Shortbread Blood Orange Tartlets with Bourbon Butterscotch Ice Cream

“This ice cream kicks the pants off of that new hipster ice cream place that just opened up in my neighborhood!” My sisters came to visit this weekend and I wanted to make them something special...something really special. One of them lives in West Philly and she was mentioning this new “hipster” ice cream place that just opened up in her neighborhood - it’s supposed to be all the rage with unique and off-the-wall flavors combinations. That got me thinking about making ice cream again. I have made many many ice creams and tried many many recipes, and all of them seem to fall short: too icy, too dense, bland, etc. Each of these bad recipes has taught me something about making ice cream in general and finally, with this Bourbon Butterscotch ice cream, I think I have finally developed a winning recipe.

The next issue was the blood orange tartlets. I poured over the internet, searching for inspiration. All citrus-filled tart/pie recipes I found used the citrus in a curd and were served cold. Nobody likes a cold tart with ice cream. Ice cream should be served over something warm so it melts and melds with the treat it is sitting atop. Then I began looking through my stack of old family recipes. I found this recipe given to me by my mother-in-law for maple syrup pie and that got me to thinking…

I think I’ve adapted that favorite family pie recipe into something special, but I’ll let her be the judge of that next time she comes for a visit...

What You’ll Need:

For the Ice Cream

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon molasses

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

2 ¼ cups heavy cream (divided in ¾ cup and 1 ½ cups)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons bourbon

1 cup whole milk

4 large egg yolks

For the Shortbread Tart Crust                                    

1 cup flour

⅓ cup confectioners sugar

⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt

½ cold, unsalted butter

1 tablespoon whole milk

For the Blood Orange Filling

2 cups fresh squeezed blood orange juice (about 8 blood oranges)

½ cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons cold water

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. First, let’s make the butterscotch for the ice cream. In a large saucepot, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the brown sugar and salt. Stir with a spatula until the sugar is completely coated with the butter. Continue to stir for about 5 minutes until the sugar is melted. Make sure you get the corners of the pan as you stir. When the sugar is completely melted, add the cream, vanilla and bourbon. The mixture bubble and fizz violently so be careful not to get it on your skin. Whisk the mixture for 10 minutes and bring it to a boil. While gently whisking, let the mixture boil for about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand while we prepare the custard for the ice cream.
2. Using an electric mixer or whisk, beat the egg yolks on medium speed until thickened and light yellow, about 3 minutes with an electric mixer. Next, heat the cream and milk in a medium saucepot over medium heat until tiny bubbles appear at the edges and the milk starts to steam (this is called scalding). Whisking the egg yolks constantly, pour ¼ of the cream mixture over the whisked eggs yolks. Continue to whisk until the egg yolks are completely incorporated. Return the egg yolk and cream mixture back to the saucepot. Cook and whisk over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes until the mixture can coat the back of a spoon. You should be able to draw a line with your finger through the custard and the line should stay sharp and not ooze back in on itself. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butterscotch. Pour the custard into a tightly sealed tupperware (like pyrex) and refrigerate overnight. The next day, pour the custard into your ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions.
3. Now let’s get down to business - the tartlets. First, let’s make the shortbread crust. Combine the flour, confectioner’s sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor or large bowl. Pulse or whisk a few times to combine the ingredients. Next, scatter the cold butter pieces over the flour. Pulse the mixture or use a pastry cutter to combine until the mixture is very fine and resembles cornmeal. Pour the cold whole milk over the top and stir with a fork until the mixture comes together in one mass. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Using for fingers, push the dough into the bottom and sides of 4 tartlet pans. Once the dough is firmly pressed into each pan, place the crusts in the refrigerator for 30 minutes and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. After the crusts have been chilled, cover them with tin foil and use pie weights or rice to weight down the foil. Place them in the oven for 15 minutes. Take the crusts out and let them cool. Remove the foil.
4. While the crusts cool, let’s make the filling. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the blood orange juice and sugar in a medium saucepot. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook over medium high heat until it has reduced by ¼, about 5 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water. Once the cornstarch is thoroughly dissolved into the water, add the mixture to the blood orange juice and stir until incorporated. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, on medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the butter and stir until the butter is completely melted. Pour the filling into the tart crusts and place the tarts into the oven. Bake for 10 minutes. When you remove the tartlets, the filling will be VERY hot. It is best to bake them on a cookie sheet so you can remove them easily. Let the tartlets cool for 30 minutes at room temperature and serve with a dollop of the butterscotch ice cream.

Yield: 4 cups ice cream and 4 - 4 ¼” tartlets

"Old Fashioned" Oatmeal Cookies

What could be better then the perfect combination of my favorite cocktail and my favorite cookie? These "Old Fashioned" Oatmeal cookies are just that - deliciously sweet with a zesty bite from the whiskey and orange zest, but still heartily earthy with the oats and dried cherries. These cookies are fun and playful and sure to get a few chuckles of approval from your friends.

