Holidays Archives | Page 7 of 11

Woven Shrimp for Number 33

October 20, 2011

I turned 33 last week. And I emphasize the word week because the celebrations lasted roughly 7 days. Around here we believe that celebrating just one day simply isn’t enough.

In honor of the big day, there was one specific meal I wanted. Nothing else would do.

That meal was Woven Shrimp from Azur Restaurant and Patio in Lexington, KY.

If you find yourself in Lexington you should find yourself a seat at Azur, but don’t look for it downtown. Azur is actually located in a strip mall on the southwest side of the city. But don’t let the description of the location fool you. This modern establishment which serves lots of local products such as Kentucky beef and Kentucky seafood from our up and coming aquaculture farms, also boasts an inviting patio area.

So back to that Woven Shrimp. Actually let’s go back to the first course because those were equally exciting.

We opted for a Saturday lunch and settled in on the patio with jackets and the space heaters going (it was just too beautiful not to sit outside) and ordered a Kentucky Ale.

Next up for me, well, us, were Truffle Fries. These are one of life’s simple pleasures. No French Frie tastes the same after you’ve had one graced by the presence of truffle oil.

My husband ordered his favorite, Lobster Crepes. Crepes with a creamy lobster-based filling set on top of guava sauce and garnished with microgreens. Sweet, salty, rich – this is the crepe of all crepes.

We enjoyed our starters to their fullest extent and some a bit longer. We had to keep fries on the table and nibbled throughout our meal. You don’t just give Truffle Fries back to the waitress. You finish them even if you are full. I mean, it’s truffle oil!

Now on to the main course which for my husband was actually a starter. He was sold on the Fried Calamari which came topped with sautéed peppers, onions and Napa cabbage. This was a bowl of perfection. The calamari was light and tender. It almost melted in your mouth.

Now for this woven shrimp. To get you thinking in the right direction, consider coconut shrimp with three times the flavor and ten times the creativity.

Woven shrimp is jumbo shrimp covered with shredded filo and fried until crispy. Good, but it gets even better. It is set on top of risotto. Creamy coconut risotto with edamame and corn. Then it’s topped with a chili sauce.

It’s brilliant, classic and a bit breathtaking all at the same time. Hands down my favorite dish at a restaurant.

So remember, Azur, Lexington, Woven Shrimp.

Birthdays aren’t complete without dessert. My mom is a fabulous cake decorator and has owned a shop for years, so growing up I was never without a beautiful birthday cake. Now that I’m all grown up, I usually still get one, but it’s when we are able to get together near my birthday, not always on it.

So I usually have a substitute the day of and this year my husband went to Twisted Sifter, a nearby bakery whom I also mentioned in my post about Danville, Kentucky. On a side note, I might have mentioned rather strongly that I wanted a cake from there.

Inside this beautiful cake was the seasonal flavor, pumpkin pecan with a cream cheese filling covered in buttercream frosting. We kept saying we would freeze part of it, but then we made an excuse everyday as to why we needed another piece. Needless to say, we’ll just have to order another when we get a craving because none made it past my birthday week!

Thirty-two was a big year for me. We got a new pug, I published my first book, I ran my 2nd half marathon and we visited a few new places. All of that has me more than ready to face 33 and excited to find out what’s in store!

Pumpkin Blondies

September 28, 2011

These pumpkin blondies make a great dessert alternative to classic pumpkin pie! This recipe takes an old favorite and makes it wholesome and seasonal with whole grain flour, raw sugars, pumpkin puree, dark chocolate and walnuts.

I’m not quite sure when my pumpkin obsession started. Growing up my grandmother’s pumpkin pie recipe was always my favorite and I loved the pumpkin muffins my mom made. However, that is where my pumpkin experiences ended.

As far as the cheery winter squash goes, that was the extent of my using it. Not only that, but it was also restricted to a specific time of year, October through November.

My pumpkin like turned to pumpkin love when we moved to Brazil. I honestly had no idea that other cultures were so good at using pumpkin until I began seeing all the different varieties at the farmer’s markets and the creative dishes on menus and buffets.

