Bubbly Gin and Grapefruit Cocktail

Last year was the first time I tasted gin and grapefruit juice together.  My eyes were opened! Gin and tonics never impressed my taste buds, so I had all but given up on the liquor. Enter tart and tangy grapefruit juice. The grapefruit bitterness cuts the herbal note of the gin, and you are instead left with a fruity, floral combination with a kick.
I like a strong cocktail and this is one of my favorites. It hits the right bit of sweet, tart, bitter, and sour which a perfect cocktail must achieve. Let me know if you agree!

Bubbly Gin and Grapefruit Cocktail

Ingredients:

1 Ounce Gin
1 Ounce Grapefruit Juice
1 Ounce Sparkling Wine
1/2 Ounce of Sweet Vermouth
Several Splashes of Bitters

Preparation:

In a cocktail mixer, with some ice, pour in all ingredients except the sparkling wine. Shake a few good times, then pour through your strainer into a cocktail glass. Top with the sparkling wine!

Chocolate Truffles Three Ways

Each year I endeavor to come up with a new home-made Christmas item. This year, I was a little slow off the mark, but Design Sponge shared a brilliant idea. These truffles from Johnny Battles of Sweeteeth were so inventive that I had to give them a try, (with a twist, of course!) Here, I have down-sized the recipe a bit and used another three combinations of flavors: Lavender and Star Anise; Pink Peppercorn and Orange; and Vanilla Curry. These are very easy to make and you could add any of your own flavors, as it is so easy to modify! Thank you so much to Mr. Johnny Battles and Design Sponge! I feel like I might actually be ready for Christmas now!

Lavender and Star Anise Chocolate Truffles

Yield: Approximately 40 Truffles.

Ingredients:

7 Ounces of 60% Dark Chocolate (From a bar, not baking chocolate)
6 Ounces of Heavy Cream
2 Ounces of Light Corn Syrup
1 Tablespoon of Star Anise
3 3 Inch Sprigs of Lavender
1/2 Cup of Cocoa Powder for Dusting

Cooking:

Chop your chocolate into small bits. The smaller you chop, the quicker it will melt and you will have less issues making the ganache smooth. Place the bits into a large glass or stainless bowl. In a saucepan on the stove, heat the cream, corn syrup, star anise and lavender on high heat until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and cover for 15 minutes. Place back on eye and heat until it comes to a boil again. Pour through a fine mesh strainer over chocolate. With a whisk, beat the chocolate cream mixture until there are no lumps and it is smooth. You can re-heat it over a double boiler or for 10 second intervals in the microwave if it cools too much and there are still lumps. I didn't have this problem though, so hopefully you will not. Pour into a shallow glass or metal pan. Cover with plastic wrap, with the wrap pressed to the ganache mixture. Cool in the fridge for approximately 1-1/2 hours, or until it is set. It will be firm, but still gives a little when you press it. Take a pan and sift cocoa powder into it. Remove the cooled ganache from the fridge. With a small spoon, gather approximately 3/4 teaspoon of the mixture (this does not have to be accurate at all, they're fun when uneven) and roll in your hands to soften the edges, then drop into the cocoa. Coat them entirely in the cocoa and place in an air-tight container. These will keep in the fridge for up to 8 months!


Pink Peppercorn and Orange Chocolate Truffles

Yield: Approximately 40 Truffles.

Ingredients:

7 Ounces of 60% Dark Chocolate (From a bar, not baking chocolate)
6 Ounces of Heavy Cream
2 Ounces of Light Corn Syrup
1 Tablespoon of Pink Peppercorns, Crushed in a Mortar and Pestle
3 3 Inch Pieces of Orange Peel, without Pith
1/2 Cup of Cocoa Powder for Dusting

Cooking:

Repeat above, but substitute Pink Peppercorns and Orange Peel for Star Anise and Lavender.




Vanilla Curry Chocolate Truffles


Yield: Approximately 40 Truffles.

