liquor

How To Make Limoncello

lemons,

vodka (100-proof preferred, or 80-proof)

Peel the lemons: Use a vegetable peeler to remove the peels from all the lemons. Try to remove only the outer yellow skin and as little of the pith as possible. Trim away any large pieces of pith with a paring knife, but don&#x27;t worry about trimming every last scrap.

Cover the peels with vodka: Transfer the lemon peels to a 1-quart jar and cover with vodka. Screw on the lid.

Infuse the vodka: Let the vodka and lemon peels infuse somewhere out of the way and out of direct sunlight for at least 4 days or as long as a month. The longer you let the vodka infuse, the more lemony your limoncello.

Strain the vodka: Line a strainer with a large coffee filter and set it over a 4-cup measuring cup. Strain the infused vodka through the filter. You may need to stir the vodka in the strainer if the flow stops.

Prepare sugar syrup: Prepare a sugar syrup of at least 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar — bring the water to a simmer and stir in the sugar to dissolve; allow to cool.→ You can play with the ratios of water to sugar. Start with 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar, taste the limoncello, and add additional sugar syrup gradually until you reach a flavor you like — up to 4 cups of water with 4 cups of sugar. More water will dilute the alcohol base, making a less alcoholic, milder, and smoother-sipping liqueur. More sugar will make a sweeter limoncello.

Mix the sugar syrup with the infused vodka: Pour the sugar syrup into the infused vodka. Stir gently to mix. Taste and add additional sugar syrup if desired (see above).

Bottle the limoncello: Insert the funnel in the neck of one of the bottles and fill with limoncello. Repeat with remaining bottles.

Chill and store: Chill the limoncello in the fridge or freezer for at least 4 hours before drinking. Limoncello can be kept in the fridge for up to a month or the freezer for up to a year (and often much longer!).

If you've never sampled rum cake, now's the time and here's the recipe! While it's often considered a holiday confection, rum cake is actually a good dessert choice all year 'round. Served with a cup of strong coffee, it's equally satisfying in summer, with fresh berries or peaches, or in winter with a dollop of whipped cream.  

We know you’ll love this gluten-free version of our Caribbean-Style Rum Cake recipe, a long-time favorite here on our site. Substituting Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour for the flour in that original yields an incredibly moist, wonderfully aromatic cake that’s sure to be a hit with friends and family following a gluten-free diet. Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Caribbean Rum Cake

(241 grams) Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour

(298 grams) sugar

vanilla pudding mix (not sugar-free)*

baking powder

salt

(113 grams) unsalted butter

(99 grams) vegetable oil

(113 grams) milk

eggs

(113 grams) rum plain or spiced

vanilla extract

flour

unsalted butter

(57 grams) water

(198 grams) sugar

Rye and Ginger Hot Toddy

rye whiskey

honey

Lemon wedge

water

In a teapot with one cup of water add the ginger.

Heat until the teapot whistles. If using a saucepot to heat your water add the ginger and strain when pouring into your whiskey and honey mixture.

In a mug add the whiskey, honey, and juice of the lemon wedge. Strain the ginger infused hot water into the mug.

A fluffy, sweet, boozy hot milk punch to warm your winter toes.

Tom & Jerry

sugar

aged rum

cinnamon

allspice

cloves

cream of tartar

(10 ounces) Cognac

(10 ounces) aged rum

(20 ounces) hot whole milk

nutmeg,

Make the batter: Place the sugar, egg yolks, rum, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves in a large bowl and whisk until the sugar is mostly dissolved; set aside. Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in a medium bowl and whisk or beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Add the beaten egg whites to the bowl of egg yolks and gently fold until combined.

For a single serving: Place 1/2 cup of the batter in a heated mug. Add 1 ounce of Cognac or brandy and 1 ounce of rum and stir gently to just combine but not deflate the batter. Add 2 ounces of hot milk, stir gently to combine, and garnish with grated nutmeg.

For punch: Place all the batter in a 3-quart punch or serving bowl. Slowly pour in the Cognac and rum and stir gently to combine, being careful not to deflate the batter. Slowly pour in the milk and stir gently to combine. Garnish with grated nutmeg and serve immediately.

The Melon Ball

Midori

vodka

Fresh-squeezed orange juice,

Fresh scooped melon balls, for garnish, optional

In a glass filled with ice, add the Midori and vodka.

German Glühwein

orange

star anise

dry red wine

Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest from the orange in wide strips, taking care to avoid the white pith; set aside. Juice the orange and set the juice aside.

Combine the water and sugar in a large, nonreactive saucepan and boil until the sugar has completely dissolved. Reduce the heat and add the cloves, cinnamon, star anise, orange zest, and orange juice. Simmer until a fragrant syrup forms, about 1 minute.

Reduce the heat further and add the wine. Let it barely simmer for at least 20 minutes but up to a few hours. Keep an eye out so that it doesn&#x27;t reach a full simmer.