The pumpkins there were nothing like our standard Jack O’ Lantern and pie pumpkins in Kentucky. Some were dark green with deep ridges; others were bright orange, flat and round. There was candied pumpkin, pumpkin in pastas and roasted pumpkin topped with Gorgonzola as a side dish.

Fortunately, this year I’m starting to see some variation in pumpkin varieties in our area and I love it. To add to that, pumpkin is popping up in unexpected places, especially in my kitchen.

Now, I’m not breaking any pumpkin records with this recipe. It’s a sweet dessert made in autumn, yes. Pretty standard; but worth posting if you need an idea for something besides a quick bread or muffin.

I wish these had turned out a little chewier like traditional blondies, but I have yet to make a pumpkin baked good that doesn’t turn out a bit cakey. So call them, cake, bars or blondies, but whatever the name, call them good.

Pumpkin Blondies

Ingredients

1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
½ cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup mascavo or muscovado sugar
¼ cup Demerara or raw sugar
½ cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup dark chocolate chips
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped

Prep

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter then allow it to boil, stirring constantly, until it is light golden brown. About 4 minutes. Stir in both sugars. Stir well to combine. Set aside and let cool until barely warm.

Stir the egg into the sugar and butter. Mix well. Stir in the vanilla. Add the pumpkin puree. Slowly add in the flour mixture, stir just until combined. Add the chocolate chips and walnuts and stir to incorporate.

Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool and cut into bars. Makes 16 small bars.

Recipe adapted from Butterscotch Brownies or Blondies from Joy of Cooking

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Autumn Recipes

September 23, 2011

It’s the first day of autumn and I couldn’t be more thrilled! It is my absolute favorite season. When we were living in Brazil it was the thing I missed most. I learned to cherish the 2-3 weeks in June (winter there) when it was cool and rainy, so much like fall in Indiana and Kentucky.

It was a great summer, but I am so happy to leap into apples, pumpkins, sweaters and boots as if it were a pile of autumn leaves. My kitchen time has been scarce and what I have been making has been old standards and not very exciting, but I’m hoping that is soon to change and just in time for fall food!

We closed out summer with grilling some pastured chicken. The grill certainly won’t be put away for the winter, but I thought it an appropriate gesture.

To prepare for the season I’ve had my sights set on pumpkins and other winter squashes. I love this little pie pumpkin I got this week. Doesn’t it look like a butternut squash in a pumpkin body? I can’t wait to cook with it. My shopping trip today filled my kitchen with kale and Brussels sprouts, my two favorite fall veggies.

This weekend will be filled with seasonal activities. A trail run in the morning followed by tailgating and football. So I thought I’d take this opportunity to share some of my favorite fall-inspired foods from the archives.

Happy Autumn!

Bourbon Sweet Potato Waffles with Maple Cinnamon Butter

Honey Pecan Baked Brie

Wild Mushroom Mac and Cheese

Gingered Pear Quinoa with Walnuts

Bacon and Brussels Sprouts Pasta with Parmesan

Spiced Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Native American Cooking Hidatsa Stuffed Sugar Pumpkin

September 18, 2011

Hidatsa Stuffed Sugar Pumpkin Recipe | Fake Food Free

Other than a fondness for fry bread, I must admit that I know little to nothing about Native American cuisine or cooking styles.

However, autumn is the time of year when what little I do know about this cuisine does come to mind. In autumn we tend to think of those orange and brown tones to our foods and earthy flavors much of which encompasses the heart of Native American cooking.A few days ago I was notified of the anniversary release of two cookbooks, one of which was Spirit of the Harvest: North American Indian Cooking by Beverly Cox and Martin Jacobs. The book, a James Beard and IACP award winner, is overflowing with authentic Native American recipes from tribes throughout North America including the Cherokee, Navajo and Sioux.

Once I began reading, I knew my knowledge of this cuisine was about to change.

My favorite part of the book, aside from the wonderful recipes, is page 10. This page opens up into a map of the US. On this map are icons which represent foods traditionally used in different areas such as blue corn, buffalo, hazelnuts, deer, persimmons and sweet potatoes. While now it may be more evident in types of barbeque, the diversity of foods prepared across the US was as apparent then as it is today.

