Ina Garten's Classic Daiquiris

Sometimes summer nights call for a refreshing cocktail.

A simple syrup, some lime juice, and some rum and you are all set to go.

Fill your cocktail shaker three fourths of the way with ice and shake, shake, shake.

You have a refreshing and delicious cocktail that will really cool you down and help you relax!

 Classic Daiquiris

Adapted from Food Network

by Ina Garten

Makes 6 cocktails

1 cup sugar

1-1/3 cups freshly squeezed lime juice 

1-1/3 cups dark rum

very thin round slices of lime, for serving

Combine the sugar with 1 cup water in a small saucepan, and heat until the sugar dissolves completely. Set aside to cool or refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

When ready to make the cocktails, combine the lime juice, 1 cup of the sugar syrup, and the rum in a pitcher. Fill 6 cocktail glasses with ice and pour the mixture over the ice. Garnish each cocktail with a slice of lime and serve ice cold.

 

 

 

 

 

Summer Nights @ IHCC

 

The Notorious Hot Buttered Rum {{It's Cocktail:30 #2}}

 

Have you ever drank butter? I haven't. Until today! 

I've always wanted to try the notorious Hot Buttered Rum. It just seems like THE ULTIMATE winter cocktail, both nowadays and way back when. If a drink has that much notoriety then it just has to be good.

I start with some Carta Negra rum, otherwise known as black rum. Black rum is aged in barrels, is darker in color, and some say has deeper, richer flavor. 

Then you need some butter. Yes, you are going to drink butter. Just get over it and try not to think about it. People have been doing it for hundreds of years.

Now, I did some research and there are a couple different methods for making a Hot Buttered Rum. Some melt the butter in a pan with the spices, then add the rum and the water. Others make a butter mixture, place the butter in the bottom of the glass or mug, heat the rum and water in a pan and simply pour it over the butter. I did the latter option, but I really don't see it making a difference in the end. The butter will melt either way. 

Most recipes flavor the butter with sugar or honey, cinnamon, cloves, and sometimes vanilla. I think this is something you can really make your own. Once I saw the addition of vanilla there was simply no turning back. I had to have the vanilla.

 

I began with about a tablespoon of room temperature butter in a small bowl. I have to admit I was a little queasy thinking about drinking that tablespoon of butter in a drink, but I was committed. I added a pinch of cinnamon, a teaspoon and a half of brown sugar, and some vanilla bean paste to taste. I mixed it up and added it to the bottom of my glass toddy mug. Then I added about 1 cup of water and 1.5 ounces of black rum to a pan and heated it up until it was close to boiling. I poured the rum and water mixture over the butter, stirring with a spoon, and garnished with a cinnamon stick.

I have to admit that at first I wasn't sure, mostly because the rum was very strong. However, I am a total lightweight and pretty soon I started to feel my cheeks heat up and a rather pleasant calm settle over me. I have to admit to really loving this drink. If you're a lightweight like me, one will do!

Just like the Hot Toddy, the Hot Buttered Rum is like a giant hug, warming you up from the inside out. I'm not lying, these types of drinks will really warm a girl up!

I see many Hot Buttered Rums in my future! 

I'm going to give this 4.5/5! I think if I play around with it enough I can get it to a 5/5!

 

 

Hot Buttered Rum

Adapted from jamieoliver.com

by Jamie Oliver

Serves 1

1.5-2 ounces black rum

1-1/2 teaspoons brown sugar

3 cloves, (optional)*

small knob of butter

pinch of cinnamon, or to taste

vanilla, to taste

cinnamon stick, to garnish

freshly grated nutmeg, to garnish

Note: I chose option#2 below.

Option#1: Over a low heat, melt the butter in a pan with the sugar and spices. Turn off the heat and add the rum and stir well. Pour the contents through a sieve into a mug or toddy glass and top with hot water, to taste. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and grated nutmeg.

Option#2: Mix up the butter, brown sugar, cloves, cinnamon, and vanilla in a small bowl. Using a spoon, gather up the butter and place into the bottom of a mug or toddy glass. Heat the rum and the water (I used 1.5 - 2 ounces rum to 1 cup water). Heat the rum/water to the desired temperature and pour over the butter, into the mug, stirring to combine. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and grated nutmeg.

Naughty and Nice Cinnamon Bourbon Hot Toddy {{It's Cocktail:30 #1}}

  

I've decided my goal is to make the naughty list for once. I'm burnt out on being nice. It's no fun! So, for the next 8 weeks (and maybe even after), I'm making NOTHING BUT COCKTAILS! 

