Succumb to the Rum - Liquor Laced Chocolate Truffles

I realized, a couple days ago, that I have not previously touched on truffles.  Oh, I have touched on Ganache several times, but I stayed focused on poured and whipped ganache instead of traversing into the arena of the truffle.  For that is all a truffle really is - a Ganache that has been chilled and rolled into some semblance of an orb.  Then, when I do write a post regarding truffles, I bombard everyone with the somewhat questionable addition of glutamate laden cheese to the ganache.

SO, I have decided to post my basic no frills truffle recipe... (it makes about 20-24)  It will hold up to 2 TB of liquor whether it's Chambord, Rum, Bourbon, Drambuie, Irish Whiskey, Creme de Cassis, Cointreau, Frangelico, Kahlua, Galliano, Benedictine, Pama, Campari, Bailey's, Tuaca, Limoncello, Malibu, or Gran Marnier.  Wine is a slightly different story, as it contains a significant amount of water.  I try to go for 1/4 cup, that has been simmered and reduced to about 2 TB before adding it to the cream.  Extracts?  Up to 1 1/2 tsp, depending... Almond is more potent than your standard Vanilla, so use your best judgement.

Which brings me to a very good point.  I add any liquor, extract or wine (or espresso for that matter) to the actual cream right after it comes to temperature on the stove.  Not only does it cool the cream slightly, to ensure it doesn't scorch the chocolate, it also evaporates a little of the alcohol from the hard liquors.  It's also better to disperse any water in lower proof liqueurs or extracts within the cream before adding to the chocolate, since water has a tendency to cause a chocolate seizure.  Not a happy place to be in.

I chose to inoculate my truffles with Rum this time, and simply roll them in Dutched Cocoa powder. Much more prosaic than my previous truffle foray, but still delicious.

Basic Liquor Laced Truffle

8 oz 60-65% Bittersweet Chocolate, chopped
4 oz Heavy Cream
1 TB Unsalted Butter
a pinch of Kosher Salt
2 TB of your favorite Liquor, Liqueur or reduced Wine

Chop the chocolate fairly finely and place in a small glass bowl.

Place the Heavy Cream in a small saucepan along with the Butter and a pinch of salt and place over medium flame.

When the Butter has melted and the Heavy Cream is beginning to show bubbles around the edge of the pan it is ready.

Remove the cream from the heat and add your chosen flavoring (be it Liquor, Extract, Liqueur or Espresso).

Pour the Heavy Cream mixture over the chocolate and let it set for 2 minutes to soften.

Begin stirring in the center....

Slowly but surly the mixture will change, as more chocolate is pulled into an emulsion with the Heavy Cream.

Suddenly, everything will turn shiny and dark.
Cover with plastic wrap on the surface and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

You know the drill, scoop small 2 - 3 tsp sized balls.

Roll in Dutched Cocoa Powder or Confectioners' Sugar or Natural Cocoa Powder. (you only need to chill them a second time if you are going to coat them in chocolate before rolling in Cocoa Powder)

I prefer Dutched Cocoa on Rum Truffles.

Mangia!!
~~

Butter Me Up - Hot Buttered Rum

'Tis the season... Or at least it WILL be very shortly.

My final post regarding the Dunkelweizen has been postponed till Saturday or Sunday.  Which is kind of depressing, cause I thought I had timed everything fairly well.  Alas, the yeastie beasties aren't reading any of my blog posts, thus there were not quite with the program.  (sigh)

In keeping with the spirit (no pun intended, then again, maybe it was) of things laced with good cheer, I decided it was time to release my Sister-in-Law's recipe for Hot Buttered Rum.  OH my, but is this is some seriously GOOD stuff!  I have seen a lot of recipes out on the net and they all seem to use ice cream. Which I find a little odd; not that they are not tasty, cause I have had them, but there is always something not quite "right".   Granted, when using ice cream the eggs are not raw, but you will be using it in an alcoholic beverage that requires boiling water, so I am pretty sure that salmonella is not really an issue. 