Similarly the recipes are separated into different regions and tribes throughout the book. Some of the recipes you’ll find include Iroquois Leaf Bread, Hopi Venison Stew, Honey-Ginger Baked Beets and Papago Cactus Salad.

I wanted to go with something unique that I’d never tried before which, to be honest, wasn’t difficult. Almost every recipe in the book was new to me.

I settled on the impressive, yet surprisingly simple, Hidatsa Stuffed Sugar Pumpkin from the Great Plains region. Aside from scraping out a bit of pumpkin, nothing about this recipe is difficult, nor are the ingredients hard to come by. Yet, it is delicious and upon seeing it, no one will doubt your skills in the kitchen again.

The sage, the pumpkin, the hearty meat – all of it is perfect for autumn. Considering the presentation, I wouldn’t hesitate to also set it on the holiday table.

Hidatsa Stuffed Sugar Pumpkin
Reprinted with permission from Abrams Books

1, 4 to 5 pound sugar pumpkin
2 tsp salt
½ tsp dry mustard
1 to 2 tbsp vegetable oil or rendered fat
1 pound ground venison, buffalo or beef
1 medium onion or 4 green onions, chopped
1 cup wild rice, cooked
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp crushed dried sage
¼ tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the top from pumpkin and remove seeds and strings. Prick cavity with a fork and rub with 1 teaspoon of salt and the mustard.
Heat oil in a large skillet. Add meat and onion and sauté over medium-high heat until browned. Off the heat, and stir in wild rice, eggs, remaining salt, sage, and pepper. Stuff pumpkin with this mixture.

Place ½ inch of water in the bottom of a shallow baking pan. Put the pumpkin in the pan and bake for 1 ½ hour, or until tender. Add more water to the pan as necessary to avoid sticking. Cut pumpkin into wedges, giving each person both pumpkin and stuffing. (Or you can scoop out the stuffing with a bit of pumpkin which is what I did.) Serves 6.

As I mentioned, there were two books re-released so I don’t want to pass on sharing the second with you. That’s because it happens to be the ideal gift book for any creative food lover. The Secrets of Pistoulet by Jana Kolpen tells the story of a French farmhouse and was first published in 1996. When I started flipping through it, I thought – this would make the cutest gift. Then I read a bit more about it, The recipes are designed as little pull-out cards and written in paragraph form with very flexible directions. There’s Potage of Vision, Potage of Heart and Potage of Strength. It’s like a recipe book and an inspirational note all in one.

Disclosure: A review copy of these cookbooks was sent to me free of charge. I was under no obligation to blog about them and received no compensation for doing so.

Irish Soda Bread with Pistachio Vanilla Butter

March 14, 2011

This pistachio vanilla butter makes a quick and easy spread for a favorite St. Patrick’s Day staple, Irish Soda Bread!

I’m finally back in the kitchen! After travel with family to Hilton Head Island last week and then a trip to Charleston, SC for work I’m settling back into shopping and meal planning this week. I’ll recap the food portion of my trip later, but right now I’m happy to say I made it back to the kitchen just in time for St. Paddy’s Day.

Last year, I let the holiday slip by without a celebratory food in sight. I must admit I didn’t go over the top this year with a full meal, but I guess I do still have a few days left.

Pistachio Vanilla Butter for Irish Soda Bread | Fake Food Free | An easy spread for a St. Patrick's Day staple.

While Irish Soda Bread may be the St. Patrick’s go-to for many, this is the very first time I have baked it. To add to the Irish flavor, I made sure I got the recipe from one of my favorite Irish chefs, Rachel Allen. We are headed to Ireland this summer and I already have space and weight set aside to stock up on several of her cookbooks.

So I tried my hand at her Irish Soda Bread and it was a hit! Crusty and chewy on the outside and soft on the inside. I guess it would be difficult to mess up so few ingredients, but given my baking history I can never be too sure. I used unbleached all-purpose flour for this one and substituted Demerara sugar. I also added some raisins for color and sweetness.

Once I had the bread, I felt the need to spread on something green. Pistachios were the first thing that came to mind. I chopped them up, added them to some butter and added just a drizzle of pure vanilla. The nutty vanilla flavor goes so well with the slightly sweet raisins in the bread. Not to mention, the finished product is flecked with festive pieces of green.

