Category Archives: Beverages

This is the category for all beverage specific recipes

Burnt Chocolate Orange

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I lived in a hotel for about 18 months during the week and decided to create my own nightcap.  Careful, you don’t want to drink too many.  It is quite sweet but equally potent

Yield: makes 1 nightcap
PREP: About 5 minutes
Ingredients:
  • 1 part Orange liqueur (Gran Marnier)
  • 1 part Hazelnut liqueur (Frangelico) Only because I don’t have a chocolate liqueur on hand
  • 1 part coffee liqueur (I use Kahlua or Tia Maria depending on what you have on hand)
  • Ice
Preparation:
  1. Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice
  2. shake the contents vigorously
  3. Strain into a rocks glass, add ice, put your feet up and say goodnight

 

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Buddy’s Summer Cocktail

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I made this recipe for Zoey as a refreshing summer cocktail to try something new and it was a hit.  It’s kind of like a caipiroska but with tonic rather than soda water.  Now I have made this as a batch for family and friends and I have to admit that one person that tried it didn’t like it (I didn’t think to ask if they like quinine, oops)

Yield: makes 1 cocktail (double, triple, pitcher to your fill…)
PREP: About 5 minutes
Ingredients:
  • 1 shot 2:1 sugar syrup
  • 2 shots vodka
  • 15 mint leaves
  • 1/2 lime chopped in half
  • Tonic water to taste (I suggest about 4 shots worth)
  • Ice
Preparation:
  1. Add all ingredients but the tonic and ice to a container you can put a lid on
  2. muddle the contents completely making sure you’ve squeezed the lime completely and broken a fair amount of the mint into little pieces
  3. add ice, place the lid on and shake vigorously for about 30 seconds (this breaks the ice into some shavings and makes the drink extra cold)
  4. pour into Collins glass (bits and all), top off with tonic and garnish with a mint sprig

 

Pitchers are easy as soon as you understand the quantities required and you will need them depending on the weather as they glide down.  This recipe is a heavy pour for one and you can reduce the quantities if you need to (but why?).  Recently I did 3 shots of sugar syrup and 5 shots of vodka for two drinks (Zoey doesn’t like it too sweet but I had to add more sugar syrup for our guest).  I change the mint quantity and limes depending on their quality and freshness

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Sugar Syrup

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You can buy sugar syrup but why when it is so easy? Also, adding infusions just takes it up a notch!  I always keep a squeeze bottle in the fridge, works great for cocktails, lemonade and iced tea (just be careful with the infusions)

Ingredients:
  • 2 parts sugar
  • 1 part water

Infusions (optional)

  • Ginger
  • Mint
  • Cinnamon
  • Chillies
Preparation:
  1. put two parts sugar in a pot
  2. add one part water (and infusions if wanted)
  3. bring to a light boil stirring constantly
  4. let cool completely and strain optional infusions if necessary

This will keep for several weeks to a month in the fridge so I use 250ml water and 500g sugar to make my batches

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4 Easy Ways to Make Your Own Half-and-Half Substitute

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Half and Half isn’t available in the UK and sometimes there is a call to make some…

From: TIPS FROM THE KITCHN

I always have milk in the refrigerator, and more often than not, I also have cream in the fridge or freezer. But half-and-half? Never. Since I don’t drink coffee on a regular basis, I grudgingly buy half-and-half when a recipe calls for it — usually quiche or ice cream, which I only make once or twice a year.
But what if I told you that you can make a half-and-half substitute out of dairy you probably already have at home? Here are four easy ways to make your own half-and-half substitute.

What Is Half-and-Half?
Half-and-half is a blend of equal parts whole milk and light cream, and it has a 10 to 12% fat content. While it can’t be whipped, it adds richness without being as heavy as cream on its own.

4 Ways to Make Your Own Half-and-Half Substitute

There are four ways to achieve approximately the same fat content as half-and-half by blending milk, butter, light cream, or heavy cream together in various combinations. To achieve one cup of half-and-half substitute:
1. Mix 1/2 cup whole milk + 1/2 cup light cream.

  • Tasting notes: This is the actual formula for regular half-and-half, so I didn’t do a taste test here since I assume the result is identical. (I also had a hard time finding light cream.)
  • Good in coffee? Yes
  • Good for cooking? Yes

2. Mix 3/4 cup whole milk + 1/4 cup heavy cream.

  • Tasting notes: I found this combination very creamy and heavier in flavor than half-in-half.
  • Good in coffee? Yes, but it would definitely add even more richness than half-and-half.
  • Good for cooking? Yes, and I’m guessing the finished product will be even richer tasting than if half-and-half is used.

3. Mix 2/3 cup skim or low-fat milk + 1/3 cup heavy cream.

  • Tasting notes: This one tasted the closest to regular half-and-half, which is great since I usually have skim or low-fat milk in the fridge! This was my favorite substitution.
  • Good in coffee? Yes
  • Good for cooking? Yes

4. Place 4 teaspoons melted unsalted butter in a measuring cup, then add enough whole milk to equal 1 cup.
This last combination was the oddest. When I added the milk to the butter, the cold temperature of the milk instantly hardened the butter into large chunks. I was able to whisk most of butter back into the milk, but it never really integrated in. I proceeded to microwave it just to get the butter melted again, and it floated on top.

  • Tasting notes: In terms of taste, this wasn’t my favorite since, not surprisingly, it had a distinct butter flavor that was layered over the milk.
  • Good in coffee? No, unless you already like butter in your coffee.
  • Good for cooking? I would definitely not use this in ice cream, but it might be fine for baking in a pinch. This would be my last choice out of all the substitutes.

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