What You'll Need:

½ cup butter

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons Angostura bitters

3 tablespoons whiskey

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed orange juice

½ teaspoon orange zest

1 ½ cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups oats

1 cup dried cherries

1. Preheat your oven to 350.
2. Using an electric or stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugars until combined.
3. Add the egg and continue to beat until the batter is light and fluffy.
4. Add the bitters, whiskey, orange juice and zest until mixture is thoroughly combined.
5. In a separate bowl, add the flour, soda, powder and salt. Whisk to combine.
6. Add the dry mixture to the wet in 2 parts, beating after each addition until thoroughly combined.
7. Mix in the oats and cherries until fully incorporated into the batter.
8. Using a tablespoon, dollop out each cookie onto a greased cookie sheet. Be sure to space them about 1" apart so they do not run into each other as they bake.
9. Bake for 11-14 minutes until golden brown on the bottom.

Devour alongside an old fashioned made with your favorite whiskey!

Yield: about 24 cookies

Sweet Whey Bread with Fresh Rosemary Cheese and Bourbon Fig Compote

My, my that sounds complicated - but it isn't! I came up with this bread recipe because I hated to waste the left over whey that comes with making cheese. It is a sweet, dense bread with a light crust and it only uses a few ingredients that you most likely have on hand (with the exception of the whey of course). The compote is great for canning and looks beautiful when spread over the cheese*. With the sweetness of the bread, the saltiness of the cheese and the tanginess of the compote, this tasty tidbit it sure to please!

*see my previous post for the cheese recipe

What You'll Need:

Sweet Whey Bread

3 cups white flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 cup of whey

1 egg

1/3 cup of sugar

Bourbon Fig Compote

1 ½ cups dried, chopped figs

¼ cup bourbon

¼ cup fresh orange juice

2 tblsp brown sugar

¼ tsp orange zest

¼ tsp ground clove

For the bread:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine the flour, soda and salt in a large bowl. Sift them together, or do what I do and run a whisk through the mixture a few times.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the whey, egg and sugar. Beat on high until foamy and tripled in volume.
4. By stand mixer or by hand: 
• By stand mixer: switch to the kneading attachment and turn on to a low speed. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in 3 parts. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic about 5 minutes. The dough will be sticky and soft.
• By hand: slowly fold in the dry ingredients to the wet in 3 parts. Once all flour is incorporated, turn out the dough onto a floured work surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. The dough will be sticky and soft.
5. Once your dough is ready, form it into a loaf and place it on a buttered and floured cookie sheet. Brush the top with any leftover whey or melted butter. Run a knife down the center of the bread to make a slit for air to escape as it bakes.
6. Bake for about 45 to 50 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
7. Let cool on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes before serving. Be sure to slice the bread as thinly as possible, about ¼" thick to serve.

For the compote:

1. Place all of the ingredients into a medium size sauce pot over medium heat.
2. Stir constantly until the liquid is absorbed and the fig starts to break down, about 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Serve warm or can it to save for later.

Yield: About 12 ounces

Enjoy!

Bourbon Soaked Apple and Hazelnut Biscotti

My husband and I love to have after-dinner coffee and a biscotti every evening. Since we do this every night, it is a challenge to come up with creative variations on this humble little cookie. This is my newest recipe, and I think it is my favorite thus far...

What You'll need

½ cup of apple cider

¼ cup Bourbon (I like Four Roses)

1 baking apple (such as Cortland, Mac, or Braeburn)

2 eggs

¾ cup white sugar

½ cup butter, melted and cooled

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ teaspoon almond extract (optional but it makes a BIG difference)

1 tablespoon cinnamon

2 cups all purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup of hazelnuts (feel free to add more if you'd like)

·      Preheat oven to 350.

·      Lightly butter a cookie sheet. Dust with flour so it is covered and set aside.

·      Peel the apple and cut into tiny cubes, about ¼" on each side.

·      Place the cider, bourbon, and apple cubes in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator overnight.

·      When the apples are ready, begin making the dough. With an electric beater or stand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until light in color and fluffy.

·      Add the cooled butter (it is important it is cool so it does not cook the eggs…ew) and extracts. Mix until blended.

·      In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. You can sift these together if you like, but I always just take a whisk do a real good once over - who has time to sift?

·      Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture very slowly and mix until blended.

·      Remove the apples from the fridge and strain them. We don't want any of that extra liquid in the dough. Feel free to take the extra liquid and make yourself a cocktail!

·      Using a spatula or spoon, mix the apples and hazelnuts into the dough.

·      Halve the dough using your spoon and scoop the half onto one side of the prepared cookie sheet. Take the other half of dough and do the same on the other side of the sheet. Try to get the two piles as equal as possible.

·      Using damp hands (this prevents the dough from sticking to you), form the piles into logs about 10" long and 4" wide. Smooth the edges and try to make the corners as square as possible.

·      Place the sheet in the oven and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and fragrant.

·      Once they are done, remove them from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes.

·      Reduce the oven temperature to 300.

·      Once your logs are done cooling, transfer them to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut each log crosswise into slices about 1" thick. Place each slice, cut side down, back on the cookie sheet.

·      Return to the oven and bake for another 18 - 22 minutes until golden brown and crisp.

·      Let these cool completely before you handle them as they are fragile when they first come out of the oven. They will harden as they cool.

·      Place in your cookie jar and enjoy!

Yield: about 24 cookies