The White Soda Bread recipe can be found on Rachel Allen’s website. The quick and easy butter is below.

Pistachio Vanilla Butter

Makes: 1/4 cup

Ingredients

½ stick unsalted butter
25 to 30 shelled, salted pistachios, finely chopped
1/8 tsp pure vanilla extract.

Prep

Place all the ingredients in a small food processor and pulse until the butter is softened and everything is combined. If you’d like the butter slightly sweet you can add a teaspoon of honey or confectioner’s sugar to the butter before mixing.

This post has been submitted to the St. Paddy’s Day Food Parade at The Daily Spud.

New Growth in 2011

January 1, 2011

One really wouldn’t be able to tell how excited and motivated I feel about 2011 by looking at me today. With holiday time off from work it has been permanent jammie mode around here. But that doesn’t mean I’ve been unproductive. Jammies just happen to be the preferred clothing for productivity, or so it seems.

We’ve cleaned out our back bedroom which has been sitting full of boxes since we moved into our house last February. It is now a place where I can take pictures, and should we have more than two guests, he or she can actually sleep in there without fear that a giant spider may climb out of a box and swallow them alive. Kentucky spiders are huge, by the way.

We took advantage of the warm weather and took down all of the Christmas decorations, organizing our storage tubs and storage space in the process. I even went through my piles of magazine recipes, categorized them and created a binder.

I know. We’re really on top of our game around here.

So even though I look like a lazy bum today, I’m feeling rather organized and inspired to start off this new year. Of course we can set goals any time, but there is just something about the beginning of a new calendar year that makes things seem fresh, new and motivating. And I have to admit that starting it on the day 1.11.11 makes it that much more interesting.

2010 was a good year even though there were times I felt as though I was simply sitting and watching it pass me by. That has a lot to do with readjusting to the US. This was our first full year back in the States and the adjustment was much more exhausting and emotional than I thought it would be.

Despite that, we got our house. I ran my first half marathon and authored my first book which will publish this March. I gardened, learned how to can and began a new job in September. In December, we topped off our year by rescuing a new pug, Dixie. She and Macy Mae are slowly, but surely becoming best buds.

In 2009, I really rocked my resolutions (or goals, whatever you prefer to call them.). However, in 2010 I barely remember what I set out to do. Life seemed to take over and I went with the flow. In 2011, I’m ready to get back on track so that this time next year I can check off all that I had hoped to accomplish.

It feels like a year of new growth to me, and in honor of it I’m doing a little growing of my own in our back room which is now clean and spacious. This summer I bought two dwarf Meyer Lemon trees that are doing quite well. Now they have their own private space in the sunshine. Hopefully in a couple years, I’ll have some lemons to show for my efforts.

My brother gave us a small AeroGarden as a house warming gift this past spring. Since it was just about garden time when we got it, I decided not to take advantage of it until winter. Now I’ve got basil, chives and thyme that I hope will sprout any day now.

With all the growing going on in our back room, I think I need to plan for a little growing myself this year. My main priority when it comes to blogging this year will be less stress. I got really concerned, and honestly, stressed out when I started my job back in September. I had less time to cook exciting food and when I did, I had no light to take photographs. When our weekends were busy with races or travel, I couldn’t even catch up with posts then. I had trouble keeping up with my own blog, and those I once loved to read on a daily basis.

This year I’m not going to let it get to me so much. If I have a busy week, there may not be a post, but some other weeks there may be 4 or 5. I’m finding that I need to relax the pressures I put on myself so that I can continue to enjoy my favorite hobby.

In addition to that, here are a few other things I plan to do in 2011. How about you? Care to share your goals for the New Year?

If 2010 was the year of running, 2011 will be the year of yoga. I plan to do yoga at least once per week, preferably more, and deepen my knowledge.

But I won’t be giving up running. In 2011, my goal is to run at least two half marathons.

Weight lifting is one thing that has fallen to the wayside when it comes to my fitness program. I will be incorporating a lot more of that this year as well.

I will focus more on ethnic cooking. I’ve tried to do this in the past, but seem to constantly fall back on the standards. I really want to challenge myself with Indian, German and Thai cooking from finding the ingredients to perfecting my results.