Strain and serve in small mugs, adding a shot of rum or amaretto and garnishing with the orange peel and star anise if desired.

Champagne Cocktail

sugar cube

Champagne

lemon twist

Place the sugar cube on the bottom of a Champagne flute or coupe glass. Douse the sugar cube with the bitters and fill the glass with Champagne. Garnish with the lemon twist.

Molasses cookies are surely the most ubiquitous cookie in any New England cookbook you happen to leaf through. They're more venerable than those newcomers, Toll House (chocolate chip) cookies which, after all, are only about 85 years old.
The addition of rum to these spicy cookies helps keep them soft, and also qualifies them for a special name: Joe Froggers. Legend has it that an old man named Joe, who lived by a frog pond in Marblehead, Massachusetts, was famous for his chewy molasses cookies. One day, in thanks to a neighbor for the gift of a jug of rum, he added some of that spirit to a batch of his molasses cookie dough, then gave the cookies to the generous neighbor. Eureka! A rum-laced molasses cookie that quickly earned a great reputation around town and was christened with the name of its creator.

Soft Molasses Cookies

(241 grams) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

ginger

nutmeg

baking soda

(99 grams) sugar

(170 grams) molasses

(71 grams) dark rum

Don't let the color fool you. With its gentle pink hue, the Jasmine may look as prissy and cute as a Hello Kitty armband, and its unassuming appearance and sprightly color has no doubt appealed to many drinkers of the once-ubiquitous Cosmo. But unlike that candy-colored alcopop, the Jasmine is all business, its alluring tint supplied not by the Cosmopolitan's innocuous red cranberry juice but by the intensely garnet Campari, an Italian aperitif famous for its powerful bitter flavor.

The Jasmine Recipe

lemon juice

Campari

Cointreau

Pour ingredients into a cocktail shaker, fill with ice and shake well for 10 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass; garnish with a lemon twist.

Learn the basics of mulling wine and how to make and serve it from a slow cooker. 

Slow Cooker Mulled Wine: The Easiest, Simplest Method

red wine,

brandy

maple syrup

star anise pods

cinnamon sticks

orange,

cinnamon sticks, star anise pods, orange peel

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Stir the wine, brandy, maple syrup, cloves, star anise pods, cinnamon sticks, and orange peel together in a 3- to 4-quart slow cooker.

Heat on LOW for 1 hour. Cover and heat on the LOW setting until hot, about 1 hour.

Lower the heat to warm, ladle into mugs, and garnish. Reduce heat to warm for serving. Ladle into mugs or heatproof glasses and garnish as desired.

We share our secrets for the best Irish coffee, a cocktail of sweetened coffee, Irish whiskey, and whipped cream.

How To Make Irish Coffee

hot, coffee

brown sugar

Irish whiskey

whipped cream (see Recipe Notes)

Preheat your mug, then fill with coffee. Pour hot water into a mug or heatproof glass to take the chill off. Pour out the water. This will also prevent your glass from cracking. Fill the mug about 3/4 full with the coffee.

Add sweetener. Add the granulated and brown sugars and stir until fully dissolved.

Add Irish whiskey. Add the whiskey and stir to incorporate.

Top with whipped cream. If using lightly whipped cream, pour it slowly over a warm spoon onto the coffee, being careful not to break the coffee&#x27;s surface. This takes some practice. A more foolproof way to not break the surface is to whip the cream a bit more and dollop it gently on top. Drink while hot!

Easy pitcher margaritas that serve a crowd, made with just tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice.

3-2-1 Pitcher Margaritas

blanco tequila

orange liqueur,

lime juice (from about 8 limes)

limes,

Place the tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice, and ice in a large pitcher, and stir to combine. Top with the lime slices. Let sit for 5 minutes to allow for some of the ice to melt and mellow the margaritas.

Pour into glasses, adding more ice from the pitcher to each glass as needed. Scoop a couple of lime slices into each glass when serving.

Citrus really shines in this tender orange pound cake. The bourbon in the glaze adds a bit of spice, but if pure sweet orange is what you're craving, feel free to use just juice instead.

Orange Pound Cake with Bourbon Glaze

(227 grams) unsalted butter

(397 grams) granulated sugar

(361 grams) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

(170 grams) orange juice

grated rind (zest) of 1 orange

butter

(113 grams) confectioners' sugar

(28 grams) bourbon or rum

How to Make Homemade Bitters

Bittering agents

Aromatic/Flavor agents

High-proof liquor (at least 100 proof or higher)

Distilled water for diluting (optional)

Sweetener (optional)

Place botanicals in separate jars: Place each botanical (bittering agents or aromatic/flavor agent) in a separate jar. You may wish to chop up or crack ingredients to expose more surface area for better and faster infusion.

Cover with liquor: Add liquor to each jar, making sure the botanicals are completely submerged. Cover the jar tightly.

Label the jars: Don&#x27;t forget to label the jar with the contents and date. You may also wish to write down the measurements you used, either on the label or in separate notes.

