The Boozy Baker: 75 Recipes for Spirited Sweets (4 page)

JUNIOR’S, THE BROOKLYN CHEESECAKE INSTITUTION,
makes adorable mini cheesecakes called “little fellas.” They are decidedly delicious, but they lack a graham cracker crust, which is my favorite part, so I decided to come up with my own version.

These cheesecakes are so tiny and adorable that it’s hard to believe they pack in not one, but two kinds of booze. It’s possible that when you prepare them you will end up with a bit of extra batter. I say, all the better for when it’s time to lick the bowl!

FOR THE CRUST:

1 cup finely ground graham cracker crumbs

¼ cup sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

FOR THE FILLING:

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature

¾ cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

¼ cup almond liqueur, such as amaretto

2 large eggs

¼ cup sour cream

1 (½-pint) container fresh raspberries

1½ tablespoons framboise

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup standard muffin pan with paper liners.

TO MAKE THE CRUST
,
in a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Toss with a fork until well blended.

Drop a few heaping spoonfuls of the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of each muffin cup and pack it down gently with your fingers. Bake 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the crusts to cool while you prepare the filling. Do not turn the oven off.

TO MAKE THE FILLING
,
using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and cornstarch until smooth. Add the almond liqueur, eggs, and sour cream and beat until smooth. Set aside.

Reserve 12 raspberries. Purée the remaining raspberries and framboise in a blender until smooth. Fill muffin cups two-thirds full with the cream cheese mixture and drop generous teaspoonsful of the raspberry purée on top. With a toothpick, create a swirled pattern on top.

Place the muffin pan in a large, shallow roasting pan with enough hot water to come about 1 inch up the sides of the pan. Bake until the cakes are puffy and barely set in the center, 35 to 40 minutes.

When done, allow to cool for 2 hours. Transfer the cheesecakes, still in the pan, to the refrigerator and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

To serve the cheesecakes, remove each one from the pan and garnish with a reserved raspberry.

SHAKE IT UP:
Substitute hazelnut liqueur for framboise.

“Bottoms Up” Pineapple-Tequila Cake

M
AKES
8
TO
10
SERVINGS

WHO DOESN’T SMILE SHEEPISHLY AT
the old George Carlin quote, “one tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor”? I certainly learned the hard way that a little tequila can go a very, very long way. Fortunately, good tequila is as flavorful as it is alcoholic. This cake contains only three tablespoons of booze, but it packs a wallop of tequila taste. A big piece will leave you stuffed, but happily hangover free.

FOR THE PINEAPPLE TOPPING:

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

⅔ cup packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon gold tequila

½ small pineapple, peeled, quartered, and sliced

FOR THE CAKE:

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons gold tequila

¾ cup well-shaken buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

TO MAKE THE PINEAPPLE TOPPING
,
place a 9-inch nonstick metal cake pan on the stovetop over low heat. Add the butter to the pan and let it melt, stirring occasionally. Add the brown sugar and the tequila and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth and thick, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and arrange the pineapple slices over the sugar mixture. Set aside.

TO MAKE THE CAKE
,
whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the tequila. Add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour and beating just until incorporated after each addition.

Pour the batter into the pan over the pineapple. Bake until the cake is set and golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes and then run a knife around the edges. Set a plate upside down over the cake and flip the cake, inverting it onto the plate. Serve the cake warm or at room temperature.

SHAKE IT UP:
Substitute dark rum for the tequila.

Brandied Pear Cake with White Chocolate Chunks

M
AKES
8
SERVINGS

WHEN I WAS IN GRADUATE SCHOOL
,
I was a waitress at a popular Italian trattoria in Brooklyn. At the end of the night, we each got to have a glass of wine and, if we were lucky, a piece of yesterday’s chocolate-pear cake, which was the restaurant’s signature dessert.

I never managed to get my hands on the chef’s recipe, but I’ve done my best to reinvent it here, substituting white chocolate for the dark, and—in honor of that much loved and much needed shift drink—a healthy dose of brandy.

