Bloody Mary Bar

Yesterday, I hosted book club at my house and put together a Bloody Mary bar. Everyone brought a little something special (bacon, shrimp) and I provided the basics. It was a lot of fun. 

Booze

• Tito's handmade vodka

Bases

• V8
• Bloody Mary mix
• Clamato

Sauces

• Tabasco
• Sriracha
• Liquid Smoke

Garnishes

• Gerkins
• Garlic-stuffed olives
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Cocktail onions
• Lemon wedges
• Cheese cubes
• Bacon
• Shrimp

Salts

• Chipotle
• Smoked paprika
• Grippo's BBQ seasoning

Holiday Recipe: Candy Apple Pie

I love trying new pies for Thanksgiving, and I usually gravitate toward classics with a twist. This year I made the pumpkin creme pie I make every year at Ryan's request, and a candy apple pie. The candy apple pie was pretty neat because it had a delicious cider-caramel sauce on the inside and a hot cinnamon candy shell on the outside. If you have trouble choosing between caramel apples and candy apples when you go to the fair, then this is the pie for you. It was pretty hard to cut, though. So, if I made it again, I'd make less hard candy to give it more of a drizzle that a full coat. 

Recipe slightly adapted from First Prize Pies

Ingredients:

Crust:
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup whole milk (plus extra for glaze)
1 T. apple cider vinegar
12 ounces or 3 cups flour
1 T. cornstarch
2 T. sugar
1 1/2 t. salt

Filling:
2 cups apple cider
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 t. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 pounds granny smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced

Candy topping:
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1 t. cinnamon extract
10 drops red food coloring

Step 01. Cut butter into roughly 1/2 inch cubes. Combine dry ingredients in a food processor with a quick whirl. Add butter and blend until mixture is the texture of rough sand. In a measuring cup, stir vinegar into milk. Turn on food processor, and slowly pour milk mixture through the feed tube. Turn processor off as soon as combined. Do not over mix. Wrap dough in plastic wrap or wax paper and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Step 02. Preheat oven to 425ºF (220ºC). Roll out half the dough into a circle about 11 inches in diameter. Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan. Trim overhang to 1 inch and refrigerate crust.

Step 03. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat, boil cider until reduced to about 1/2 cup. Lower heat to medium-high, melt butter into cider syrup, and whisk in brown sugar, cream, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Bring mixture to a gentle boil and cook until dark, thick, and glossy (about 7 to 10 minutes). Remove from heat and cool until just warm.

Step 04. Layer apple slices in pie crust and pour caramel sauce over. Brush edges of pie shell with some of the milk reserved for glaze. Roll out remaining pie dough, lay it over the filled pie shell, and trim overhand to 1 inch. Roll edges of both crusts together and crimp. Brush top and edges of pie with remaining milk reserved for glaze.

Step 05. Back pie on a baking sheet for 20 minutes, rotating once halfway through. Lower temperature to 350ºF (175ºC) and back for 30 to 40 minutes until crust is golden. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Step 06. Wait until pie is cooked to begin candy shell. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat sugar, corn syrup, and 1/3 cup water over high heat. Cook until the syrup reaches 300ºF (150ºC) on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and whisk in cinnamon extract and food coloring. Use a fork to drizzle liquid candy over pie. Do not refrigerate pie (it will soften the candy crust), and serve as soon as possible. 

Thanksgiving Recipe: Cranberry Jello Shots

I made these for a potluck friendsgiving-style party that we went to on Friday. It was a fun time. Our friend lives in an apartment building-cum-gallery, and she and some of her artist/art-history-buff friends came up with a game called "Drunk Art History," inspired by the show Drunk History, of course. Everyone picked a piece of famous artwork out of a hat and, after some drinking, we gave 3-minute boozy lectures with the aid of a projector.

I got the recipe here, but I used raspberry Jell-O because I couldn't find cranberry. They were delicious. The cranberry juice combined with the raspberry Jell-O for the perfect cran-raspberry taste.

I wasn't quite sure how to roll the cranberries in honey and sugar, so I just drizzled honey over them in a bowl and stirred, then added a few tablespoons of sugar and stirred again. That method worked well, and I'd recommend it if you give these a try. I was able to get 28 shots out of the recipe, so I only sugared about 40 cranberries, saving the rest of the bag for Thanksgiving cranberry sauce.

Looking for a last-minute Thanksgiving contribution or a quick way to get your family drunk? Look no further.

Yummy Recipe: Peanut Butter and Jelly Pie with Saltine Crust

I recently got this book, and I've been really inspired by all her ideas for creative pie flavors. Last week, I made this peanut butter and jelly pie for a family birthday dinner, and it was a big hit.

I only strayed from Allison Kaye's recipe in a couple places: using strawberry jam over her preferred grape and decorating the top of the pie with a drizzle of melted peanut butter instead of chopped peanuts. I think the drizzle looks really cute.