Ingredients:

7 Ounces of 60% Dark Chocolate (From a bar, not baking chocolate)
6 Ounces of Heavy Cream
2 Ounces of Light Corn Syrup
1 Vanilla Bean

2 Teaspoons of Curry Powder

1/2 Cup of Cocoa Powder for Dusting



Cooking:


Slice the vanilla bean down the length and scrape the seeds from the inside. Put both the bean and seeds into the cream, along with 1 teaspoon of the curry powder. Repeat as above without the Star Anise and Lavender. For the dusting, add the remaining teaspoon of curry powder into the cocoa pan for a little extra punch!

Earl Grey Shortbreads

One of the many things I love about food blogging is the welcoming community of other food bloggers. Last month, my friend, Kristina,  who is a fabulous blogger and crafter, told me about the GIANT food blogger cookie swap happening this year. Julie of The Little Kitchen and Lindsay of Love and Olive Oil collaborated on organizing one of the largest cookie swaps ever, with over 22,000 cookies being mailed out! I really wanted to be a part of something that big! It was such fun to develop a recipe, come up with some cute packaging and send out a dozen cookies to each of these fabulous bloggers: Bibberche, Snack Time Munchies, and Sorelle e Cibo. In return, I received some chocolate biscotti dipped in peppermint candy from Shannon The Cookie Monster, some sprinkled chocolate thumbprint cookies from Natalie of Oven Love, and I also received some great hazelnut cookies, but I'm not sure who they were sent by!
I am a huge fan of tea, which you may already know, so I am constantly coming up with things into which I might incorporate tea flavors.  This recipe idea came to me from a Food and Wine Magazine recipe for Green Tea Sables. My recipe is a little more complicated, though, because with Earl Grey, you have to steep the tea into the butter to infuse the flavor. I feel it's definitely worth the extra effort!  The Bergamot in the Earl Grey gives these buttery cookies just the slightest floral note, perfect for an afternoon snack.

Earl Grey Shortbreads

Yield: 36 Cookies

Ingredients:

3 Sticks of Butter, at Room Temperature
3-1/2 Tablespoons of Loose Leaf Earl Grey Tea
2-1/2 Cups of All-Purpose Flour
1-1/4 Cups of Powdered Sugar
1 Teaspoon of Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon of Salt

Cooking:

In a saucepan, put in the 3 sticks of butter and melt on low, careful not to let it boil. When the butter has completely melted, add in the tea. Remove from the heat. Let the tea steep in the butter for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Line a dish with plastic wrap and pour in the melted butter through a fine mesh sieve. Press the the tea leaves to squeeze out any remaining butter. Place the strained butter in the fridge and let cool until solid. (This can be made ahead.) Remove the butter from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. In a mixer, whip the room temperature butter until light and fluffy on high speed. Add in, slowly, the sugar. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda. Next, with the mixer on slow, add in the flour mixture. Continue mixing until the butter mixture is incorporated into the dry. Remove from the mixing bowl and bring together two disks. Wrap in plastic and allow to cool for 20 minutes in the fridge. Preheat the oven to 325. Remove your dough and roll out the mixture on a lightly floured surface to approximately 1/4 inch. The dough will be slightly crumbly, but as you roll it out, it should begin to stick together. With a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1 inch by 2 inch strips. Place on a greased cookie sheet or a silicone baking mat with about 3/4 inch space around each cookie. Bake for approximately 14-16 minutes. The cookies will be just very, very slightly golden at the corners. Let them cool completely before removing them from the cookie sheet.

Golden Holiday Table Setting

After much deliberation, I have decided that I would like to incorporate the design of entertaining into FoodVictorian. This is the first of a new series called, Tablescaping! I love having parties and a lot of the fun of a party, for me, is the decorating. So, without further ado...

If you haven't seen This is Glamorous yet, it's a gorgeous blog, filled with lovely, lovely images and thoughts.

via Belgian Pearls via This is Glamorous

I love this golden, extravagant holiday table setting! Wouldn't this make the most lovely dinner party? Minty greens, blacks, linen, silver and golds...what a pretty color palette!