FOR THE BRANDIED PEARS:

2 tablespoons sugar

¼ cup brandy

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 medium-firm, ripe pears, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch chunks (about 2 cups)

FOR THE CAKE:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter

3 large eggs

⅔ cup sugar

½ cup chopped white chocolate or white chocolate chips

TO MAKE THE BRANDIED PEARS
,
combine the sugar, brandy, and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Add the pears and stir to coat. Allow the pears to macerate for 20 minutes, and then strain them over a small bowl. Set the pears aside. Reserve the brandy mixture.

TO MAKE THE CAKE
,
preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with butter, or spray it with nonstick spray. Dust with flour and tap out the excess.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the butter begins to brown and develops a nutty aroma. (Don’t be alarmed by how much the butter foams—it’s supposed to happen!) Remove the butter from the heat.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with an electric mixer at high speed until very light and thick, about 5 minutes. Gradually add the sugar and beat for 2 minutes until fully incorporated.

Turn the electric mixer to low speed and add 1 tablespoon of the reserved brandy mixture, saving the rest of the brandy mixture for the Brandied Pear Belinis (La Pera Prosecco cocktails). Alternately add the flour mixture and the browned butter to the egg mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat until just barely combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Top with the pears and white chocolate chunks. Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool completely in the pan and then release the sides and serve.

SHAKE IT UP:
Substitute bourbon for the brandy, or for added flavor, substitute orange juice for the lemon juice and orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier, for the brandy.

Brandied Pear Belinis

M
AKES
6
COCKTAILS

Reserved brandy mixture from Brandied Pear Cake with White Chocolate Chunks

One 750-ml bottle Prosecco

Twists of fresh orange or lemon peel, for garnish

Divide the brandy mixture among six Champagne flutes. Top with Prosecco and garnish with a twist.

Pumpkin Pomegranate Layer Cake

M
AKES
6
TO
8
SERVINGS

POMEGRANATE JUICE MAY BE INCREDIBLY HEALTHY,
but I think pomegranate liqueur is much more fun. The most widely available brand, Pama, is a potent blend of pomegranate juice, vodka, and tequila. Its ruby red color makes for exotic cocktails—and festive frostings. Pomegranate season runs from September to January, so this cake is perfect for the holidays.

FOR THE CAKE:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

½ cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie mix)

FOR THE FROSTING:

14 tablespoons (1¾ sticks) unsalted butter, softened

6 to 8 cups confectioners’ sugar

¼ cup milk

¼ cup pomegranate liqueur, such as Pama

1 cup pomegranate seeds (from 1 medium pomegranate)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans with butter or nonstick spray. Dust them with flour and tap out the excess.

TO MAKE THE CAKE
,
combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, combine both sugars and the oil. Beat with an electric mixer until well blended, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then beat in the pumpkin purée.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the oil mixture and beat until just combined. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool the cakes for 10 minutes in the pans, and then remove the cakes from the pans and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.

TO MAKE THE FROSTING
,
beat the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes. Add 6 cups of the confectioners’ sugar, the milk, and the pomegranate liqueur. Beat on low speed until creamy. Gradually add the remaining confectioners’ sugar, a little at a time, until it reaches desired consistency.

Place one cake layer on a plate and spread it with about one-third of the frosting. Sprinkle with ½ cup pomegranate seeds. Top with the remaining cake layer and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides. Sprinkle with the remaining pomegranate seeds.

SHAKE IT UP:
Substitute hazelnut liqueur, such as Frangelico, for the pomegranate liqueur, and chopped toasted hazelnuts for the pomegranate seeds.

Jägermeister and Honey Bundt Cake

M
AKES
10
TO
12
SERVINGS

CONTRARY TO THE PERSISTENT URBAN LEGEND
,
Jägermeister does not, in fact, contain the blood of an elk or a deer. This German digestif is made from a blend of more than fifty herbs and spices and has a semisweet flavor reminiscent of licorice. It’s definitely a soul-warming kind of booze, perfect for this dense, hearty Bundt cake. This recipe is courtesy of cookbook author extraordinaire Rick Rodgers, a friend and culinary mentor of mine. His original version uses Drambuie, a honey and herb-flavored whisky, and is equally delicious.