Ingredients:
about 30 saltine crackers
8 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
6 oz. cream cheese
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (plus another 1/4 cup for garnishing)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup strawberry jelly (or your preferred flavor)

Step 01. Preaheat the over to 350ºF. Grind the crackers to smooth crumbs in the food processor and mix with melted butter. Pat into the bottom of a pie pan. Chill for 10 minutes and then back for 10 minutes.
Step 02. Whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside. Mix together cream cheese, peanut butter, and powdered sugar. Combine with whipped cream until fully blended.
Step 03. Spread peanut butter mixture over crust and chill.
Step 04. Melt jelly in a saucepan over medium-high heat until it is a consistent, liquidy texture throughout. Pour melted jelly over peanut butter mixture and continue to chill pie.
Step 05. Melt remaining 1/4 cup peanut butter until it is a consistent, liquidy texture throughout. Pour into a measuring cup on any vessel with a spout. Drizzle slowly over jelly-covered pie. Continue to chill pie until set. Serve chilled.

Thanksgiving Recipe: Apple and Pumpkin Pie Pops

Is anything more party ready than food on a stick? My whole food concept for our friendsgiving party was to take classic Thanksgiving foods and give them a party twist. So, of course, pie became pie pops. I made both apple and pumpkin and decorated them with letters so guests would know which was which. 

In case you doubt the depths of my mania, just know that I was considering making three kinds but decided to table pecan because it also started with a P. 

Ingredients:

2 batches (2 pie shells each) pie dough

1 egg

1/2 cup pumpkin pie filling

1 apple, diced

1 tablespoon sugar

a dash of cinnamon 

cooking spray

12 pop sticks (found in the baking aisle)

3-inch diameter round cookie cutter 

small alphabet cookie cutters (optional)

Step 01. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit. Spray a cookie sheet nonstick spray.

Step 02. Mix apples with sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

Step 03. Roll out pie dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out 24 rounds and 12 letters.

Step 04. Set 12 rounds on the cookie sheet, placing a stick in the center of each one. Add a spoonful of pie filling to each round. Top with the remaining rounds, sealing edges with a fork. 

Step 05. Brush the tops of each pop with egg. Add the letters and brush them with more egg.

Step 06. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool before displaying. 

I also made a little display for the pops by poking holes in a shoebox wrapped in brown paper. Actually, I ran out of brown paper, so I had to use a brown paper bag with a blue Joseph-Beth logo on it. Oh well. 

I think it worked pretty well as a serving solution. In the past, I've always thought it a shame to serve pops lying down on a platter. It just doesn't do justice to their cuteness. 

Thanksgiving Recipe: Mini Green Bean Casseroles & Mac and Cheese Cups

For our friendsgiving cocktail party, I wanted to serve lots of mini, appitizer-y, cocktail-y versions of Thanksgiving favorites. I've found that the easiest way to party-i-fy anything is to make a tiny version of it in an individual cup (example). So I served mac and cheese cups and classic green bean casserole in small mason jars (I told you I'd be using those again soon!) 

The mac and cheese cups are made by adding an egg to a standard mac and cheese recipe and baking it in muffin tins. The egg helps the cups hold their shape. What's great about these is that there's more surface area so everyone can enjoy the yummy, browned, crispy, edge serving. Ryan announced, one-bite-in, that he never wanted to each mac and cheese any other way. 

For the green bean casseroles, I followed the classic Campbell's recipe, baking it in mason jars instead of a casserole dish (the recipe makes enough to fill 12 small mason jars). Since they were smaller servings, I adjusted the bake time a little. Instead of baking the casseroles for 25 minutes and an additional 5 after adding the crispy onions, I baked them for 15 and an additional 5. 

Thanksgiving Recipe: Turkey Sliders with Stuffing and Cranberry Sauce

If there's one Thanksgiving dish that intimidates me, it's the bird. And, if there's one Thanksgiving dish that doesn't lend itself to being cooking in a tiny apartment and then carried two blocks to a bar for people to eat during a cocktail party, it's definitely the bird. But, a Thanksgiving party of any sort does seem to call for turkey. My solution: sliders.

(Recipe makes 24 2-oz sliders)

Ingredients:

24 Hawaiian rolls, sliced in half

48 oz ground turkey

Half a 14-oz package of stuffing, prepared

Half a can of cranberry sauce (or make it from scratch)

Olive oil

Toothpicks (optional: decorated with washi-tape flags)

Step 01. Shape ground turkey into 24 2-oz patties. Heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.

Step 02. Cook each patty for about 5 minutes on each side or until cooking throughout.

Step 03. Place patties on bottom buns. Top each with a scoop of stuffing, and spread a bit of cranberry sauce on the underside of each top bun.  Secure each slider with a toothpick.