In addition, I will focus on utilizing all the great cookbooks I have. In 2010, I tried to make a lot of recipes from other food bloggers. This year I really need to explore all the great resources I have in print.

I want to learn to knit in 2011. Please still act surprised when you get your scarf for Christmas next year.

I want to begin to learn German. This is something I plan to focus more on in the summer and fall.

I will submit to one writing and one photography contest this year. I have no plans of winning, but I think identifying some contests and submitting will help me challenge myself to keep learning when it comes to my writing and photography.

I will recommit to my Flickr 365 projects for food and everyday living. I sizzled out about July/August in 2010, but I really enjoyed doing it and looking back so we are going to give it another go.

Finally, I’ll revisit my goals in April and October to see how this year is stacking up.

Happy 2011!

Bobby Flay’s Brussels Sprouts

December 31, 2010

My addiction to Brussel Sprouts has reached epic proportions. I can’t seem to get enough of the veggie. As a child, it wasn’t even fair for me to say I didn’t like them because I had honestly never tried them.

In fact, it took fellow food bloggers raving about them and some local pastured pork bacon to convince me I needed to try them as an adult. Now, I could have them every week without complaint and I’ve been fixing them almost that often throughout the holiday season.

Even though I love the tiny cabbages, I’ve fallen into a bit of a rut regarding preparation. Bacon and freshly grated parmesan cheese is the standard. I decided it was finally time to break out of the rut when I saw Bobby Flay’s Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranates and Vanilla-Pecan Butter on the Thanksgiving Throwdown episode. I was intrigued by the sweet, salty and nutty combination.

Back in the summer I received some POM Wonderful juice and never found the time to post about it, so I used POM to make my pomegranate molasses. I looked up a few recipes, but just ended up combining a small bottle of the juice with 2 tsp of sugar. I cooked it down until it was thick and syrupy.

I also used pure vanilla instead of vanilla bean. I realize this is likely a culinary sin, but I’m not ready to break the bank on vanilla bean just yet. I find cooking with quality ingredients on a budget is all about priorities and vanilla bean just hasn’t hit my list yet.

The recipe was really quick and easy and would be even more so if you already had the molasses made up. It was one of the most interesting flavor combinations I’ve had in a while. Tart, rich, savory, sweet, nutty, crunchy – you really can’t use one term to describe it all and with me around there were no leftovers!

Bobby Flay's Brussels Sprouts with Vanilla Pecan Butter and Pomegranate

You can find the recipe for Bobby Flay’s Brussels Sprouts on the Food Network website. Let me know if you give it a try. This may be one I keep in the books for every holiday season!

This is my last post of 2010! It was a fabulous year and I’m so ready to see what 2011 has in store. Thank you to each and every one of you who read my blog. I appreciate each view and comment I receive. It makes this exciting hobby so much fun! Happy New Year!

Disclaimer: POM Wonderful sent me juice free of charge. I was under no obligation to blog about it and received no compensation for doing so.

Cherry Nut Cookies: The Last of the Holiday Cookie Tray

December 30, 2010

I really like fruitcake, but I know that not everyone is a fan. These Cherry Nut Cookies take all the best parts of a fruitcake and put them into a dessert that everyone will love! They are modified from one of my favorite cooke recipes by Ina Garten.

I’m not one to complain about food often, but I have to admit, I am so tired of cookies. Give me a couple weeks and I’m sure I will welcome them once again, but right now, I don’t want another bite.

Do you get that way with holiday cookies?

Even though they have worn out their welcome with me, I still wanted to share a recipe with you since I did not get to before Christmas. No worries though. These cookies are perfect for New Years and Valentine’s Day too.

I’ve made this recipe before; the original is called Dried Fruit Cookies by Ina Garten. They are delicious unaltered, but this year I put a little twist on them using less fruit and substituting my favorite lesser refined sugars and whole grain flours.

The result was just as tasty, but was changed just enough to create a whole new cookie. They have a festive holiday flavor because of the cloves, but they really are perfect for any time of year. Add some dried blue berries for a patriotic holiday, or keep them all red for Valentine’s day.

I tried like crazy to find candied cherries without HFCS this year. I ordered from a company online which did not have HFCS on the ingredient label posted. Got my order and HFCS was the 2nd ingredient. They refunded my money, but what a disappointment. If you have a resource, please pass it on!

