The Boozy Baker: 75 Recipes for Spirited Sweets (20 page)

Strawberry and Honey Shortcake

M
AKES
6
SERVINGS

I
THINK OF THIS AS MY
“
WINNIE THE POOH DESSERT
.”
There is something delightfully childish about strawberry shortcake, and this version is infused with over-the-top honey flavor. Of course, it’s best with local, peak-of-the-season fruit, so save this recipe for the summer.

FOR THE STRAWBERRY FILLING:

4 cups ripe strawberries, stemmed and sliced

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons honey liqueur, such as Bärenjäger, Krupnik, or Wild Turkey American Honey

FOR THE SHORTCAKE:

2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces

½ cup heavy cream

¼ cup honey liqueur

FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM:

1¼ cups heavy cream

2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

1 tablespoon honey liqueur

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Grease an 8 × 8-inch square pan with butter, or spray it with nonstick spray.

TO MAKE THE STRAWBERRY FILLING
,
combine the strawberries with the sugar and the honey liqueur in a medium bowl. Mash them lightly and stir them around a bit with a fork. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill.

TO MAKE THE SHORTCAKES
,
combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the work bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter, a few chunks at a time, and pulse until incorporated. Add the cream and the honey liqueur and pulse until a lumpy batter forms.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it as evenly as you can. (It will look a bit sloppy, but that’s all part of a shortcake’s charm.) Bake the shortcake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the shortcake to cool in the pan.

TO MAKE THE WHIPPED CREAM
,
beat the cream with the confectioners’ sugar and the honey liqueur in a large bowl until soft peaks form.

Cut the shortcake into six squares and slice each square in half horizontally. Scoop large spoonfuls of the mashed strawberries over the bottom half of each piece of shortcake and cover with the top pieces of cake. Scoop spoonfuls of berries over the tops, and then dollop with whipped cream. Serve immediately.

SHAKE IT UP:
Substitute almond liqueur, such as amaretto, for the honey liqueur.

Chocolate Pavlova with Cranberry-Orange Sauce

M
AKES
8
SERVINGS

A P
AVLOVA IS AN AIRY ALTERNATIVE TO A HEAVIER LAYER CAKE
,
yet it looks just as festive. This dessert has multiple steps, but don’t let that deter you. The cranberry-orange sauce can be made up to two days ahead, and the meringue can be baked a day in advance and stored loosely wrapped at room temperature. For a perfectly crisp meringue, make sure to prepare it on a sunny day. If there is moisture in the air, it will come out chewy.

FOR THE MERINGUE:

5 large egg whites, at room temperature

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

1 cup superfine sugar

1 teaspoon orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier or Triple Sec

3 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder

FOR THE CRANBERRY-ORANGE SAUCE:

1 cup fresh cranberries

½ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup orange marmalade

2 tablespoons orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier or Triple Sec

FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM:

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier or Triple Sec

Preheat the oven to 275°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and draw an 8-inch circle in the middle.

TO MAKE THE MERINGUE
,
beat the egg whites with an electric mixer in a large bowl until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. With the electric mixer running, add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold the orange liqueur into the egg whites with a spatula. Sift the cocoa over the egg whites and fold in carefully.

Gently spread the meringue onto the circle on the parchment paper and bake until the meringue is dry to the touch, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn off the oven, prop open the door, and allow the meringue to cool completely in the oven.

TO MAKE THE CRANBERRY-ORANGE SAUCE
,
combine the cranberries, sugar, and ¼ cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until the cranberries soften and just begin to burst, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the marmalade and the orange liqueur until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and chill.

TO MAKE THE WHIPPED CREAM
,
beat the heavy cream, sugar, and orange liqueur with an electric mixer in a large bowl until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes.

To assemble the Pavlova, place the meringue on a large serving plate. Spread the whipped cream evenly over the meringue, and spoon the cranberry mixture into the middle. Serve immediately.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lots of people say that,
given her name, Lucy Baker was destined for a culinary career. In fact, many of her earliest memories revolve around food, from helping her mother bake saucepan brownies on Saturday afternoons to grocery shopping with her father and snacking on Pepperidge Farm cookies straight from the bag.

Lucy is currently a food writer and recipe tester, and a contributing columnist for
SeriousEats.com
. She has written articles for numerous publications, both online and in print, including
Edible Brooklyn, Publishers Weekly, Popular Mechanics
, and
Time Out New York
. She was the recipe tester for
The Veselka Cookbook
, and a co-writer for
The Fat Witch Brownie Book
. For three years, she worked as an assistant cookbook editor at HarperCollins Publishers, and she holds an MFA in creative writing. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

FORMULAS FOR METRIC CONVERSION

Source: Herbst, Sharon Tyler.
The Food Lover’s Companion.
3rd ed.
Hauppauge: Barron’s, 2001.

INDEX

A

Almond Iced Tea,
51

Amaretto,
16

Almond Iced Tea,
51

Lavender Honey-Nut Cupcakes,
49

Applejack,
16

Apricot brandy,
16

Apricot Brandy Bars,
103

Armagnac,
16

B

Banana-Chocolate Chip Biscotti,
93

Banana-Rum-Raisin Rice Pudding,
114

Bars.
see
Cookies and bars

Beer,
16

Beer Margaritas,
64

Beer Profiteroles with Chocolate-Beer Sauce,
137–138

Brown Velvet,
139

Plum Biercake,
25

Beer Margaritas,
64

Berry Chocolate Mousse,
126

Berry liqueur

Berry Chocolate Mousse,
126

Preppy PInk and Green Pie,
59

Bitters,
16

Cherry Swizzle,
57

“Old-Fashioned” Snickerdoodles,
84

Southern Peach,
39

Black and White Russian Cookies,
94

Blackberry Chocolate Romanoff,
147

Blueberry-Port Slump with Almond Dumplings,
161

Blueberry Rum Pie,
60

Boozy Baked Apples,
145

“Bottoms Up” Pineapple-Tequila Cake,
30

Bourbon,
16

Bourbon Apple Crisp,
155

Bourbon-Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies,
131–132

Cinnamon Old Fashioned,
85

Cranberry, Chocolate, and Pecan Pie,
66

Ginger Highball,
163

Homemade Bourbon Vanilla Extract,
13

Maple Leaf,
157

“Old-Fashioned” Snickerdoodles,
84

Southern Peach,
39

Brandied Pear Belinis,
33

Brandied Pear Cake with White Chocolate

Chunks,
32

Brandy,
16

Apricot Brandy Bars,
103–104

Brandied Pear Belinis,
33

Brandied Pear Cake with White Chocolate Chunks,
32

Nightcap,
71

Orange Sidecar,
124

Pear and Red Grape Turnovers,
151

Sachertorte,
45–46

Sidecar Soufflé,
123