Culinary Adventures with Camilla

I can't remember the last time I had Scotch or Whiskey or Bourbon. Heck, I don't even think I know how to differentiate those. So, when Jake and I sidled up to the bar in Restaurant 1833 last night, having just dropped the boys off at their aerodynamics workshop for a few hours, I was more than a little surprised that he sat right down and asked Michael, the bartender, which Scotch he would recommend. What?!? Who was this man sitting beside me? Michael said that there were 10, 12, 18, and 25 year options. He ordered a 12-year Scotch. But since I'm always up for learning something new. I swirled it, sniffed it, and took a swallow. I think what I actually did was more of a sip - and a timid one at that. I was expecting something harsh and was taken aback at how smooth it was. It rolled off my tongue, soft and warm, reminding me of pearls and cashmere. Okay, that's not a very manly image and Scotch is the quintessential Good Ol' Boys drink, right? But what I mean is ...

I saw 'homemade Irish cream liquor' pop up on Punk Domestics facebook wall this morning and started clicking. First there was Southern Faire's version , with half-and-half plus heavy cream. Arctic Garden Studio's version includes instant espresso powder. Hmmm.... The one I ended up using for my jumping off point was Design Sponge's Irish Cream ; it calls for honey and dark cocoa powder. I might give the Irish Flag cocktail  a go from this site - after I make some Irish carbomb cupcakes , of course. I used espresso instead of coffee, doubled up on the vanilla, and skipped the almond extract and chocolate completely. 1 C espresso 1 whole vanilla pod + 1 pod for each container 1 1/2 C heavy cream 1 t instant espresso powder 1 T honey 1/2 t unsulphered molasses 1 t pure vanilla extract 2 eggs 1 C organic dark brown sugar, lightly packed 1 t pure vanilla extract 1 T white whole wheat flour 1/2 t baking powder 2 C whiskey ...

As part of our Sint-Niklaas dinner, for the grown-ups, I made  Advocaat. This is a potent Dutch zabaglione .  Proost ! 5  egg yolks sprinkle of salt 2/3 C organic granulated sugar 3/4 C brandy Beat the egg yolks, salt and sugar until thickened. Slowly trickle in the brandy, still beating. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and warm over a low heat, continuously whisking. Be patient. If it boils, the alcohol will evaporate. The advocaat is ready when it coats the back of a spoon. Serve the advocaat with a dusting of nutmeg.

These are very similar to my Irish Car Bomb cupcakes except that I use Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur) in the filling and glaze instead of Bailey's and Jameson's. Cakes 1 cup stout (Guinness), 2 sticks butter, ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 cups all-purpose white whole wheat flour, 2 cups organic cane sugar, 1½ tsp. baking soda, ¾ tsp. sea salt, 2 large eggs, 2/3 cup sour cream. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter the mini bundt pans. Combine the Guinness and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and whisk till smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs and sour cream to blend. Add the stout-butter mixture and beat just to combine. Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until incorporated. Divide the batter evenly between the mini bundts, filling them about 2/3 to ¾ ful...