Berry Mule

 I love the raspberries in this one!

2 oz spiced rum ( I use Appleton)

5-6 raspberries (fresh or frozen)

2 oz ginger ale (I like Canada Dry)

1/2 oz simple syrup (optional)

Mint Leaves (optional)

In a lowball glass, muddle raspberries with the simple syrup.  Add rum and stir well.  Fill with ice and top with ginger ale.  Garnish with mint leaves

Rum Cream

 This is a rich, creamy celebration drink.  Easy to make and a delicious addition to any holiday meal.

1/2 cup amber rum

1/2 cup spiced rum

1 cup sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp crushed allspice

1/2 cup chilled coffee

2 tbsp chocolate sauce

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cinnamon stick

Add all ingredients to a 3 cup bottle.  Close lid and shake well to mix.  Keep chilled for up to 2 weeks.

Makes about 5 servings

Minty Bells

If you miss your summertime patio drinks this will bring some summertime pleasure to your fall days.   From Food and Drink Holiday 2015

To a Highball glass, add 3 lime wedges, 1/2 oz agave syrup and 12 mint leaves, torn.   Muddle.  Fill the glass with ice and add 1 oz amber rum.  Stir to mix.  Top with 3 to 4 oz Cava and garnish with a mint sprig.

Makes 1 drink.

Danish Rum Souffle

A decadent and delicious dessert!

4 egg yolks
3 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup rum
1 envelope plain gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 pt whipping cream
Unsweetened chocolate

Beat egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar until light lemon colour.  Add rum.  Dissolve gelatin in water and dissolve over boiling water.  Stir into yolk mixture.  Beat cream until stiff.

In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff and moist.  Add remaining sugar gradually.  Fold cream into egg yolk mixture; fold in stiffly beaten egg white meringue.  Pour into a serving dish; chill 4 to 6 hours. Serve garnished with more whipped cream and curls of unsweetened chocolate.

Spiced Rum Flip

A really delicious holiday drink.  From Food and Drink Holiday 2014.

To a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add 1 1/2 oz spiced rum, 1 whole egg, 1 oz cream, 1/4 oz to 1/2 oz maple syrup.  Shake hard until frothy.  Strain into a compete glass and add a dusting of nutmeg.

The Colado Mojito

This is a great summer drink!  From Food and Drink Summer 2014.

To a blender, add 1 cup ice, 1 1/2 oz spiced rum, 2 oz Margarita mix, 2 oz Pina Colada mix and 5 mint leaves, torn.  Blend until slushy.  Pour into a Colada glass and garnish with a pineapple spear and a mint sprig.

The Colada Mojito

This is more suited to warmer weather…but if you crank up the heat and put on some summer music you can pretend you are on the beach.  From Food and Drink Summer 2014.

To a blender, add 1 cup ice, 1 1/2 oz spiced rum, 2 oz margarita mix, 2 oz pina colada mix and 5 mint leaves, torn.  Blend until slushy.  Pour into a Colada glass and garnish with a pineapple spear and a mint sprig.

Caicos Sunset

A really nice rum cocktail.

2 oz Appleton Rum
1 oz peach schnapps
4 oz orange juice
1 tbsp grenadine syrup

Stir rum and schnapps into a glass half filled with ice cues.  Top up with orange juice.  Add grenadine syrup and stir gently so that the "sunset" glow comes half way up the glass.

Planters Punch

A wonderful sunny rum punch to warm up your winter day!

2 oz amber rum
1/4 lemon juice
1/4 lime juice
3 oz orange juice
1 oz pineapple juice
1/4 oz orange liqueur
a dash of grenadine

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add all ingredients.  Shake well and strain into a collins glass filled with ice.  Garnish with a mint sprig dipped in white sugar and an orange wheel.

Sour Cream Fudge Layer Cake with Chocolate Rum Frosting

This is a delightful, rich, moist cake.  Serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or on its own.  From Food and Drink Winter 2001.  I made mine with rum but the Kahlua or even an amaretto would be nice.

