twinkie key lime pie

The Twinkie Key Lime Pie

So after doing extensive research for an up-coming blog post involving whiskey with a couple of friends who own a medical marijuana dispensary, I was on my way home when, for some unexplained reason, I had a sudden urge to consume multiple packages of Hostess Twinkies. Maybe it was spawned from recent reports announcing their soon demise (or perhaps I just had a sweet tooth), but I was suddenly jonesin’ for some serious sponge cake face time. Luckily for me (and those around me), I was not driving but had a sympathetic chauffeur who gladly pulled into the next 7-Eleven in order to shut me up, as well as to record my drunken, zombie-like stagger into the store on his iPhone.

While at the cake and cookie display I found that indeed the Hostess Twinkies were no longer being stocked. In its place was the ‘Cloud Cake’ made by Little Debbie which looked to be a Twinkie clone. I encountered two young skateboard enthusiasts who were eating out of opened packages of cherry pies and mini donuts. They had blazing red slits for eyes and looked to be in a mild state of euphoria as I reached across them and grabbed a box of those golden crème filled delights. “Dude, those are awesome!” said the taller of the two. “You’re gonna be soooo stoked!”

I thanked him for his support, paid for my treasures and then treated my chauffeur to a YouTube-worthy clip of me face planting after tripping over a parking curb. Thirty minutes later I was alone in my kitchen and just about to sample one of the Cloud Cakes when I noticed that on my counter was a large bag of un-used limes. For some reason a key lime pie also sounded like something that would taste really good at this moment and I realized that I had all the ingredients. I decided that now would be a good time to make that pie since I needed something to keep my hands busy as I was desperately trying to regain sobriety. I un-wrapped my first pack of Twinkies, eh…Cloud Cake, and then went to the freezer and pulled out my store-bought, pre-made deep-dish pie crust. And just as I was about to take my first bite of that bright yellow love log, it slipped out of my hand and fell into the pie tin. Suddenly, there was a bright light and the sound of angels singing! The room began to slowly spin and the music started to intensify! Could this be a sign from above?

Nah, I was pretty wasted. So I thought I’d combine the two and this is what I came up with.

Katt’s Twinkie (Cloud Cake) Key Lime Pie

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Have a Very Hazelnut Holiday

Big news for those of us who love creamy booze that goes well with coffee! Baileys is back with a brand new flavor: Hint of Hazelnut.

If you like Baileys (as I do!) and you aren’t averse to hazelnut, this new treat is right up your alley. I honestly don’t have a very in-depth review or critique of this product. I do have some fun facts I learned about Baileys, though: over 2,300 glasses of Baileys are consumed every minute of every day (holla!) and 38,000 Irish dairy cows produce the daily cream requirement for Baileys. That’s a lot of liqueur! In my household, it’s not the holidays without a little splash o’ the sweet stuff in your morning coffee, and I’m excited to add this new edition to my booze arsenal.

The good people at Baileys were kind enough to share a new recipe, formulated by New York mixologist Pamela Wiznitzer, that highlights some favorite flavors of the holidays. I’m no celebrity bartender, but I busted out my best attempt and I have to say, the cocktail turned out pretty classy and tasty!

Haute Hazelnut Cocktail

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Drinking the Season: 7 Holiday Cocktail Recipes

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, you know what ES has up our virtual sleeves for you…a holiday cocktail! Or seven!

OK, fine, we don’t actually have a Kwanzaa cocktail (Sandra Lee…where aaaaare you on this one?) but from peppermint to gingerbread, there’s something on this holiday cocktail list everyone can get behind.

1. Seven Layer Cookie

3/4 oz. Godiva® Liqueur
3/4 oz. Coconut rum
1/2 oz. Butterscotch Schnapps
1/2 oz. Partida Anejo Tequila
1/4 oz. Frangelico
1/2 oz. Bailey’s Irish Cream®
1/2 oz. Amaretto

Garnish rim of a martini glass with crushed cookie crumbs. Shake all ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into martini glass.

2. Wine Me Up Santa

From: W Retreat & Spa, Vieques Island

1 750ml bottle red table wine
2 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon whole cloves
¾ teaspoon whole pink peppercorns
2oz honey
2oz vodka
1oz triple sec
.5oz soy lecithin
Cinnamon powder

Warm all ingredients except soy lecithin in a saucepan at a low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not allow the temperature to exceed 140°F / 60°C (If mixture starts to boil, lower the heat.) Seal and chill. Take ¼ of your mixture and use an electric hand blender to mix in soy lecithin to create an airy topping. Pour in liquid mixture to fill half of a glass mug or teacup, top with mulled wine, air, and lightly dust the top with cinnamon.

