For Gabe and I cocktail making is often a collaborative process. Usually I start with a base idea and then he takes that and works it out until he has ounces and grams scribbled out all over his well-loved Field Notes. Where I would have probably called it, “delicious!” Gabe likes to fiddle and fuss until sweet and sour sing together like the masterful harmonies of Simon and Garfunkel’s.  We make a good team.

For our house warming party we wanted a cocktail that didn’t require constant shaking and stirring, particularly because I knew I’d be in the kitchen fussing with the food and needed Gabe to play host. We wanted something that could be poured from a pitcher and yet had the sort of flavor that seems to only come from a finely tuned cocktail that is mixed to order.

What we ended up with is a sparkling pink rum punch that is perfect for a party and what we affectionately call the Rum-Riguez. It can be mixed well in advance and is a real easy drinker. A perfect match for a late summer party where twinkle lights hang above and new and old friends hang around a table filled with corn dip (add sharp cheddar and don’t be afraid of using far more lime juice than called for), platters of figs and shaved ham, and cookies. It’s also perfectly suitable for a Wednesday evening that demands a cocktail or perhaps to celebrate the kids returning to school.

Peach puree adds a floral freshness and pairs beautifully with Orgeat – a sweet, almond flavored syrup that has a whisper of Orange blossom. Ginger soda swoops in with spice and freshly grated nutmeg brings a pleasant warmth. We also used a touch of bitters, this one to be precise.

Because this cocktail was for a very special occasion I used it as a chance to try my hand at homemade Orgeat. This recipe became my map, although I toasted my almonds until deeply golden and used dark brown sugar in place of the white. Also, I made the ginger soda. There’s a very lovely recipe in my book, Date Night In, for such a thing. But if Gabe and I were to simply make this recipe for the two of us you can be sure there would be a trip to the store for those ingredients.

Here’s to a few more summer nights and days worthy of punch.

Ginger Peach Rum Punch

Use the following ratio to make as much or as little rum punch as you'd like. The peach puree can be made up to three days in advance. It's starts to change color quickly but still tastes great. Add a good bit of lime or lemon to preserve the color - just adjust the recipe if you do that.

Serves 2

1 1/2 ounce peach puree (simply blend pitted peaches in a blender until completely smooth)

1/2 ounce Orgeat

1/2 ounce lime juice (about 1 small)

2 1/2 ounces Rum (Our favorite is the Plantation 5 year)

4 ounces ginger beer

Freshly ground nutmeg

Tiki bitters or some other spiced bitters

2 pieces lemon peel

Combine the peach, orgeat, lime juice, and rum into a glass. Give it a good stir then pour into two glasses filled with ice.

Top with the ginger beer and give a light stir. Finish with a bit of freshly grated nutmeg, a twist of lemon peel, and a few drops of bitters.

If you are making this for a crowd you can add the nutmeg and bitters to the pitcher.

Add the ginger beer to the pitcher just before your guests arrive to limit the amount of bubbles that you lose.

Cheers!

I’m filled with an eager excitement thinking on all the things I want to do, see and accomplish this time of year: Twinkling lights of red, green, blue and yellow to be seen while drinking hot chocolate. Gifts to be bought and gifts to be made. Cookies to be enjoyed and vegetables eaten to balance it all. Then there’s the great responsibility and joy of trying to teach the kids that even though there are lists to be made and there will be gifts for them that that is not really what this time of year is about. So we bring cookies to the neighbors, read stories, build tradition and try the best we can.

All of this in the midst of teaching classes, creating cookie recipes, and putting dinner on the table. It’s busy – particularly last week, which is why you didn’t see much of me around here.

In the midst of all the chaos there have been little pockets of quiet and rest – moments that mark this season as my favorite. Nestled next to a blazing fire, a towering pine scented tree casts a gentle shadow on the book I’m reading (Jane Eyre – so perfect for this season). I sit across from a dear friend as she pushes fabric through the sewing machine casting perfectly lined up stitches as she works on a present for a friend. I put my book down and cut out a stocking pattern from soft flannel in red, black and gold lines intersecting throughout. We each take warming sips of Hot Buttered Rum in between stitches and cuts.