I remember my first hot buttered rum, down at a cafe called The Metro on Broadway in Portland, many, many, many, many moons ago...  Did I mention there were MANY moons?  I don't think that the Metro even exists anymore; which is a shame, because they also served some phenomenal mulled wine during the winter season.  It wasn't just the Metro though, there use to be a Trader Vics in Downtown Portland back then as well.  They served a pretty great Hot Buttered Rum too.  Ah, so many a cold night was kept warm via Hot Buttered Rum.  I even remember being able to buy "Trader Vics" Hot Buttered Rum mix in the store.  Sadly I have not seen it in a long time, but I am digressing.

One of the things that I remember (one of the few thing) from those Hot Buttered Rum nights was the Molasses, Spices and Butter.... No vanilla and No "milkiness", which is what you get when using Vanilla Ice cream to make your mix.  Thus, when my sister-in-law showed me this recipe I was really excited.  No Vanilla Ice Cream...  Simply Eggs, Butter, Sugar and Spices.... AWESOME!   Granted I tweaked it, cause I have this insane need to do such things, but it was more of a... "Hey, ya know... I like those flavors, so I should add this too"  kind of thing.   LOL

One thing I will say is that the Brown sugars are interchangeable.  It really depends on what rum your using.  For White Rum, I would suggest a 50/50 split (1 lb Golden and 1 lb Dark).  If you use Golden Rum like I do, then the 75/25 is good, which is how I wrote the recipe.  If you are using Dark Rum, I would suggest ALL golden brown sugar...   Just a suggestion, you are the only one who knows what your molasses threshold is.  ;)  Cheers!! 

Hot Buttered Rum

1 lb Unsalted Butter
1 1/2 lb Light Brown Sugar
1/2 lb Dark Brown Sugar
3 Large Eggs
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp All-Spice
1/2 tsp Clove
1/4 tsp Mace
optional 1/4 tsp Orange oil

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until fluffy.

Add both Brown Sugars and cream until light.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating until emulsified before adding the next.

Add the spices and continue beating.

Add the Orange oil and continue beating.

Continue beating... And beating.... And beating... Cause the longer you beat it, the better it will be.

Store in a container in the refrigerator until ready to use (it can be frozen as well)

Boil some water on the stove.

Place about 1 - 2 TB of the mix in a coffee mug.

A pinch of Salt (Seriously, it sounds odd, but you really need something to balance all the sweetness;  Besides, It's good luck, so throw some over your shoulder while your at it)

Add hot water (about 5 oz) and stir until the mix melts.

Add 2 ponies (2 oz) Rum and stir again. (or just eye-ball it like I do)

Serve with a cinnamon stick.

Cin Cin!!
~~

Piña Coladas and Gettin' Caught in The Rain

It has been hot... Not just hot, but unreasonably hot. On top of that, being Western Oregon, it has been humid. I find this weather uncomfortable, to say the least. Not that I am really complaining, since it hasn't topped 100 like San Diego, but I am no longer use to the humidity after being in the drier heat of Southern California for 13 years.

When the mercury rises and your clothes become soaked as you "swim" through the air, nothing can bring relief faster than that quintessential cocktail of Puerto Rico... The Piña Colada. Pineapple's bright acidity pairs perfectly with the sweetness of cream of coconut and Puerto Rican style rum. And hey, who doesn't like a big old slice of fruit and an umbrella sticking out of their drink on occasion? Go on! It's "fun". So take a load off, hide in the shade and let the waves of the Caribbean wash over you.

I prefer not to blend my Piña Coladas, cause I don't do blended drinks, as they become watery WAY too quickly. Thus it is that I make my own mixer, and freeze it, to be added to copious amounts of rum at a later time. The Cream of Coconut contains glycerol, thus it will not freeze completely solid, leaving the mixture in a sort of softish sorbet state. Once the Rum is added, it melts just enough to chill the rum and remain frosty without being overly "icy". It's like a big adult slushy.

This recipe, supposedly the original concoction as created by Ramon Marrero at the Beachcomber Bar in 1954, (about the time Coco López - "Cream of Coconut" makes an appearance on the scene) makes enough "mix" for 2 Piña Coladas.

Piña Colada

12 oz Pineapple Juice - Canned
6 oz Coconut Cream (Coco López is traditional, but I used Coco Reál)
3 oz White Rum, preferably of the Puerto Rican Style

Pour 6 oz of Pineapple juice into a lidded bowl.

