Thinking of Drinking: Chocolate Covered Cherry Cocktail

Wait until you try this Chocolate Covered Cherry Cocktail that I made.  It is the perfect dessert and will work for a Cherry Blossom themed party.

Special Preview: Sweet Endings

Photo by Kristen Finn

Sweet Endings Final from Capital Cooking on Vimeo.

Join Capital Cooking’s Lauren DeSantis and enter into a land of sugar: home-baked cupcakes, fresh mint truffles, sweet wine pairings, and two fun cocktails: a Chocolate Covered Cherry Cocktail and a Thin-Minti.

Fun Weekend for Cooking

Photo by Bryn Wallace

I had a really fun weekend because I got to cook a lot and that makes me happy.  Lately I've been so busy, that I haven't got a chance to spend as much time in the kitchen as I would like.  

Friday afternoon started off right with my work holiday party at Taberna del Alabardero.  All of the food was delicious and we loved the Sangria.  

Later, we headed home to work on some cocktail recipes.  I'm going to be working with Shenandoah Growers on our next episode and I have to perfect a Thin-Mintini for my Sweet Endings episode in January.  So, I tried muddling fresh mint in the bottom of the glass and then mixing it with 360 Chocolate Vodka and Bailey's, but the flavor is just not minty enough.  I'm going to try infusing the vodka with the mint for a few days and see if that works out better.  

Recipe: Pumpkin Pie Shooter

You might have tried my Pumpkin Pie Martini from the Capital Cooking Cookbook, but my Pumpkin Pie Shooter is even more fun!  So we were having a Halloween party and I wasn't sure how much vodka we'd go through so I didn't want to infuse too many bottles with pumpkin, so I thought why not make a pumpkin simple syrup instead.

2 parts 360 Vodka (vanilla or original)
1 part pumpkin pie simple syrup (recipe below)
1/2 part cream
Garnish:  graham cracker crumbs, whipped cream and dash of cinnamon

Pour the first 3 ingredients into a shaker full of ice.  Strain into shot glasses.  Top with garnishes.  One, two, three, shoot.  Yum!

Pumpkin Pie Simple Syrup

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 cinnamon stick
Dash nutmeg
1 teaspoon whole cloves
 

Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Stir until sugar dissolves and then remove from heat.  Add other ingredients and cool.  Store in a clear glass bottle or jar with a tight fitting lid in the refrigerator.  Stir and strain before serving. 

Photo by Bryn Barber