Shake the jars once a day: Give each jar a good shake, and continue to shake them once a day.

Wait for botanicals to infuse: Depending on the botanical, infusing time may range from a day to several weeks. Regularly smell and sample each tincture; it will be ready when it strongly conveys the ingredient. To smell, put a couple drops of the infusion in your palms, rub them together, and hold your hands up to your nose. To taste, put a couple drops in a glass of still or sparkling water — or taste it straight but bear in mind it will be rather intense!

Strain: When each tincture is ready, strain out the solids. For finer straining, use a coffee filter.

Blend: Now comes the creative part. Using a dropper, pipette, or syringe, start blending the different tinctures together in a small glass or clean bitters bottle. You might use anywhere from a couple drops to a full ounce or two of each tincture. Optionally, you can dilute it with distilled water and/or lightly sweeten it. (Remember to take notes so you can reproduce your bitters recipe if it turns out well!) Try your blend using the smelling and tasting tips in Step 5. Give it a few days or weeks for the flavors to really marry.

Bottle: If you didn&#x27;t blend your bitters right in the bottle, transfer the mixture to a clean container. It can last for years!

An unparalleled confection: creamy, coffee-flavored, and decadently delicious.

Tiramisu Layer Cake

(113 grams) water

espresso powder

(50 grams) sugar

(227 grams) mascarpone cheese

(227 grams) heavy cream

(35 grams) confectioners' sugar

Instant ClearJel

(57 grams) amaretto liqueur

The spicy, herbaceous take on a floral gin and tonic is just the cocktail to tickle your taste buds with during happy hour!

Serrano Cilantro Gin and Tonic

serrano pepper, thinly sliced (seeded if you don't like it spicy)

cilantro leaves, stems removed and roughly chopped

oz gin

lime

Tonic

cilantro leaves, serrano peppers

Pour the lime juice and gin into the...

Pour the lime juice and gin into the highball glass.

Add the cilantro and 4 to 5 slices...

Add the cilantro and 4 to 5 slices of serrano pepper. Muddle for 30 seconds, until the they've broken up.

Fill 3/4 of the way with ice cubes.

Fill the remainder of the glass with tonic.

Garnish with a bunch of cilantro and additional...

Garnish with a bunch of cilantro and additional serrano peppers if desired.

Sure, you know how to throw a fancy pasta night and make pizza from scratch. But every meal should end with something sweet, right? Right. Enter this recipe for mini tiramisu. Individually sized and made with coffee and booze, this Italian classic has never been easier to whip up.

Mini Tiramisu

milk

sugar, divided

mascarpone cheese

coffee, cooled to room temperature

ladyfinger cookies

Cocoa powder, as needed for finishing

If the apples aren’t cold when you wrap them, the dough won’t adhere, so make sure to put them in the fridge before you start on the dough for this apple dumplings recipe. For added texture and more fall flavors, stuff 1 Tbsp. cranberries, raisins, or pecans into the space where the apple cores used to be.

Apple Dumplings

all-purpose flour,

unsalted

Calvados

apple cider vinegar

sweet-tart

unsalted butter, melted

All-purpose flour (for dusting)

egg,

Granulated sugar (for dusting)

Vanilla ice cream

Bon Appétit

Pulse granulated sugar, salt, and 2 cups flour in a food processor until combined. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with a few pieces of butter visible, about fifteen 1-second pulses. With the motor running, quickly drizzle in Calvados and vinegar, then continue to pulse until dough is still crumbly but just holds together when squeezed.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead 1–2 times, pressing to incorporate any shaggy pieces. Divide into 4 pieces, then press each into a 3"-diameter disk. Wrap each with plastic and chill at least 1 hour.

Do Ahead: Dough can be made 1 day ahead; keep chilled.

Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and salt in a medium bowl. Brush each apple half with butter, making sure to cover all sides completely. Dredge in brown sugar mixture, pressing to adhere.

Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out dough on lightly floured parchment or wax paper to a 10½x7½" rectangle. With the short side closest to you, place 1 apple half, flat side down, 1" away from the short side. Brush egg wash around apple. Using parchment to help you, lift dough at end farthest from you and fold over apple; seal edges. Trim, leaving about a ¾" border around apple. Brush with egg wash and fold border in on itself; pinch and crimp to seal. Brush with egg wash, then sprinkle with granulated sugar. Cut 3 slits on top and transfer to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and apples. Freeze 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425°. Bake dumplings until crust is set and golden brown, 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300°, then loosely tent dumplings with foil. Continue baking until a tester inserted into the apple passes through with little resistance, about 30 minutes. Let cool 30 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream.

Do Ahead: Dumplings can be baked 1 day ahead; cover and chill. Rewarm in a 250° oven 10–15 minutes.

Use your favorite dried fruits, plus candied cherries and nuts, in this light-gold, mildly flavored cake. Or use the fruit/nut combination suggested below.

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