Over at I Heart Cooking Clubs, we are sharing ingredients that we are thankful for this week and I AM THANKFUL FOR ALCOHOL! Woohoo! Yes, I said it. This year is worse than last year and I have been weighed down with stress and anxiety lately. A well-mixed cocktail is just the thing to help you relax and unwind at the end of a trying day.

I have always wanted to learn the art of bartending, so I'm going to be researching cocktails and experimenting for the next several weeks. At the same time, my son's sports schedule has us traveling every weekend so that there is zero time for cooking and blogging all day. So, welcome to Cocktail:30 for the next 8 weeks! 

What do I mean by Cocktail:30? I just mean it's time for a drink! What are we making for our first Cocktail:30 recipe? Well, a Hot Toddy, of course! Now, I DO NOT enjoy Christmas. I don't enjoy all the money, time, and stress. I think it has become completely out-of-hand! Also, I'm a total introvert so I don't enjoy all the parties, concerts, potlucks, or secret santas.

 

I'm being a touch sarcastic with that mug. I am already knee-deep in wrapping paper and bubble wrap, wrapping and packaging gifts that need to be mailed now so they arrive in time. I need something to help warm me up and relax a little.

Now, I've never made a Hot Toddy before and I've never had one either! I research Hot Toddy recipes and see that it's basically a quick tea made with water, cinnamon/spices, and some kind of honey/sugar, and citrus. Then you simply add the hot water to bourbon or whisky and....you have a Hot Toddy!

I chose Tieghan Gerard's Naughty and Nice Cinnamon Hot Toddy from her Half-Baked Harvest blog. I boil the water, the cinnamon, the citrus, and the honey. I could literally drink that on its own without the bourbon, but I add an ounce and a half of the Maker's and whew...it was pretty stout! 

I had to add a touch more honey and squeeze some more citrus into it before it was palatable for me. I think everyone will take their Hot Toddy a different way. You definitely have to customize it to your tastes. I can't say it's my favorite drink, but I would definitely drink it if I was feeling under the weather because everyone says a Hot Toddy does wonders if you're sick. I can see how it would do just the trick if you were suffering with a cold or flu. It really does warm you from the inside out.

I'd give it a 3 out of 5 rating.

Cheers!

Naughty and Nice Cinnamon Bourbon Hot Toddy 

Adapted from Half-Baked Harvest

by Tieghan Gerard

Serves 1

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon honey

1 small cinnamon stick, plus more for serving

1 orange slice, plus more for serving

1-2 ounces bourbon, depending on your taste

2 teaspoons lemon juice

In a small saucepan, bring the water, honey, cinnamon, and orange slice(s) to a boil. Boil 2 minutes, remove from the heat, and let sit 5 minutes. Stir in the bourbon and lemon juice.

Pour the toddy into a glass. Garnish with an orange slice and cinnamon stick. Enjoy!

I Am Thankful For....@ IHCC

My Top Ten Ina Garten Favorites {Plus an Honorable Mention}

It's hard to make a list of Ina Garten Favorites. In fact, it's fair to say that EVERY  Ina dish is a favorite. She is known for her time-tested foolproof recipes, and truly they are. I have loved every Ina recipe I've ever made, except for one, which was the result of a mistake I made.

We spent a delicious six months cooking Ina's recipes over at I Heart Cooking Clubs, but I was cooking with Ina long before that. Some of these favorites I shared recently, while others I shared years ago. If you'd like the recipe, please click on the recipe title to be directed back to the original post.

Basil Potato Puree

 This is my number one favorite Ina recipe! Not only is this a fun and unique take on mashed potatoes, but it was something that my Mom loved. She always grew her own basil and one year we had more basil than we knew what to do with, so I tried this recipe. At first, she thought I was silly making green mashed potatoes, but once she had a bite she fell in love. My mom talked about these potatoes a lot saying things like "these are so special" and "this is the freshest potatoes have ever had it."  We truly loved them and I think you will too!

Chocolate Chunk Blondies

I love to eat cookies, but I don't love the process of scooping them onto the cookie sheet and baking sheet after sheet, allowing them to cool, and trying to store them. I much prefer a bar cookie because you can just put all the dough in a baking pan, remove it, allow to cool, slice, and store right in the pan. How's that for lazy? I also prefer my cookies to be chewy and a cookie bar is a sure bet for chewiness because of the thickness. Ina's recipe for Chocolate Chunk Blondies a pound of chocolate, so this is definitely one for the chocolate lovers! Make these next time you don't have all afternoon to stand by your stove!