Be sure to start these cookies ahead of time. The fruit and nuts need to soak and the dough needs to be stored in the refrigerator for at least an hour before baking.

Cherry Nut Cookies
Adapted from Dried Fruit & Cookies by Ina Garten

Makes: 2 1/2 to 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients

½ pound candied cherries, halved
1 tbsp local honey
2 tbsp spiced rum
1 tbsp orange juice
½ cup pecans, chopped
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
½ tsp ground cloves
½ cup Demerara sugar
1/3 cup muscavo sugar
1 egg
¼ tsp salt
2 2/3 cup white whole wheat flour

Prep

Combine the cherries, honey, rum, orange juice and pecans in a small bowl. Cover and let sit at room temperature several hours or overnight.

In a mixing bowl, combine the butter, cloves and sugars. Cream until smooth, about 2 minutes. Mix in the egg.

Add the salt and gradually add the flour, mixing just until combined. Mix in the fruit and nuts along with any liquid. Separate the dough into two portions.

Place each piece of dough on a sheet of plastic wrap. Shape into a log and wrap tightly. Refrigerate for 1 to 3 hours or until firm.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Slice the cookies with a serrated knife, about ½ inch thick. Place cut side down on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until edges are slightly browned and cookies are firm. Cool on a wire baking rack.

Chipotle Turkey Salad

December 29, 2010

After Christmas passes and before New Year’s parties begin, I always have my cooking focused on the double L – leftovers, but lighter.

You likely ready about our abundance of turkey blessings just before the holidays. We will be consuming this leftover blessing for weeks to come. Even when we can no longer bear a bite of smoked turkey, I’m determined to get our money’s worth out of the massive Tom we tackled in the guest bathroom.

Sorry, if this seems strange and confusing it would probably help if you read the previous post.

So the first thing I needed to make use out of was turkey.

Last week, just after an ice storm hit the area, I came home to a box of Chobani Greek Yogurt on the front porch. I was thrilled to see the yogurt, but was feeling pretty bad for our UPS guy. The sidewalk and drive were covered in a solid sheet of ice so I hope he didn’t bust his bum delivering it.

Despite the ice storm, the timing of the yogurt’s arrival was perfect for two reasons. I have time off to do some creative cooking over the holidays, and the ice cooler the yogurt came in is what we used to thaw that massive turkey in the guest bathtub. Yes, back to the turkey again. Sorry.

When I was offered to try out the yogurt in cooking and baking, I noticed Chobani has a lot of 0% fat yogurts, but that they also have a few 2% fat varieties. I happen to feel that yogurt was meant to have fat so I requested the 2% and that is what I got, along with a few others to try.

So the second thing I had to use was yogurt.

After craving something mildly festive, filling with some added spiciness, I decided to turn a traditional turkey salad into just that – Chipotle Turkey Salad.

I was really happy with the results. I used Herdez Chipotle Salsa for the spicy flavor, but you could just as easily use a little sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo or use chipotle powder. When topped with dried cranberries this turkey salad is delicious on crackers or as a sandwich.

Chipotle Turkey Salad

3 to 4 cups chopped turkey meat
¼ cup Chobani 2% plain Greek Yogurt
1 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp chipotle salsa
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup pecans, chopped
Parsley for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the turkey in a bowl and add the yogurt, mayo and salsa. Mix well. You can add more or less of each depending on how dry you like your turkey salad and how spicy.

Stir in the cranberries and pecans. Add salt and pepper if desired. Sprinkle with fresh or dried, chopped parsley. Serves 4.

Disclaimer: Chobani yogurt was sent to me free of charge. I was under no obligation to post about it and received no compensation for doing so.

Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale & Pretzel Caramels

December 23, 2010

These caramels need few words, so I won’t provide you with many.

I found this recipe several months ago and have kept it tucked away in my arsenal of holiday baking ideas. I decided to make them this week and use one of our favorite beers brewed in downtown Lexington – Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale. It is an ale aged in oak barrels that were previously used to age bourbon.

This was my first time making caramels and I practically did a happy dance in the kitchen when I realized they were setting up correctly.