wallbanger is an official I.B.A. cocktail and the classic recipe is 3 parts vodka, 6 parts orange juice and 1 part Galliano and it's typically served on the rocks in a highball glass with a garnish of an orange slice and a Maraschino cherry.

If you've happened upon this cocktail on November 8th,
Happy National Harvey Wallbanger Day!

Cheers and try to avoid walls.

Updated 11-2017
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PUMPKIN BOURBON COCKTAIL RECIPE

It's that time of year again, pumpkin is popping up all around us and I have yet to do a pumpkin cocktail with bourbon! Bourbon is such a perfect fall spirit that I can't think why I haven't already combined it with the quintessential fall flavor of pumpkin. I'm correcting that omission right now.
I couldn't resist creating a cocktail foam for this one. It's kind of like topping your pumpkin cocktail with a pumpkin cocktail meringue. Just a touch of that maple bourbon was perfect accent in this cocktail, it really blended nicely with my Homemade Pumpkin Pie Syrup.
I also couldn't resist using Wild Turkey, because, you know, turkey and fall go together and the 101 brought some lovely vanilla notes to this drink. BUT be warned, that 101 stands for the proof, this cocktail packs a punch!
Happy pumpkin sipping!
The PUMPKIN BOURBON COCKTAIL
INGREDIENTS: 1-1/2 Oz. Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon 1/2 Oz. Maple Bourbon 3 Tablespoons Pumpkin Pie Syrup 1/4 Oz. Fresh Lemon Juice 1 Dash Fee Brothers Walnut Bitters Ice
GARNISH: Maple Bourbon Foam, Square of Sugared Pie Crust, Pumpkin Candy
TOOLS: Blender, Cocktail Shaker, Strainer
GLASS: Old Fashioned
DIRECTIONS: Chill your glass. Make your Maple Bourbon Foam and set aside temporarily. Fill your cocktail shaker with ice then add your cocktail ingredients and shake until chilled. Strain into your chilled glass. Spoon on the Maple Bourbon Foam, lay the pie crust on top, place the pumpkin candy on the crust and serve.
VOICEOVER VIDEO WITH INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:

MAPLE BOURBON FOAM 3 Oz. Pasteurized Egg Whites 1/2 of Maple Bourbon 2 Dashes Fee Brothers Walnut Bitters
Add the ingredients for the foam to your blender and whip on high until the volume triples in size. Top off your cocktail!
Perfect nip for a nippy night.

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THE EMPTY BOWLS, Dedicated to Pixel

In loving memory of PIXEL The Cutest Yorkipoo Ever to Turn a Trick for a Treat. October 17, 1998 - October 23, 2015
THE EMPTY BOWLS Dedicated to my sweet Pixel
I loved your nose, I loved your toes, I loved you from tip to tail. When I came home, all alone? At the window you waited without fail.
Your happy face, that furry embrace, cheered me all the time. Always at my side you were my pride, my reason and my rhyme.
From tiny pup, who rode in the cup of my bra when you were small, to faithful friend who was at my side, my partner, through it all.
Now your toys lay still, not a squeak or a pip, no patter of nails on the floors to click, no sweet little tail wagging just for me. Your bowls are empty, your bed is too, and my heart is broken through.
With every kiss or high five, each command I decreed, your willingness thrived to every obedient deed and your trust and faith shone through. You gave without greed, you cared without price, and I knew in my heart no one loved me as much as you.
You were my love, my heart, my child, my faithful family. There won't be a day without thinking of you. But you will live on in all that I do from now to Eternity.
Rest in peace, my beloved girl.

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