The Boozy Baker: 75 Recipes for Spirited Sweets (9 page)

TO MAKE THE IRISH CREAM FILLING
,
put the water in a medium saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Allow it to soften for 5 minutes, and then stir in ⅓ cup of the sugar, the salt, and the egg yolks. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Do not boil. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the Irish cream liqueur. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and refrigerate 20 to 30 minutes, or until the mixture mounds slightly and is just beginning to set.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until foamy. Add the remaining ⅓ cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold the egg white mixture into the Irish cream liqueur mixture until just incorporated.

TO MAKE THE WHIPPED CREAM TOPPING
,
beat the cream in a large bowl with an electric mixer until it holds soft peaks. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the Irish cream liqueur mixture. Pour the filling into the cooled piecrust and chill for at least 4 hours and up to overnight before serving.

SHAKE IT UP:
Substitute Kahlùa for the Irish cream liqueur, and coffee for the water.

Strawberry-Port Linzertorte

M
AKES
8
SERVINGS

S
EVERAL TIMES A MONTH
, K
EVIN
C
RAWLEY LEADS
cooking classes at his restaurant, Coriander Bistro, in Sharon, Massachusetts. The classes are done demonstration style (he prepares the recipes while the audience eats them), and attending one makes you feel like you’ve somehow crossed over and are now actually living inside the Food Network. One of Kevin’s best recipes is for a nutty raspberry linzertorte. I’ve adapted it here, using strawberries and ruby port. This is my mother’s favorite dessert to serve when entertaining.

FOR THE DOUGH:

1½ cups slivered almonds

⅔ cup sugar, divided

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

¼ cup shortening

3 large egg yolks

FOR THE FILLING:

1½ cups strawberry preserves

3 tablespoons ruby port

TO MAKE THE DOUGH
,
combine the almonds and ⅓ cup of the sugar in a food processor and pulse until coarse. Add the remaining ⅓ cup sugar, the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt and pulse to combine. Add the butter, shortening, and the egg yolks and pulse until the dough begins to come together in a ball. Turn the dough out and divide into two pieces, one slightly bigger than the other. Flatten each piece into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

TO MAKE THE FILLING
,
combine the strawberry preserves and the port in a small bowl and stir until well combined.

Preheat the oven to 350°F and position a rack in the bottom third. Roll the larger piece of dough out on a floured work surface to a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and press up the sides.

Roll the second piece of dough to a 12-inch circle. Cut into strips. Transfer the strips to a baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes.

Pour the strawberry mixture into the tart shell and smooth the surface. Remove the dough strips from the freezer and arrange half horizontally and half vertically across the tart, creating a lattice pattern.

Bake the tart until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, about 40 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. Remove the outer ring of the tart pan, cut into wedges and serve.

SHAKE IT UP:
Substitute raspberry liqueur, such as framboise, or fruity red wine for the port.

Nightcap Tart

M
AKES
10
TO
12
SERVINGS

W
HEN
I
WAS GROWING UP
, I
THOUGHT
a “nightcap” was a cappuccino you drank before bed. Of course, I’ve since learned that it’s an alcoholic drink—and that a person invited up for one rarely does any actual sleeping. This tart is my attempt to marry both versions of a nightcap (one coffee, one booze) in a dessert. It’s deep, dark, and truly decadent.

FOR THE CRUST:

32 chocolate wafer cookies, such as Nabisco, slightly crushed

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted

¼ teaspoon salt

FOR THE FILLING:

12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

¾ cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons sugar

2 large eggs

¼ cup coffee liqueur, such as Kahlùa

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

TO MAKE THE CRUST
,
pulse the chocolate cookies in a food processor until finely ground (you should have about 1½ cups). Add the melted butter and the salt, and pulse until the crumbs are moistened. Press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Place the tart pan on a cookie sheet and set aside.

TO MAKE THE FILLING
,
place the chopped chocolate in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream over low heat until it is steaming and there are tiny bubbles at the edge of the pan (do not boil). Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir in the sugar.

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs together with the coffee liqueur. Gradually add the egg mixture to the chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth. Pour the filling into the tart crust.