Before we set out to work on our projects she creamed butter and brown sugar together along with a few spices that are no stranger to this time of year. I tried not to notice the amount of butter and sugar actually going into the recipe. This was my first Hot Buttered Rum and nothing was going to spoil it.

Once combined a spoonful of the mixture went into our mugs. Rum covered, then hot water poured on top releasing the scent of cinnamon and nutmeg under its heat. The butter melted and the sugar dissolved as we stirred briskly.

Since then there have been more Hot Buttered Rum, in fact in my freezer there is a roll of the butter, sugar and spice mixture should the craving suddenly hit for this comforting cocktail – after an evening of viewing Christmas lights, perhaps? Or while wrapping gifts, opening up another window on the advent calendar or while eagerly anticipating the season’s first snow. I’m sure I’ll manage to think of many more reasons to pull out that sweet, spiced butter and start the kettle boiling throughout the season.

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Hot Buttered Rum

Hot Buttered Rum

adapted from Emeril Lagasse

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cardamom

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 stick unsalted butter, soft

2 cup dark brown sugar

Cream together the butter, spices and sugar. At this point you can roll up the mixture with parchment into a log. Cover well and refrigerate or freeze for later use. In the fridge the mixture will keep for two weeks, in the freezer a couple of months.

In a mug add a tablespoon of the butter and sugar mixture (the original recipe called for 2 tablespoons but we found 1 was great). Top with a couple ounces of rum and roughly 1/2 cup of hot water. The ratio of the ingredients is really preference.

If possible, enjoy this cocktail near an open fire.

I have one last suggestion for you to complete your Thanksgiving meal. And I do believe it’s a good one, dare I say I saved the best for last?

It’s time we talk about your Thanksgiving cocktail. Now there are a couple ways you can go about this: If your family is like mine Thanksgiving beverages are nearly as traditional as the marshmallow topped sweet potatoes – red wine with my family, while sparkling cider is the drink of choice with Gabe’s family. With the meal drinks set this could be the cocktail that greets your guests as they pluck a few baby carrots off the vegetable platter or (and this is my favorite idea) this is the cocktail you enjoy while sliding the turkey into the oven. It’s the cocktail you sip in between stirrings of the mashed potatoes or tastes of the gravy. It’s what you are drinking as you set the last fork and stand back to marvel the scene. This is the cook’s cocktail.

Cider punch is the ideal cocktail for the busy cook as there are only two ingredients plus a couple flourishes if you so desire (and I do). While the turkey roasts and the potatoes boil pour an ounce or two of rum into a glass. Top that with apple cider (I like one part rum to four parts apple cider). You could have it over ice or warm the cider – the choice is left to the cook. Top with a touch a of cinnamon and nutmeg. If you happen to have some bitters a few drops really makes the cook quite happy, especially if your bitters, like mine are heady with cinnamon and rosemary and little wisps of clove, cardamom and orange.

If you don’t have bitters and are interested in making your own I just so happen to be teaching at class in Seattle, December 6. We will be making an assortment of gifts from the kitchen including homemade bitters. In fact today I made nearly 20 different infusions for class. (Pretty slick how I just slid that class plug right in there, huh? Sorry, I really do not like that sort of thing but I promised I would and I’m quite excited about this class.

If you aren’t in Seattle I’m thinking I just may put a post up here about the process so you won’t miss out on all the fun. I don’t claim to be a bitters expert but I do claim to be pretty darn excited to have a collection of my own bitters and I’m even more excited to be teaching you all how make your own.

Cheers and happy cooking!

*This simple cocktail was inspired by something I drank at Skillet Diner. Go there. Really.

Cider Punch

Cider punch is the ideal cocktail for the busy cook as there are only two ingredients plus a couple flourishes if you so desire (and I do). While the turkey roasts and the potatoes boil pour an ounce or two of rum into a glass. Top that with apple cider (I like one part rum to four parts apple cider). You could have it over ice or warm the cider - the choice is left to the cook. Top with a touch a of cinnamon and nutmeg. If you happen to have some bitters a few drops really makes the cook quite happy, especially if your bitters, like mine are heady with cinnamon and rosemary and little wisps of clove, cardamom and orange.