Spiked Spiced Cider

Cold weather calls for hot drinks. And since it's Thanksgiving Eve and it's snowing (well, at least flurrying) here in Delaware, I think it's time to share a recipe for a hot toddy. I like to brew a pot on the stove on the weekends and refrigerate the leftovers in a pitcher in the fridge. If you don't drink alcohol, don't despair; this recipe still tastes great without the liquor. Consider making this a last-minute addition to your Thanksgiving menu, a fun beverage to enjoy while you put up your Christmas decorations or a nice drink to sip by the fire after a long week.

Spiked Spiced Cider

8 cups apple cider
1 cup spiced rum, optional
1 cup apple pie moonshine, optional (I buy Midnight Moon at Costco, if you can't find it, use spiced rum)
1 pear, sliced
1" piece of fresh ginger, peeled
1 orange, sliced
2 cinnamon sticks

Place all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve hot.

Store leftovers in the refrigerator. Leftover cider can be enjoyed cold or reheated in the microwave.

Hilltop Cooler

I came up with a fun cocktail to sip on our new deck. I call it the Hilltop Cooler, due to the family joke that we live "on the hill" since our new home is located at the top of a moderate incline (not a real hill by any means, but in flat Delaware it seems like a mountain).

It's frothy, bubbly and citrusy all at the same time. I made it with lemon sorbet, but I'm definitely going to try it with other flavors (mango sounds like a good idea) in the near future.

This drink seems light and fruity, but don't let it fool you. The combination of vodka and sparkling wine can sneak up on you, so sip slowly and enjoy responsibly.

Hilltop Cooler
by Keeley
serves 2

2 scoops lemon sorbet (I use Haagen Dazs)
1/4 cup vodka
about 1 cup sparkling wine
1 thin slice of lime, rind included
lime slice for garnish, optional

Place sorbet, vodka, sparkling wine and lime in a blender. Blend until mixed well, about 30 seconds. Pour into champagne flutes and garnish with a lime slice. Serve immediately.

Passionfruit Rum Punch

Good cocktails can cost an arm and a leg at the bar, not to mention the safety risk of consuming too much alcohol and then having to get home safely.  I've learned to make drinks like White Sangria to safely and affordably enjoy my own happy hour at home.

I saw this recipe in a recent issue of Bon Appetit and I bookmarked it immediately.  I was attracted to this recipe because it looked tropical and reminded me of cruising the blue waters of the Carribean, which beats sitting in Delaware on a cool, rainy Saturday.  This drink is perfectly balanced, so you won't taste the alcohol.  Beware, this is a strong, fruity punch and it will knock you down if you don't sip slowly.  As an added bonus, it only cost me about $8 to make four drinks compared to the $32 plus tip (for four drinks) that you would pay at a bar.  If you want to prepare a non-alcoholic version, try swapping out sparkling water (citrus-flavored or plain) for the rum.  Otherwise, drink up and enjoy!  I've made this twice over the past two weeks and it will be a standard party drink from now on.

Passionfruit Rum Punch
adapted (barely) from Bon Appetit
serves 4

1/2 cup fresh lime juice (from 4-5 limes)
1 can frozen passionfruit concentrate (I found Goya in the frozen section at ShopRite)
2 cups white rum (about half of a 750ml bottle)
1 cup water
1 lime, sliced, for garnish
ice (preferably crushed)

In a two quart pitcher, mix lime juice, passionfruit concentrate, white rum, and water.  Pour over ice and garnish with lime.

Port

If you're a wine enthusiast, here's something new to add to your repertoire:  Port.  This wine traditionally comes from Portugal and is normally red with a sweet or semi-sweet taste.  It has a higher alcohol content than most other wines (18 to 22 percent) and is fortified with a brandy-type liquor.  It's a nice after dinner treat, especially when served with dark fruits (think dried cherries) and dark chocolate.  Since it's fortified with liquor, it has a longer shelf life than most wines (weeks, not days), which is great because this wine should be enjoyed in small quantities (about 2 to 4 ounces per serving) due to its strong taste and high alcohol content.

I was introduced to Port at a wine tasting a few months ago.  Since then, I've identified two affordable brands (less than $15) that can introduce you to the wonderful world of Port.  One bottle will yield many servings, so it can also be a great deal in these tough economic times.

Osborne Ruby Port was the first Port I tasted.  It's a beautiful dark red (almost burgundy) and the flavor reminds me of ripe sweet cherries.  It's sweet, but not to the point that it overshadows your dessert.  I've enjoyed this wine with a square of dark chocolate and I think it makes a great dessert and is the perfect ending to a nice meal.

I received a bottle of Fonseca as a birthday present this year.  Fonseca reminds me of raisins and spicy dark fruit.  It's also great with chocolate and dried fruits.

I'm still learning about Port. There are other varieties:  white, tawny, semi-sweet.  There are also varieties that come from countries other than Portugal.  And, of course, there are varieties with vintages that have been aged for a long time and cost more money.

I'm just a beginner, so I'm encouraging those of you who enjoy wine to consider serving yourself a (small) glass of Port with dessert.  There are even special smaller wine glasses for Port.  (Note to self:  I need one.)

Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc

I "discovered" this wine while waiting in line at the Costco liquor store about a year ago.  I perfer dry whites and I love citrus flavors and a gentleman in the store told me that he buys this wine by the case because he loves its grapefruit flavor.  Grapefruit!  In wine?  Oh yes, I had to have some.  I love citrus scents and tastes.

Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc did not disappoint. It's light and refreshing and it definitely has a nice citrus flavor.  Bonus:  It doesn't have a cork (I understand that unoaked wines don't need one), so I can travel with the bottle and open it anywhere (think really casual BYOB spots, hotel rooms, my cabin on a cruise ship...). 

Around my way this wine retails for between $13-15 per bottle.  I find that pretty reasonable.  If you live near one, I recommend purchasing it at Total Wine.  The store is large, has an extensive selection of alcoholic beverages, and really helpful staff.  Our location even does tastings on weekends.  Good times!

Hot Chocolate

This is not a Keeley original recipe, but I found it on Short Stop a few weeks ago and loved it so much I just had to share.  I like hot chocolate.  A lot.  Before I got into coffee, hot chocolate was the only warm beverage I would consume.  I used to think that the best hot chocolate was made from a premium mix from Williams-Sonoma.  Now, that mix is good, but this homemade mix is cheaper and just as tasty (dare I say, better).

The best part?  If you don't drink it all, just pour it in a container, refrigerate it, and reheat it in a mug later and it tastes just as good... maybe even better.

I prefer my hot chocolate a little less sweet, but still rich and chocolatey, so I made some modifications to the original recipe.  I also love to top mine with a fluffy cloud of whipped cream.  Here's my modified version:

Hot Chocolate

Mix:

8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate (I use mini-chocolate chips)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Store mix in an airtight container.

For 4 servings:

2/3 cup cocoa mix
1/4 cup water
4 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a large pan on low heat, stir cocoa mix and water until melted. Add milk and beat with whisk until smooth. Heat on low until hot. Add vanilla. Serve.

La Paloma

My husband is an Esquire subscriber.  A few months ago, the magazine published a recipe for a drink called La Paloma.  We both enjoy a good drink, so my husband tried it out.  It went over very well.  It's now in heavy rotation at our home, especially since we purchased a big bottle of Patron on our last cruise.

The most difficult part of making this drink was finding grapefruit soda.  We ended up finding IZZE pink grapefruit soda at Target.  It's not cheap ($3 for four small cans, on sale), but it's all natural and it makes this drink a pretty shade of pink.

Citrus, especially grapefruit, is one of my favorite flavors.  I prefer my Paloma without salt, but make it both ways and decide for yourself.

La Paloma (recipe from Esquire, with commentary by me)

2 oz. tequila

1/2 oz. lime juice

pinch of salt (optional)

grapefruit soda

Combine the tequila (we like Patron), lime juice, and salt in a tall glass. Add ice, top off with grapefruit soda, and stir. We had a hard time finding grapefruit soda, but ended up using IZZE grapefruit from Target.  As a last resort, lemon-lime soda with a splash of grapefruit juice. My hubby likes to throw in a pinch of salt. Others (like me) omit it entirely. 

White Sangria

On Friday, mom and I enjoyed dinner at Ole Tapas.  I love international cuisine and I studied abroad in Spain 10 years ago, so when I heard that Ole won "Best New Restaurant" in Delaware Today, I knew I had to go.  I'll write more about Ole another day, but I will share one bit of the experience.  The food was excellent.  The drinks were disappointing.  I enjoyed authentic Spanish sangria during my trip to Spain, but I feel that the $7 I spent for a weak 6 oz. drink full of ice was just not working for me.  When I came home I decided to make a batch of my sangria.

I have a popular red sangria recipe, but I was inspired to try a white variety after tasting my friend Karen's wonderful sangria that she so generously brings to my home every time we have a party.  My version of white sangria is very citrusy and a bit tart.  If you prefer a sweeter variety, you could add 1/2 c. sugar or top the drink with Sprite before serving.  I like mine straight up over ice.

White Sangria

1 bottle dry white wine (not chardonnay, try riesling, pinot dris, or chablis)
1/3 c. brandy
1/3 c. triple sec
1/3 c. orange juice
8 oz. (1 c.) pineapple juice
1/4 c. frozen lemonade concentrate
2 citrus fruits, cut into rounds (lemon, lime, orange)
maraschino cherries (for serving)
1.  Mix all ingredients (except maraschino cherries) in a 2 quart pitcher.  Place in refrigerator for at least 24 hours before serving.
2.  Serve over ice topped with maraschino cherries and citrus fruit for garnish.

A few tips on the recipe:

I purchase pineapple juice in 8 oz. cans (normally sold in packs of 8).  It costs a bit more than the large cans, but I don't normally drink pineapple juice and I hate having to store excess juice in my fridge.  With the small cans I always know that I have pineapple juice on hand for mixed drinks.

This recipe calls for a small quantity of frozen lemonade concentrate.  I store the remaining concentrate in a small, resealable container in the freezer.  It never freezes hard, so I just scoop it out as I need it for future batches of sangria.

This recipe gets better as it sits.  Please let it sit for at least 24 hours before serving.

This is a strong drink.  It goes down like citrus punch, but if you're not careful, it could take you out.