Thanksgiving Recipe: Sweet Potato Fries with Black Pepper Marshmallow Sauce

When I decided to make small bites inspired by classic Thanksgiving dishes for our friendsgiving cocktail party, the first idea that came to mind was sweet potato fries. I knew immediately that should be served with some kind of marshmallow sauce to complete the Thanksgiving flavor profile. Figuring out how that could not be disgusting became the challenge. 

Some people are completely against eating marshmallows on sweet potatoes in the first place because they say it's too sweet. I agree that it often is to sweet, but, the way I make them, they have a bunch of lime juice to cut through the syrupiness. I decided to follow a similar strategy here by finding something that would cut through the sweet. I decided on black pepper. 

What follows is a recipe that sounds really gross, but was actually quite a hit at the party. If you are adventurous and crave a spin on a classic Thanksgiving dish, read on.

I bought frozen sweet potato fries and baked them. For 10 small, shot-glass servings, I used 18 oz sweet potato fries and the following sauce recipe.

Ingredients:

1 tub marshmallow fluff

About 1/3 cup mayonaise

Way more black pepper than seems reasonable

Mix all ingredients together with a whisk. That's it. 

Party Recipe: Individual 7-Layer Dip Cups in Mason Jars

I had a lot of fun planning a sugar-and-spice-themed menu for Jenn's baby shower. Coming up with sweet treats was easy, but picking spicy things that would please a crowd was a bit more difficult. I ended up deciding to serve roasted-red-pepper hummus (store-bought since I had a lot to do) and individual 7-layer dip cups in mason jars.

I love how cute mason jars are with individual treats in them. I'm thinking I will make little personal pies in them for a get-together sometime soon. Maybe for Thanksgiving. Of course, if you prefer, you could use clear-plastic punch cups or any small glasses you happen to have.

This recipe is one of those things where you basically buy a lot of ingredients and just need to assemble them, rather than doing a lot from scratch. I think this kind of halfway homemade solution is a great idea for parties where you are making a lot of things. It doesn't dirty a lot of dishes or take a lot of time, but the results are festive.

Ingredients (to serve 12): 

1 tin of Frito-brand bean dip
1 12-oz tub of guacamole
1 8-oz container of sour cream
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 12-oz tub of fresh salsa
Half a bag of shredded "taco" cheese
1 small can of sliced black olives
12 tortilla chips to garnish and the rest of the bag to serve alongside

01. Thoroughly mix taco seasoning into sour cream.
02. Scoop a bit of each ingredient into each mason jar, forming as thin and smooth a layer as you can. Start with the bean dip, then do the guacamole, the sour cream, and the salsa.
03. Top with cheese, black olives, and a tortilla chip. Chill until guests arrive.

I know what you're thinking: "Célèste, that's only 6 layers!" Okay, you got me. Traditionally, you would put chopped tomatoes on top along with the black olives. But, it's November and tomatoes are terrible this time of year. So, I just omitted them and hoped no one counted the layers and called me out on it.

Party Recipe: Cinnamon-Roll Pops

I made these for Jenn's sugar-and-spice themed baby shower. They're so easy that this isn't even so much a recipe as it is an idea.

I used Pilsbury cinnamon roll dough, though you could, of course, make cinnamon rolls from scratch if you have the time and prefer. Then just poke a stick or a decorative paper straw through the rolls before baking them. Make sure to use a paper, wooden, or metal stick; don't use anything plastic or anything else that wouldn't be oven-safe.

I think these are so fun. I love food on a stick, especially at a party. It's just way more fun to eat and it looks so festive.

Halloween Recipe: Creepy Black Candy Apples

I've been wanting to make some creepy black candy apples for a long time, and a party at my friend's house last weekend provided the perfect opportunity.

I love how ominous and poisonous they look, and the natural twigs and occasional tempting, bright-red apples add to the look perfectly. I even used a few thorny twigs for a really eerie and sinister effect.

I used this recipe, to which all credit should go. But I would change a couple things if I made them again. For one, Matt suggested using light colored yellow delicious or granny smith apples for the red apples (to help the red pop) and red delicious for the black (too keep everything really dark). I found that the granny smiths were a bit too light to properly showcase the color. Even after doubling the amount of food coloring, they still looked a little green under the surface. Maybe yellow delicious would have been better.

Also, I prepared my apples and twigs before even starting the candy. But, it turns out that the candy takes a while to get up to temperature, and it's totally enough time to shank all those apples.

Party Recipe: Boozy Bears - alcohol-soaked gummy bears

Well, hello, Monday Morning! 

This may not be the most appropriate recipe for a Monday morning, but I'm excited to share it with you. Last weekend, I made these for a bachelorette party. They are such a fun party treat to share with friends, and they have a sort of "naughty factor" that makes them perfect for a bachelorette party.

All you do is cover the gummy bears with alcohol and refrigerate them for 24 hours. Then, drain off the remaining alcohol and dish them up.

I used plastic shot glasses from a party store to serve them. I also sorted them by color and soaked each in a different alcohol (passion-fruit rum and whipped cream vodka).