Bake the tart until the edges are puffed and the center is barely set, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, and then store in the refrigerator. Bring the tart to room temperature before serving.

SHAKE IT UP:
Substitute Irish cream liqueur for the coffee liqueur.

Nightcap

1 ounce coffee liqueur, such as Kahlùa

½ ounce brandy

1 ounce cream

Hot coffee (regular or decaf)

Chocolate shavings, for garnish (optional)

Combine the coffee liqueur, brandy, and cream in a mug. Add the hot coffee and stir to combine. Sprinkle with the chocolate shavings, if using.

M
AKES
1
DRINK

Grasshopper Tart with Chocolate Chips

M
AKES
8
TO
10
SERVINGS

D
ESSERTS DON’T GET MUCH MORE RETRO
than grasshopper pie. It was a 1960s dinner party staple, right up there with Rumaki and pigs-in-blankets. I’ve added chocolate chips to this version. I think they give the tart an interesting, almost chunky texture, like mint-chip ice cream. Make a pitcher of Double Mint Fizzes and invite some friends over for dessert and a “Mad Men” marathon.

FOR THE CRUST:

32 chocolate wafer cookies, such as Nabisco, coarsely crushed

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

FOR THE FILLING:

3 large egg yolks

⅓ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

1¾ cups heavy cream, divided

2½ teaspoons unflavored gelatin

¼ cup crème de menthe

2 tablespoons crème de cacao

2 drops green food coloring (optional)

½ cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

TO MAKE THE CRUST
,
place the chocolate wafer cookies in the work bowl of a food processor and process to fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse to blend.

Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Bake the crust until it looks set, about 10 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and allow it to cool completely.

TO MAKE THE FILLING
,
whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl until thickened and pale yellow. Set aside.

Pour ½ cup of the cream into a small saucepan. Sprinkle with the gelatin. Let stand for 5 minutes to soften, and then cook over low heat for about 2 minutes, or until almost simmering (you will see steam rising from the surface of the milk and small bubbles forming at the edge of the pan). Remove from the heat.

Very slowly whisk a few tablespoons of the hot cream into the egg yolk mixture to temper it, and then whisk the yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the cream. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, 3 to 5 minutes, or until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.

Remove from the heat and stir in the crème de menthe, crème de cacao, and green food coloring, if using. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very thick but not quite set.

In a large bowl, whip the remaining 1¼cups of cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Stir 1 cup of the whipped cream into the mint mixture to lighten it. Stir in the chocolate chips, and then fold in the remaining whipped cream. Spread the mixture into the cooled tart crust. Refrigerate the tart until chilled and set, about 6 hours.

Double Mint Fizz

M
AKES
1
DRINK

2 ounces gin

1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice

½ ounce crème de menthe

1 teaspoon superfine sugar

Club soda

Mint sprig, for garnish

Combine the gin, lime juice, crème de menthe, and sugar in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a tall glass filled with ice. Top with club soda, and garnish with the mint.

Red Wine Caramel Tart

M
AKES
10
TO
12
SERVINGS

RAISE YOUR HAND IF, FOR A LONG TIME
,
you thought all caramel came from the supermarket wrapped up in little squares of cellophane. I sure did. But homemade caramel is actually quite simple, and the gooey, buttery results are far superior to anything you can buy at the store. The half-cup measure of wine in this recipe is a minimum. You can reduce any amount of wine to two tablespoons. If you have a whole cup left in a bottle, by all means use it. The flavors will be that much more concentrated.

FOR THE CRUST:

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into ½-inch chunks

1 large egg yolk

1 tablespoon milk

FOR THE CARAMEL FILLING:

½ cup red wine

1½ cups sugar

3 tablespoons corn syrup

¼ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons heavy cream

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced

TO MAKE THE CRUST
,
combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until coarse. Add the egg yolk and the milk, and pulse until mixture comes together in large clumps. Gather the dough into a ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface into a 12-inch circle. Press into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Fold in any excess dough to make a thick edge. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Arrange rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake the crust until it is golden brown, about 20 minutes. (Check the crust after 10 minutes. If it is bubbling up, gently press back into place.) Cool the crust completely on a wire rack.