3. Chocolate Peppermint Cookie

3/4 oz. Partida Blanco Tequila
1 oz. Peppermint Schnapps
3/4 oz. Godiva® Liqueur
1-1/2 oz. Cream

Rim martini glass with chocolate syrup and crushed candy canes. Shake ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into martini glass.

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The Bourbon Grilled Cheese Sandwich of Etherus

Hey, guess who I bumped into the other day? Etherus. You know, the Santharian God of Excess. Not to brag but he’s a personal friend. Yeah, we go waaay back. He likes to drop by unexpectedly. Usually whenever I break out the bourbon. That’s a bad habit of his but what can I do? He just doesn’t take a hint. Like the other night while I was watching a football game and sipping on some sour mash when, sometime after the half, who shows up? The E-Man. It seems that E was hungry and thought that a grilled cheese sam’itch might hit the spot. Yeah, that might taste real good about now. But not just ANY grilled cheese. Oh, noooooo. Not for the G of E. He had a reputation to uphold. It was time to step it up! A little cheese between two hunks ‘a bread just wasn’t gonna cut it! It was all in and balls out! The following abomination is what he came up with.

The Bourbon Grilled Cheese Sandwich of Etherus

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Miniature Wine at a Miniature Price

Just when I think I’ve experienced all the wonders wine has to offer, it continues to astound and excite me. Enter: Copa Wine. I was at my local grocery store, grabbing some cheap-ish white wine to use in a recipe (actually, in the Sage Butter Chowder I shared recently) when I noticed a very intriguing new display in the booze section:

Copa Di Vino, or wine by the glass, is the brilliantly simple idea of bottling premium wine directly into a glass. Wine lovers can now drink delicious, quality wine from an attractive, eco-friendly, single-serving container. Just peel back the lid and enjoy!

I was a bit suspicious of these claims at first. Even though the display board proudly screamed that it “Tastes Great!” how good can a mini-bottle (or… cup?) of wine be if it only costs $2.99? Especially if it boasts a peel-back aluminum lid? “Really, though,” I thought, “who am I to judge?” And with that, I tossed a Copa Cabernet Sauvignon into my cart, determined to get to the bottom of this new and exhilarating product.

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Friday Fuck-Up: Stick With the Beer

T’was the night before Christmas and there in my kitchen,
the turkey was ready; and boy, was it bitchin’!
It was seasoned and brined and buttered with care,
and ready for dinner once the gang all got there.
We’d celebrate Hanukkah and Kwanzaa and all,
and include all religions, just like the mall.
I’ve sent out the invites and bought all the booze.
They all said they’d be here, even the Jews!

This recipe is new, I’d seen it online.
It got thirty ‘likes,’ so it had to be fine.
I roast at 450 for thirty minutes or so,
to get the skin crisp—then turn it real low.
And leave it alone to keep cookin’ all night.
It was on endlesssimmer so it had to be right!

I popped in the bird and poured a short drink.
I drank it real quick, and that made me think.
What can I do while I’m timing the roast?
That drink was sure good, maybe just one more toast.
Wait thirty minutes, or some other jive?
To help me pass time I’ll take a shot every five!

Fifteen minutes go by and it’s shot number three.
Or does that make five? Now how can this be?
I started with two and then had three more.
What was the time when I started to pour?
I roast it for thirty or some other crap?
Maybe I’d better take just a short nap.

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Cocktail O’Clock: 5 Thanksgiving Cocktails

Come on, America — Thanksgiving isn’t just an excuse to gorge yourself. It’s also a great reason to get sh*tfaced!

Check out these recipes for 5 Thanksgiving cocktails that have piqued our interest this fall…

1. The Spiced Cloud

In a shaker combine:
1.5 parts Gekkeikan Nigori Sake
.75 parts pear nectar

Shake well with ice, strain into a chilled martini glass garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

2. Hunters on Holiday

In a shaker combine:
1.5 parts Jägermeister
.5 parts Don Q Anejo Rum
2 bar spoons of  leftover cranberry sauce (yes, cranberry sauce!)
.5 parts fresh lemon juice

Shake well with ice, strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice. Garnish with a lemon peel and grated cinnamon.

3. Nutty Pilgrim

2 parts Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey
1 part DeKuyper Hazelnut Liqueur or 1 part Kamora Coffee Liqueur

Garnish:
Orange Wheel

Build all ingredients over ice into a double Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with a half moon orange wheel.

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