SIGNATURE COCKTAIL RECIPE: THE SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN

One gracious way to set the tone for a party or a wedding is to serve guests a signature cocktail as they arrive. As a host, having a pre-made cocktail does make bartending duties easier. I love to have a large tray of drinks waiting for guests at the door so they can help themselves and immediately mingle.

For weddings, you can use a signature cocktail to bring some of your heritage or personal style to the party and it does help reduce costs if you serve it in place of a full bar.

The Southern Gentleman cocktail is bourbon, mint, and blackberries with a float of Prosecco on top. This cocktail was crafted for Kathleen & Keith's New Year's Eve wedding in Palm Beach as tribute to the couple's Southern heritage-Kathleen is from New Orleans, her husband Keith is from Jacksonville. Everyone raved about it that night! (Kudos to Aaron's Catering/International Polo Club Palm Beach for crafting it perfectly!) This goes down really easy. Even the non-bourbon drinkers like it!

Because everyone asked for the recipe, Keith asked me to show him how to make it. We recreated it last week at their home. This recipe is for one cocktail but it is easy to make for a big crowd. Instead of muddling the blackberries, I use a stick blender to puree them and then strain. If you don't have a stick blender, you can use a wooden spoon and a mesh sieve to achieve the same results. It just takes longer.

THE SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN COCKTAIL

INGREDIENTS

1 ounce simple syrup, chilled
4-5 fresh blackberries
4-5 fresh mint leaves, torn
1 1/2 ounces bourbon
Splash of chilled Prosecco

INSTRUCTIONS
Make a simple syrup using equal parts sugar and water. (Put water and sugar in a sauce pot- stir to combine.  Bring to boil, once it boils remove from heat. Stir to dissolve sugar and let cool completely.

For 1:
Muddle 4-5 fresh or frozen blackberries and 4-5 torn mint leaves in a shaker with an ounce of simple syrup, crushing the berries and bruising the mint.  (I allow to sit for a while to absorb- but you don't have to)

Add 1 1/2 ounces bourbon- we used Buffalo Trace for this recipe.

Shake well. Taste. You may want a bit more simple syrup depending on how sweet the berries are.

Pour over crushed ice and top with a float of chilled Prosecco.

RECIPE: THE BEST EVER CHOCOLATE BIRTHDAY CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Nothing says party like cake... and for me, nothing says delicious like a homemade chocolate cake. I've used this recipe for so many years, I cannot remember where I first got it. I know it did not come from my mother because she rarely made cakes and because my father didn't like chocolate, she certainly never made a chocolate cake. I started making this cake when I was in high school for parties I'd have at my house. There may have been a bakery in our neighborhood in those days but I never went to it because we made everything from scratch. There was a time when I made 7-Minute Icing for this chocolate cake but 7-minute icing is finicky and people seem to like the chocolate on chocolate better.

Make sure to use fresh baking powder and baking soda so you get a nice, fluffy cake.

PERFECT CHOCOLATE BIRTHDAY CAKE

INGREDIENTS

2 cups granulated sugar

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

1 recipe Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (recipe follows)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. (You can use Baker's Joy but I prefer the outcome using the grease-flour method)

Sift together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and kosher salt and add it to the bowl of your mixer. With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time. Add the milk, oil, and vanilla and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Remove from the stand. Stir in the boiling water (the batter will be thin). Pour the batter into the prepared pans.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Allow to cool completely before icing with the Perfect Chocolate Buttercream Frosting recipe below.

(For a sheet cake, use a 13x9x2 pan and bake for 35-40 minutes)

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CHOCOLATE SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

A Swiss buttercream is made using egg whites and not just butter (or shortening as some old recipes call for) to make it extra fluffy and lighter than a butter only buttercream. I like both but wanted to share this one-- or you can make traditional buttercream using just butter, powdered sugar, and chocolate. The one on the Hershey's Cocoa box is perfect. Can't go wrong with that!

