Month: December 2013

  • On the fourth day of Christmas, Drink Matron gave to me: Rum Balls and Cake Pops!

    Drinking your alcohol is all well and good, but there are plenty of wonderful desserts out there that let you eat your booze as well.
    Since Christmas is pretty much the best time to indulge in anything, it’s not uncommon to see 20 different cookies set out at any holiday party. It’s quite likely that somewhere in that bunch is an almost-gone plate of rum balls that everyone is subconsciously stuffing in their gullets. The host looks over and casual replies, oh, it’s no big deal, I’ve got more in the fridge. A scramble to the fridge door happens and your uncles Fred and George are punching each other to be the first one there. An hour later, no more rum balls until next Christmas.

    In other words, rum balls are awesome. Maybe it’s time to make some of your own, yeah? Okay.

    Chocolate-Rum-Balls

    Rum Balls

    Ingredients:

    3 cups crushed vanilla wafers
    3/4 cup confectioners sugar
    1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    1 1/2 cups finely chopped nuts
    1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    3 tablespoons light corn syrup
    1/2 cup spiced rum

     

    Preparation:
    1. In a large bowl, stir together wafers, confectioners sugar, cocoa, and nuts. Drizzle in vanilla, corn syrup and rum.
    2. Shape into 1 inch balls and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days to develop the flavor.
    3. Roll balls in your choice of confectioners sugar, cocoa, sprinkles or whatever you’d like.

     

    Hmmm, Cake Pops

    Kids get to eat cool desserts all the time and no one looks at them funny. Now, with the addition of rum to cake pops, so can you.

    OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

     

    Ingredients:

    1/2 cup dark rum
    1 cup cocoa powder
    1 cup sugar
    1 cup softened butter
    3 eggs
    1 cup milk
    1 tsp baking soda
    1 tsp baking powder
    1/2 tsp salt
    1 Tbs vanilla
    2 cups flour
    200g quality dark chocolate
    Powdered sugar, cream cheese, nutella, frosting, jam or liqueurs.
    Your choice of toppings

     

    Preparation:
    1. In a bowl, combine cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and flour.
    2. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat eggs until fluffy and add to butter mixture.
    3. Combine milk and rum.
    4. Slowly beat dry ingredients a little at a time to the butter mixture. Alternate with the milk and rum.
    5. Lightly butter and flour a 9 by 13inch cake pan. Spread the mixture evenly. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes at 350° until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake.
    6. Remove cake from the oven and let cool completely. Each whole cake makes about 40 cake balls.
    7. Melt chocolate in microwave or stove, stirring occasionally until smooth.
    7. Crumble cake into bits and moisten with your choice of 1/3 cup of cream cheese, nutella, frosting, jam or liqueurs and 4 tablespoons of powdered sugar.
    8. Roll into balls and refrigerate for at least one hour
    9. Dip balls in melted chocolate
    10. While chocolate is still soft, dip or sprinkle with your choice of topping
    11. Put in small pastry cups or on sticks.
    12. Refrigerate overnight or until chocolate hardens.

     

     

  • On the third day of Christmas, Drink Matron gave to me: Eggnog Drinks!

    You can’t have Christmas without eggnog. Sure, you could go out and buy some, but why when you could make it from scratch, or better yet, get your mom to make it from scratch for you? That way, you can add any sort of booze you want! I’ve collected a few recipes that I think you could easily convince Mom (or Dad/sister/brother/aunty/etc) will work for grownups and maybe even kiddos. For kiddos, just don’t add booze. Seriously? Did I have to tell you that?

    eggnogFirst off, you should have a standard eggnog recipe, in case all you really wanna do it add booze to it and chill on the couch.

    Eggnog

    Ingredients:

    4 egg yolks
    1/2 cup sugar
    2 cups milk
    2 whole cloves
    Pinch of cinnamon
    1 cup cream
    1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    2 Tbsp each of bourbon and rum or brandy, or to taste (DON’T PUT THIS IN THE KID’S EGGNOG.)
    *4 egg whites (optional)

    1. In a large bowl, use a whisk or an electric mixer to beat egg yolks until they become somewhat lighter in color. Slowly add the sugar, beating after each addition, whisking until fluffy.

    2. Combine the milk, cloves, and cinnamon in a thick-bottomed saucepan. Slowly heat on medium heat until the milk mixture is steamy hot, but not boiling.

    3. Temper the eggs by slowly adding half of the hot milk mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly while you add the hot mixture. Pour the mixture back intohttp://drink-matron.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=2960&action=edit the saucepan.

    4. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture begins to thicken slightly, and coats the back of the spoon. It helps to have a candy thermometer, but not necessary; if you have one, cook until the mixture reaches 160°F. Do not allow the mixture to boil, or it will curdle. (If the mixture does curdle you may be able to save it by running it through a blender.) Remove from heat and stir in the cream. Strain the mixture through a mesh strainer to remove the cloves. Let cool for one hour.

    5. Mix in vanilla extract, nutmeg, and bourbon/rum and brandy (Seriously, NOT FOR KIDS. Gees.) Chill.

    *Optional: Beat egg whites until they reach soft peaks. Add a teaspoon of sugar and continue to beat until they reach stiff peaks. Gently fold into eggnog. Recipe via Simple Recipes

    Now on to the fun stuff…

    Baltimore Eggnog

    I feel like my friend Kelsey would probably paint her face purple, get drunk on this with her mom, and sit down for a Ravens game. It doesn’t sound fancy, but it looks ladylike in my head.