Add the 6 oz of Cream of Coconut and stir with a spatula to combine.

Stir in the remaining pineapple juice, then cover and place in the freezer for about 12 hours.

Shake the mixture occasionally during the 12 hour period.

Before mixing and serving, grab a Hurricane glass and place it in the freezer for at least 10 minutes.

You will have to mix the cocktails individually unless you have a HUGE shaker or intend on using a pitcher and stirring.

So, in a shaker, spoon 9 oz of the Pinapple/Coocnut mix.

Add 1 1/2 oz White Puerto Rican Rum (I use Bacardi for this)

Then, shake, shake, shake, shake.

Pour into the chilled Hurricane glass.

Garnish with a Pineapple chunk (preferably) or a Maraschino cherry (or both).

And if you are so inclined.... Add an Umbrella or Palm Tree... LOL

Sit back and enjoy immensely.

Ahhh Perfect! Now if it would only rain. ;)

Cin Cin!!
~~

Mixin' Mojito Mojo - Cuban Mojito

I think I missed my calling in life. I should have been a bartender in the early 1920's. There are just so many wonderful concoctions from that time. A time when cocktailing was a little more glitzy, more of an art form and bartenders didn't use glorified squirt guns to mix the drinks.

For there is truly no greater pleasure in the world than a well made cocktail. A plethora of sensory input to be thoroughly enjoyed by the eyes, the nose as well as the palate, unless you are trying to drink yourself "senseless" which seems to be the prevailing attitude in most bars now days... Enter the squirt gun.

Let's return to a more artistic time. After all, if one is going to consume "crazy water", then one should do it with style.

I would like to focus on that harbinger of summer, the Mojito. Hemmingway's favorite cooler in the Cuban heat. Granted, it's hard to get real Cuban rum here in the US, what with embargo and all, but there is one particular brand that is made in the same style. Ron Matusalem.

I forgo the more trendy Bacardi, Mount Gay, Captain Morgan and even my beloved Meyers for these are all made in the Jamaican or Barbados style. Yeah, it's a little obsessive, but for anyone who knows me, it's just par for the course.

The drink originated in Cuba and just as most regional foods across Europe pair well with regional wines, so too does this style of Rum better fit the cocktails origin. Enough of my OCD.

A well made mojito, with ANY white rum for that matter, is a joy to consume on a hot day. Lively and thirst-quenching with limey goodness, laced with a delicate sweetness all rounded off with that refreshing hint of cooling mint. And to top it all off, it's bubbly too. What more could one ask for when the mercury tops 100?

Mojito

There are 2 schools of thought when it comes to limes. On the one hand, you have the plain old Persian lime, the most prevalent in America. Which is fine, and what I will be using in this post since I don't have any Ron Matusalem rum either and have decided on Orinoco in the Brazilian Style.

But from what I have read, Key limes are indigenous to Cuba, which is my personal favorite, but due to the lack of Persian lime bitterness, one should add a shot of Angostura to the mix.


2 quarter wedges Persian Lime (or 2 Key Limes - Halved)
5-6 Fresh Mint Leaves
1 1/4 tsp Granulated Sugar
2 oz White Rum
Ice (preferably crushed)
Optional - Splash of Angostura bitters (only if using Key limes)
4 -5 oz Club Soda

Place the Sugar in the glass of your cocktail shaker.

Add mint leaves.

Use a muddler to lightly bruise the leaves and infuse the sugar with minty goodness. (Don't do that silly Bacardi commercial twisty thing with the muddler, cause you will shred the leaves and the drinker may choke, you can dance if you want to though) LOL

Add the 2 lime wedges

Squash them liberally with the muddler to release the juice and oils from the skin. (this dissolves the sugar as well)

Add 2 ponies (2 oz) of White Rum. (this is also where you would add the dash of bitters if using Key Limes)

Then give it a quick stir with the muddler.

Then pour into a 10 oz Highball glass.

Fill the glass to the top with ice.

Top with Club Soda (not Seltzer or Tonic Water).

And there you have it, a delicious Mojito.

Oh, wait.... Add a "kicky" little straw and a spring of mint. ;)

Now sit back and take a big whiff... mmmmmmmm... Yep, summertime refreshment is here.

Cin Cin!!
~~