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Bourbon + Pecan Bon Bons
I am so excited to share this recipe with you. I am sure you’ll agree that when you put these earthly pleasures in your mouth, you’ll be tempted to sell your soul like Faust. Each bite explodes with bourbon-spiked pecan pie filling slathered with chocolate. Sweet, sweet magic in your mouth. And because they are so diminutive, they are practically guilt-free one-bite treats. Many of you know my mother’s family is Greek. What you may not know is my papou made chocolate confections. At any given time, there were vats upon vats of chocolate melting on the stove in his basement-turned chocolate factory workshop. Let that sink in. Imagine an…
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Frozen Key Lime Pops
Frozen Key Lime Pops—because summer isn’t over yet! I was 7 years old the first time I had Key Lime Pie. It was actually in the Keys—Marathon, to be exact—when my family + 2 other Augusta families (6 adults + 7 kids) squeezed into ONE deluxe-ish Winnebago for a vacation to Florida, fishing boat in tow. (Meanwhile the boat trailer lost a wheel somewhere around woodsy Millen, Georgia, never to be recovered). Thirteen people + Winnebago + 1,400 miles round trip. Sounds crazy, right? Yes, but it was one of the BEST vacations ever. Amidst the crowdedness and having to share one bathroom while on the road (god forbid we…
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Tipsy Watermelon Ice Lollies
Did anyone else’s mother require that popsicles be eaten outside? It was one of those “because I said so” things we heard when we were growing up. We were so excited to have freezer pops that we didn’t even question the why. We just did what we were told. This week I had a flashback to those childhood moments of popsicle bliss, of how damn happy popsicles can make us. I was also reminded why Mom’s rules were such a good idea when on an intolerably hot day my Tipsy Watermelon Ice Lollies started dripping down my arm. I do not love July’s heat, but I do love summer, because…
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Lemony Creme + White Chocolate Trifle
This Lemony Creme + White Chocolate Trifle is almost too pretty to eat! ALMOST. When the weather starts to get balmy (and stays that way for 5 months), my go to relief is LEMONS. I love lemons. I also love trifle. I do not love baking. There. I said it. I DO NOT BAKE. Suffice it to say, my favorite kind of dessert is a no-bake dessert. Hence, this Lemony Creme + White Chocolate Trifle. Trifles are always a win because they look so elegant without a lot of fuss. You do not even have to turn on the oven to make this gorgeous citrusy delight. All you have to…
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Kentucky Derby Pie Brickle
It’s like a Kentucky Derby Pie but in bite-sized pieces! Although these treats are perfect for watching the race at Churchill Downs, don’t deny yourself of this Kentucky Derby Pie Brickle just because you’re not trackside. There are many reasons for making this recipe. Is Kentucky Derby Pie Brickle ideal for party prep procrastinators? Yes. Is Kentucky Derby Pie Brickle sinfully addicting? Also yes. This brickle requires very few ingredients, very little time, very little skill yet is indubitably delicious. It combines the best of both worlds: candy + bourbon. What’s not to like about that? But fear not the spirits in this recipe. When cooking bourbon, the alcohol…
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Sweet Georgia Peach Ice Cream Sandwiches
Masters Week has come and gone, y’all. Didn’t make it to the tournament to grab one of those delicious Georgia Peach Ice Cream Sandwiches? Or perhaps you can’t help reminiscing about those quintessentially southern treats you noshed on last week? No worries. I gotcha. Let me be clear, however: this is NOT the sugar cookie recipe used by Nashville’s Christie Cookie Company. Like most things that concern the Augusta National, that recipe is veiled in secrecy. But chances are these will hold you over till next year’s tournament. The recipes for these cool confections are oh, so easy: simply bake up a batch of sugar cookies and sandwich a big…
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Bourbon + Pecan Sweets
Serving these at your Kentucky Derby party? Don’t blink! They will be gone as quickly as the horses make their way around the track. Rich + buttery + sugary + crunchy + addictive. Next thing you know, half of these have mysteriously disappeared. These sweets require very few ingredients, very little time, very little skill yet are indubitably delicious.They combine the best of both worlds: candy + bourbon. But fear not the spirits: when cooking bourbon, the alcohol evaporates, leaving you with the deliciously distinct bourbon flavor without the alcohol. If alcohol is not your thing but you like the flavor of bourbon, you can use bourbon flavored vanilla. If…
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Easy Pots de Crème au Chocolat
Looking to get lucky on Valentine’s Day? Welp, you sexy beast, you’ve come to the right place. You are about to make an absolutely voluptuous dessert that will make your taste buds do acrobatics. Share it with someone–or not. No judgment here. But the bottom line is you NEED this dessert in your life. This recipe for pots de crème is simple yet elegant. There are many recipes on the interwebs that are more difficult and maybe even a little more delectable, but here’s the bottom line: who wants to spend the night before Valentine’s Day in the kitchen? Not this girl. I have other things on my mind. Pot…
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Chocolate Eclair Trifle
Decadent. That’s what The Man calls this recipe. I call it Chocolate Eclair Trifle. But unlike the French eclair made from a creme-filled choux pastry, this recipe swaps out some other ingredients in a combination of layers that will knock your socks off. I like using a trifle dish to display the dessert’s glorious layers. After all, seeing layer upon layer of goodness is some of the allure. The final layer is carte blanche. For this year’s holiday party I mounded on pomegranate arils because they are so damn pretty! Sometimes I throw on some sliced strawberries or toasted nuts (most any nut will work) or some chocolate curls…
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Tipsy Cherries
If you’ve never macerated before, it’s time you learn how. People have been doing it for centuries, always with a happy ending. Let’s start with cherries. These cherries are about to get tipsy. (They are much happier that way.) I macerated them in brandy. Macerating them–soaking them in alcohol–preserves them and creates a saucy little pleasure. This recipe for cherries rivals Luxardo cherries (Marasca cherries soaked in a tart Maraschino liqueur syrup). Gift your friends with these jewels and you’ll have a friend for life. Pit your cherries. Using a cherry pitter makes the pitting process much more palatable. Pitted cherries really soak up the brandy, which is exactly what…
eat. drink. bemerry. repeat.