INGREDIENTS

1 pound bittersweet chocolate

12 ounces semisweet chocolate

3/4 cup egg whites (4-5 extra-large eggs), at room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 pounds unsalted butter, room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

Chop the chocolates and place them in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan simmering water. Stir until melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

Mix the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Place the bowl of egg whites over the pan of simmering water and heat the egg whites until they are warm to the touch, about 5 minutes. Return the bowl to the electric mixer and whisk on high speed for 5 minutes, or until the meringue is cool and holds a stiff peak.

Add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, while beating on medium speed. Scrape down the bowl, add the melted chocolate, vanilla, and mix for 1 minute or until the chocolate is completely blended in. If the buttercream seems very soft, allow it to cool, and beat it again. If you want to make it extra special or cannot get your icing to look exactly perfect, top with chocolate curls like I did in the photo above. There are easy to make.

HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE CURLS

Melt some chocolate using a double boiler. Remove from the heat. Take a clean baking sheet and spread a thin layer of the chocolate onto it and place it in the freezer for 5 minutes. To make the curls, use a thin metal spatula or a clean putty knife. Press the edge of the spatula under the edge of the chocolate and push it forward... the chocolate will roll up. Place on another baking sheet lined with parchment paper and put back into the freezer to firm up. When you are ready to use, simply decorate the cake as desired... also a great garnish for ice cream!

COMFORT FOOD RECIPE: A CLASSIC IRISH BEEF STEW

On St. Patrick’s Day, we’re all Irish… and during the cold winter months, we’re all usually craving food that is warm, comforting, and hearty and Irish Beef Stew recipe has all of those characteristics. It really could not be easier to make and it is also very affordable so it is the perfect recipe for a St. Paddy’s Day (or any) celebration. Traditionalists would say Irish stew would be made with lamb or mutton, neither of which are common ingredients in the USA so I make mine with beef.

Note: Add the carrots and potatoes later in the process so they don’t disintegrate totally during cooking, but you do want the potatoes to help thicken the stew as it cooks. For this reason, I add a few potatoes when I add the carrots and reserve the rest for the final 20 minutes of cooking time so they have some texture left.

IRISH BEEF STEW

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 1/2 -3 pounds boneless chuck, cut into 2” cubes (you can use stew meat or ask the butcher to cut into cubes for you)

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

1 white onion, diced small

1 bottle Guinness lager

2-3 cups beef broth, depending on how thick you like your stew

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 whole cloves

1 bay leaf

3 sprigs fresh thyme

3 sprigs fresh Italian parsley plus more for garnish

6 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2" pieces

4-5 Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2" cubes 

DIRECTIONS:

Tie the parsley and the thyme together in a bundle using kitchen twine to make it easy to remove. Set aside.

Add the flour, salt, pepper to a large zip top bag. Shake to combine. Add the meat to the bag and shake to coat all of the pieces evenly.

Add the olive oil to a Dutch oven and place over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the contents of the bag to the pan and brown, turning the meat frequently to cook on all sides, about 10 minutes.

Add the onion and cook for approximately 3 minutes, stirring often. Once softened slightly, add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes more.

Deglaze the pan using the beer, scraping up the browned bits of flour from the pan as you go. Stir until you reach a smooth consistency. Once you do, add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, clove, thyme, and parsley.

Bring to a simmer.

Reduce the heat to medium-low. Check after 40 minutes. Stir gently and determine if you need to add more liquid. Add the carrots and a few potatoes. Cover and continue cooking.

After one hour, check again and add the remaining potatoes. You may need to add a bit more broth. Check the seasoning now and determine if you need more salt or pepper. Cook for an additional 20-30 minutes or until the carrots are fork tender.

When done, remove the cloves, thyme, parsley, and bay leaf. Serve over buttered wide egg noodles or with a toasted slice of crusty bread. Garnish with a bit of chopped parsley.

IRISH GUINNESS BEEF STEW RECIPE/MARTIE DUNCAN