    1 oz Jamaican dark rum
    1 oz brandy
    1 oz Madeira
    1 whole egg
    1 tsp powdered sugar
    3/4 cup milk

    Combine ingredients in a shaker and shake well. Strain into a glass. Sprinkle nutmeg (or purple sprinkles, come on!)on top and serve.

    *Hey, don’t give this one to the kids. Egg, powdered sugar, and milk is probably not their idea of a good time, ya know?

    Good Morning Eggnog

    Why not? You are with your family.

    1 3/4 oz ruby port
    1 3/4 oz red wine
    3 1/2 oz milk
    3/4 oz cream
    1/2 tsp powdered sugar
    1 egg yolk
    1 pinch nutmeg

    Combine in a shaker and shake well. Strain into a large glass over ice cubes. Sprinkle with nutmeg, and serve.

    *It’s your call on the kids with this one. I don’t know what they like. JUST DON’T GIVE THEM BOOZE.

    Hot ‘Nog

    For those who like it hot!

    1/2 oz brandy
    1/2 oz dark rum
    1/2 oz sugar syrup
    1 egg
    3 oz boiling milk

    Blend brandy, rum, and syrup until smooth and pour into a heat-proof goblet. Add boiling milk, sprinkle with nutmeg and serve.

    *Not for kids, me thinks.

    Jagnog

    Yeah, this is a thing. My buddy Chris suggested it and then I actually found it online.

    3 parts eggnog
    1 part Jagermeister herbal liqueur

    Pour over ice in a rocks glass.

    Don’t make this in bulk. Just don’t. If you’re making it at all it’s because your buddy brought Jager over and thought it would be awesome with eggnog.

    *Just give the kids eggnog and never tell them about Jagermeister.

    Noggy Punch

    A good party ‘nog.

    1 qt chilled eggnog
    5 oz brandy
    4 oz dark rum
    3 oz dark creme de cacao
    1 whole nutmeg

    Whisk together the eggnog, brandy, rum and creme de cacao together in a large punch bowl. Add a large block of ice. Grate a little nutmeg over the top of each drink when serving. Makes 8 (6-ounce) punch cups.

    *Again, just give the kids some eggnog, sans booze.

     

    Note, because of the salmonella risk from raw eggs, it is recommended that children, elderly, and people with compromised immune systems refrain from eating raw eggs such as the optional whipped egg whites in this recipe, unless you use pasteurized eggs.

     

    You can get more Eggnog recipes on Drinkmixer.com 

  • On the second day of Christmas, Drink Matron gave to me: Hot Buttered Rum!

    Lucky for me, I’ve still got Adrian. Sure, it’s partly because he’s a big hunk of man who carries heavy things and can reach much higher than me, but mostly it’s because during winter he makes a tasty as hell hot buttered rum mix. It started two or three years ago when we were still in Indiana and there was a pretty rough snow storm that kept us inside for two days. We luckily had rum and this mix, and settled down for movies and a bit of drinkin’. Every year since then he’s made it for us, and most of the time, I can’t keep my little paws off. I don’t mind sharing though, so here’s the recipe.

    Hot Buttered Rum

     

    Batter

    2 cups brown sugar
    1/2 cup butter, softened
    1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
    1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

    (optionally, you can add 1/4-1/2 tsp of cloves)

    Beat the sugar and butter together until fluffy. Mix in the spices.

    In a mug, put a heaping teaspoon of the batter into 1 1/2 oz of rum and top with hot water, stirring well. Sprinkle with cinnamon or garnish with a cinnamon stick.

     

     

     

  • On the first day of Christmas, Drink Matron gave to me: Make your own Irish cream!

    Christmas lovelies! I’m back! What a better month to come back to you than December, when warm weather and holidays bring families and friends back together.

    A great homemade gift to give to your loved ones is Irish cream. Yup, you don’t have to spend money on Baileys or Carolans, you can have your very own tasty coffee and hot chocolate additive.

    Lucky for you guys, my family likes Irish cream and likes to keep a bit of homemade stuff around. Must come from being Wisconsin farm folk. Or booze hounds. Or Canadian (yeah, I’m a little Canadian. Like Barney Stinson. What. Up.)

    photo by Cindy Hopper at skiptomylou.orgGG Irish Cream
    1 can Eagle Brand condensed milk
    3 eggs
    1 tsp vanilla
    2 Tbs Hershey syrup
    1 pint whipping cream or half&half
    1 cup Irish whiskey or brandy (brandy comes from being from Wisconsin. It’s our thing in general.)
    1/3 cup white rum

    Mix ingredients together with a mixer or in a blender. Refrigerate.

    My Aunt Greta says, “Can be kept for months, but I doubt it will last that long.” I concur. It’s delicious.

     

     

     

  • WE’RE BACK!!

    WE’RE BACK!

    snuggie-celebration-gif

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    YIPPPPPY!

     

    DEAN CELEBRATION

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    WOO HOO!

    fairly-odd-parents.jpg

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    spider-man.jpg

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    So, raise a glass!

    river toast

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Toast a friend!

    english hot gif

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    It’s time to start again!

    ron-swanson-drunk-gif