Homemade Root Beer

Ingredients:

1⁄4 oz. dried sassafras root bark
1⁄4 oz. dried birch bark
1⁄4 oz. dried sarsaparilla root
1⁄8 oz. dried licorice root
1  1" piece fresh ginger, unpeeled
   and thinly sliced
1 vanilla bean, split
2 cups molasses
1⁄8 tsp. active dry yeast
 

Directions:

 

Put sassafras root bark, birch bark, sarsaparilla root, licorice root, ginger, 1vanilla bean, and 2 qts. water into a medium pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 2 hours.

Strain root-infused liquid through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a plastic container that has been washed well with hot, soapy water. (Discard solids.) Add 2 qts. filtered water, stir well, and let cool to 75°.

Meanwhile, wash four 1-liter plastic soda bottles with hot, soapy water. Rinse well and air-dry. Stir molasses and dry yeast into the root-infused liquid; cover and set aside to let ferment for 15 minutes. Using a funnel, pour into bottles, filling to within 2" of top but no higher. Screw lids on tightly; set aside at room temperature to let ferment for 12 hours.

Chill for 2–5 days. The root beer's character will slowly change: after 2 days, it will taste strongly of molasses; at the end of 5 days the yeast will have eaten up more of the sugary molasses, creating a milder and slightly alcoholic beverage. When it's ready to drink, open bottles very slowly, easing the caps open little by little, to let any excess gas escape gradually. (Yeast produces a high level of natural carbonation that makes for a very fizzy drink.) Serve over ice.

Shamrock Shake

Ingredients:

• 2 cups vanilla ice cream
• 1 ¼ cups milk
• ¼ teaspoon mint extract
• 8 drops green food coloring 

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until smooth.

Stop blender to stir with a spoon if necessary to help blend ice cream.

Pour into 12-ounce cups and serve each with a straw.

Hot Spicy Cider

Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

Hot Chocolate

4 1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup sugar

Garnishes

Espresso shots
1 toffee candy bar, crumbled (recommended: Heath Bar)
Mini marshmallows
Cinnamon-Sugar, recipe follows

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, heat 4 cups of the milk over low heat, being very careful not to let the milk boil. In a small bowl, mix together the cocoa, sugar, and the remaining 1/2 cup milk. Add the cocoa mixture to the warm milk, and continue to warm the cocoa until hot.

Pour into 4 mugs and serve along with the garnishes.

Old Fashioned Eggnog

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups of whole milk
1 cup of heavy whipping cream
3 beaten eggs
1/3 cup of sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. nutmeg (for garnish)
1/4 tsp. nutmeg (for eggnog)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 tbs of confectioners sugar
1/4 to 1/2 cup of rum (omit this if for children)

Directions:

In a sauce pan, combine 1/3 cup of sugar, eggs and 1/8th tsp. of salt and beat the mixture with a fork or if you have one, a wired whisk. Slowly incorporate milk into the mixture and whisk until smooth. Continue stirring constantly and cook over medium heat, add nutmeg.  Mixture is finished when it has the ability to coat a metallic utensil.

Remove your mixture from the heat at this point and this is an ideal time to add the vanilla extract. Cool your mixture right in the sauce pan by placing the sauce pan in a large bowl of ice water. Making sure that none of the water of course gets into the mixture itself. Continue stirring during the process so that the mixture does not solidify. Once cooled, place pan in refrigerator.

Using the same ice water bowl, which should now be chilled, dump the ice water out and mix together confectioners sugar and heavy whipping cream.  Beat with an electric mixer until you have solid stiff peaks that form.  At this time if you are making an alcoholic version this would be the time to add the rum. If not, fold this mixture now into your refrigerated custard mixture. Serve in a beautiful punch bowl, and sprinkle additional nutmeg over it.

Margarita Popsicles

Ingredients

1 batch Classic Lime Margaritas
12 3 oz disposable paper cups
12 wooden popsicle sticks or spoons

Directions:

Pour 2 1/2 ounces (5 Tbsp) of margarita into each cup.

Place cups into a baking dish and put the dish in the freezer.

After about 2 hours, start checking the popsicles. Once they're frozen enough to support the wooden stick, insert a stick into each popsicle, pushing 3/4 of the way into the popsicle.

Let freeze several more hours or until completely frozen (I let them freeze overnight)

To serve, peel the paper cup away from the popsicle, starting at the seam of the cup, and carefully remove the bottom.

Classic Lime Margarita Mix

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (10-12 limes)
1/2 cup silver tequila
1/2 cup orange liqueur
lime wedges/slices for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Heat water and sugar in a small sauce pan until completely dissolved and the water is clear. Let cool.

Pour into a pitcher with lime juice, tequila, and orange liqueur.

Pour over ice and garnish with lime slices.

To make frozen margaritas, freeze the limeade into ice cubes. Blend the ice cubes with chilled tequila and orange liqueur until uniformly slushy.

Grilled Lemon Lemonade

Ingredients/Directions:

Cut about 16 lemons in half. Dip sides in sugar, and place over hot coals. Make a rosemary simple syrups by pouring equal parts water, sugar, and honey into a disposable aluminum foil pan. Add a few fresh rosemary sprigs, and place pan on grill.

Grill about 10 minutes or until you see a golden caramelized color on the lemons. Meanwhile, your simple syrup should be heating up nicely and getting lots of good flavor from those sprigs.

Let the grilled lemons cool slightly. Place a wire-mesh strainer in a pitcher, and squeeze the juice from the lemons. (The heat softens the lemons for easy squeezing.) Add water and rosemary simple syrup to taste. Add a splash of bourbon for a mellow finish; serve over ice.

Spanish Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:
* Sweet Chocolate Version
* 2 8-ounce cups (250 ml) whole milk
* 4 ounces (113 gr) milk chocolate
* 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
* Baking Chocolate Version
* 2 8-ounce (250 ml) cups whole milk
* 3 ounces=3 squares (93 gr) baking chocolate
* 1/3-1/2 cup sugar
* 1/2 tsp. cornstarch

Directions:
With either type of chocolate, the process is almost the same:

Pour the milk into a medium saucepan and add the cornstarch. Whisk to dissolve the cornstarch. Once the cornstarch is dissolved, heat the milk on medium heat just until it boils, then remove from heat. Add the chocolate squares immediately and begin stirring until the chocolate is completely melted. If the milk cools off too fast, place the pan back on the stove on low heat to melt the chocolate.

If you are using baking chocolate, which is unsweetened, pour the sugar into the chocolate milk mixture and stir until thoroughly dissolved.

Place the pan back on the stove on medium low heat, stirring slowly, but constantly. (Do not cook the mixture over high heat because it may cause lumping.) Taste the chocolate for sweetness and add more sugar if necessary. The mixture should thicken quickly. As soon as you see it thicken, remove the pan from the heat so the cornstarch will not thin. Ladle immediately into cups and serve piping hot.

Note: Be sure to use a clean spoon every time you taste the chocolate. Enzymes from your mouth can cause a thickened cornstarch mixture to thin.