The Rake Magazine

Tag: holiday

  • Day Off/On

    Today is one of those odd holidays. Some people have the day off, others must work. Restaurants are clearly open, but school is closed. There’s no real celebration or gift-giving or feast involved, but because it’s an election year, maybe we should spend some time thinking about President’s Day.

    Or maybe we should buy a German sausage rug.

    Or we could check out what Andrea Strong has to say about the New York food scene on her new blog.

    We’d be remiss if we didn’t take a moment to explore our feelings about cilantro.

    It’s important to weigh in on dark vs. milk, no?

    Then we’ll have to make lunch for the crazies.

    Plan your Spring Break.

    Get whisk wise.

    And finally, really get into the nitty gritty of presidentialism.

    Maybe you can top the day off by attempting Martha Washington’s cake recipe from Mount Vernon.

     

  • Balls of Bourbon

    Been a bit boozy lately, haven’t I?

    Well, it is the season of holiday parties, family gatherings, and all manner of cold-weather frolic that can be greatly enhanced by hot cocoa with a "bump"…

    It’s Nana’s fault.

    The old girl was a former society debutante who started smoking when she was a Campfire Girl and cocktailed promptly at 4pm until the day she died at the ripe ol’ age of 90.

    From her I inherited my lack of height, two crystal decanters etched with the words SCOTCH and BOURBON, and the habit of asking for a "skowsch" of water with any single malt over 18 years old. She wasn’t the kind of grandmother that cuddled, but she was a pip and I rather liked her most of the time.

    And now, during these festive days, there is a certain expectation from my social set that I arrive at a function with my signature treat. I bring bourbon balls.

    Not a cookie, not a bar, these little high-octane balls will sit on any holiday table and command attention. It’s the wafting nose of sweet Kentucky mash. The little beauties aren’t cooked, so every bite reminds you what it’s like to be over 21. Some people will shy away, opting for a weak snickerdoodle, but those who induge will find soft notes of vanilla and hints of nutmeg that play well with the rich bourbony flavor.

    Throw one home for Nana.

    Bourbon Balls

    3 cups Nilla Wafers

    1 cup walnuts

    2 cups powdered sugar

    1/4 cup cocoa

    2 tsp. nutmeg

    1/4 cup corn syrup

    1/2 cup + bourbon (Maker’s Mark, Jim Beam, etc.)

    granulated sugar for rolling

    In a food processor, grind up Nilla Wafers. Pour into a large bowl. Grind nuts, add to bowl. Add sugar, cocoa, and nutmeg and stir to evenly combine. In separate bowl mix corn syrup and bourbon, stirring until the syrup is dissolved. Work the liquid into the dry mixture, with your hands for best (but sticky) results. Knead the mix until all ingredients are combined, adding more bourbon if needed. The mix should be firm and sticky, not overly gooey.

    Pull off a small chunk and roll between your palms into about a 2-inch ball. Roll the ball in a shallow bowl of sugar until coated. That’s it.

    Store your bourbon balls in an airtight container and let them age for a few days.

  • Cookie Party

    Do you have a cookie party in your future?

    Is there a massive plan afoot to organize friends/co-workers/relatives/cellmates for a gathering in which an inordinate amount of cookies is exchanged?

    I have a love/hate thing going for the cookie party. The premise is a bit appealing, bake dozens of one kind of cookie and bring it to a social gathering where there will be dozens of other cookies for which you make an even swap: Ta-daa, now for the price of one recipe, you have a huge variety of cookies.

    But (and here comes the Scroogey part) most of them suck.

    Yes, we all know I am a control freak and a bit of a food snob, but I enjoy an M&M cookie just as much as the next coiffed Super-mom. Neither at issue are traditional cookies: iced gingerbread, frosted sugar cookies, spritz or the like. And ugly cookies are always welcome in my house, if it looks like a toddler iced it, great.

    It’s the non-cookies that bother me. Melting a Rolo on top of a bell-shaped pretzel does not a cookie make. Mixing cornflakes into melted chocolate and dropping them into blobs does not a cookie make. Dipping an Oreo halfway into white chocolate? Come one, why don’t you just kick me in the gut. If I’ve spent a whole afternoon mixing and baking and cutting and sandwiching and frosting for you, the least you can do is turn off Guiding Light, put down the Arbor Mist and dust off the Kitchenaid mixer you got as a wedding present.

    I’m not asking for anyone to go overboard, just cream a little butter, throw a little sugar, break an egg or two. Don’t hand me "busy", we’re all busy, there’s maybe two or three people in the state who aren’t. But it doesn’t have to be hard, and it doesn’t have to be elaborate, it just has to be real.

    Just try it this year, go for the real:

    Shortbread is easy and rich and seems like you worked really hard.

    Cranberry Hootycreeks are simple, and fun to say!

    Lace cookies are ridiculously good.

    Mini Black and White’s are worth the effort.

    Gingersnap Raspberry Sandwiches would be a welcome sight.

    There are those who can’t resist Chocolate and Mint or Chocolate and Ginger.

    When in doubt, go classic. Your house will smell amazing.