Butternut Squash and Ricotta Bruschetta

I made this recipe because I was curious about the combination of butternut squash with cheese on bruschetta. I think this recipe takes the award for completely blowing my mind! I wasn't sure what to expect with this dish, but I was absolutely blown away by the combination of flavors and textures. This is a mind-blowing, delicious, must-make dish! You won't be sorry!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'll keep this brief because these cookies pretty much speak for themselves. A fluffy peanut butter cookie base with loads of chocolate chips running throughout? Sign me up!

 Panko-Crusted Salmon

This is another dish with special meaning. I made this Panko-Crusted Salmon seven years ago for my Mom on Mother's Day. Mom and I used to have frequent conversations about how much we loved fish and seafood and how completely tired we were of anything meat-related. So, for Mother's Day in 2011, I cooked up this Panko-Crusted Salmon. It was the first time Mom had panko on anything and she instantly fell in love with the crispy and crunchy texture. I could rarely get Mom onboard with any specialty or newfangled ingredients, but she did have a have a lasting love affair with panko. We both loved this dish and got on a jag with it, making it often when my meat-loving husband was out of town for work.

Crusty Baked Shells & Cauliflower

This recipe caught my attention because it was different. I really enjoyed this baked pasta dish with three different kinds of cheese, cauliflower, capers, and crunchy panko topping. It was definitely up there on my list of Ina Garten faves!

Herb-Baked Eggs

I love egg dishes and this one is not only easy but perfect for entertaining. I love that you can customize the eggs to include different veggies and cheeses. I see this as a classic go-to recipe!

Baked Shrimp Scampi

 I lightened up Ina's original recipe considerably and this was still an outstanding dish! You really can't go wrong with shrimp, butter, garlic, lemon, and breadcrumbs. This is a delicious and satisfying meal for anyone, especially if you are eating healthy and looking for something indulgent!

Engagement Roast Chicken

The very best roast chicken. There are no other words!

Tri-Berry Oven Pancake

These Tri-Berry Oven Pancakes are so pretty and colorful! Kids love the way they puff up in the oven and they love the idea of topping their individual pancake with whatever goodies they chose! Who doesn't?

Lemon Drop Cocktail

This Lemon Drop Cocktail earns an Honorable Mention because it is one of those easy things you can keep on hand for when you need, or want, a quick cocktail in a hurry. A quick squeeze of lemon, a touch of sugar, and some vodka and you're set.  This is a cocktail worth having up your sleeve! 

Theme: IHCC March Potluck and Goodbye Ina!

Lemon Drop Cocktail

From time to time I like to enjoy a little cocktail. Usually, I'll pour one of three things: Prosecco, Champagne, or Pinot Grigio. It's also likely there's some fruit involved: usually peaches, but sometimes strawberries or raspberries, lemon, orange, and on occasion, pomegranate seeds. I love the color the fruit adds, and let's face it, the fruit is a special treat after it's soaked up a bit of the alcohol.

This past fall I discovered a delicious little sipper. An Apple Cider Mimosa. It is the perfect fall drink: crisp, fresh, and sweet. It's so simple! Simply pour the desired amount of apple cider in the bottom of a champagne glass and top with either Prosecco or Champagne. Enjoy! The amount of apple cider is totally up to you and let me tell you....there is no way you can mess it up! It's an amazing drink. Perfect for ladies parties and brunches.

The store is no longer selling apple cider and the mills have closed, so I've been looking for a new go to drink. Of course, I wanted this drink to be something every bit as simple as my beloved Apple Cider Mimosa; but also, something that could be made with ingredients I typically have on hand. Ina's Lemon Drop Cocktail fits the bill perfectly. Three basic ingredients: vodka, lemon, and sugar. Easy enough, right? A pour of vodka, a quick squeeze of lemon, a dusting of sugar, a quick shake and you're ready to pour yourself a tasty glass of relaxation!

Now, full disclosure, this Lemon Drop Cocktail is way more potent than a glass of champagne! Most martinis are on the strong side, and after a few sips, this goes down fairly easy I enjoyed mine with a slice of lemon, orange, and a sprig of basil. The pretty colors on a cold winter day help to cheer me up!

Whether you're hosting a party, or simply unwinding from holiday chaos, this Lemon Drop Cocktail is a tasty and delightful way to relax.

Lemon Drop Cocktail

Adapted from Food Network

by Ina Garten

Serves 6

2 cups frozen vodka

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 superfine sugar

thinly sliced lemon slices, for garnish

herbs, for garnish

Combine the vodka, lemon juice, and sugar and pour into a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour into martini glasses and garnish with lemon slices.  

It's 5 o'clock Somewhere!