2/3 cup strong coffee
4 squares, 4 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup dark rum or Kahlua
1 cup regular sour cream
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

CHOCOLATE RUM FROSTING
2 1/2 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 tbsp dark rum or Kahlua
1 to 2 tbsp sour cream or milk

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Line two 9 inch round cake pans with parchment paper.  Butter pans well and dust with cocoa power, shaking out excess.
2. Combine coffee and chopped chocolate in a large glass bowl and microwave at High for 1 to 2 minutes or until piping hot and chocolate is melted.  Whisk in rum until smooth.  Let cool to room temperature.
3. Place sour cream in a bowl and stir in baking soda and salt.
4. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer until fluffy.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated.  Beat in chocolate mixture until smooth.  Beat in half the flour alternately with half the sour cream mixture, beat in remaining flour and sour cream mixture to make a smooth batter.  Spread evenly in prepared pans.
5. Bake on rack in middle of oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until cake feels firm in the centre and edges begin to pull away from sides.  Leave in pans for 5 minutes then turn out onto wire racks to cool.  Cake layers can be wrapped well in plastic wrap, then foil and frozen for up to 1 month.
6. For frosting, sift icing sugar and cocoa powder together through a fine sieve into a large bowl.  Beat in butter and rum using an electric mixer, starting at a slow speed, until smooth.  Beat in enough sour cream to make a smooth spreadable frosting.
7. Arrange one cake layer on a large plate and spread with some of the frosting.  Top with second cake and spread tops and sides with remaining frosting.

Serves 8

Easy Eggnog

I know this is out of season but it is too good not to share!  The eggs are cooked so salmonella is not an issue here and the recipe is super easy.  The better the rum, brandy and ice cream the better the eggnog.  From Food and Drink 2000.

3 large eggs
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup rum
2 cups vanilla ice cream, softened
2 cups milk
Ground nutmeg

1. Place a bowl over a pot of water, making sure the water does not touch the base of the bowl.  Bring to simmer.  Add eggs and sugar and beat over the heat until light and fluffy.  Whisk in brandy and rum, continuing to whisk until mixture has tripled in volume.
2. Remove from heat, cool, then beat in ice cream and milk.  Pour into serving pitcher and chill until needed.  Serve each glass dusted with nutmeg.

Hot Rummed Cider

Another yummy festive drink :)

In a saucepan, bring to boil 6 cups apple cider and 4 tbsp brown sugar.  Reduce heat and add 1 tbsp butter.  When butter has melted, add 1 1/2 cups amber rum.  Stir and serve in heat proof mugs.

Egg Nog

Got this from Food and Drink 2000!  I simple recipe that uses cooked eggs so you don't have to worry about salmonella.

3 large eggs
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup rum
2 cups vanilla ice cream, softened
2 cups milk
Ground nutmeg

1. Place a bowl over a pot of water, making sure the water does not touch the base of the bowl.  Bring to simmer.  Add eggs and sugar and beat over the heat until light and fluffy.  Whisk in brandy and rum, continuing to whisk until mixture has tripled in volume.
2. Remove from heat, cool then beat in ice cream and milk.  Pour into serving pitcher and chill until needed.  Serve with each glass dusted with nutmeg.

Eggnog Creme Brulee

Creme Brulee is one of my favourite desserts.  This one is a little different with an eggnog flavour.

2 1/2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup brandy
1/4 cup rum
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp grated nutmeg
6 egg yolks
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar for topping

1. preheat oven to 325F.
2. Bring whipping cream, brandy and rum to boil.  Cool for 15 minutes.  Stir in vanilla and nutmeg.  Reserve..
3. With an electric mixer, beat together egg yolks and 1/3 cup sugar for 2 to 3 minutes until thick and lemon coloured.  Whisk in warm whipping cream.
4. Butter six 1 cup custard or ramekin cups.  Divide custard between them.  Place cups in a baking dish large enough to hold all six.  Add hot water halfway up sides of cups.  Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until the custard is just set.  Remove from water bath, cool and refrigerate.
5. A few hours before serving, sieve 1 tbsp remaining sugar evenly over each custard.  To caramelize sugar to a  golden brown, place under a broiler as close to heat as possible and watch closely to avoid burning it.  It takes about 1 to 2 minutes to turn a golden brown colour.  Cool and serve.

Egg Nog Cookies

Another seasonal favourite, you can make these anytime though - just substitute the eggnog with milk.

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg or cardamom
2/3 cup butter
1 slightly beaten egg
1/4 cup eggnog
1/2 cup finely crushed butterscotch or rum flavoured hard candies

1 recipe Eggnog Glaze
Yellow Coloured sugar

* In a large mixing bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg or cardamom.  Cut in butter till pieces are the size of small peas.  Make a well in the centre.  Combine egg and eggnog; add all at once to dry mixture.  Stir till moistened.  Cover and chill dough about 2 hours or till firm enough to handle.

* Line a cookie sheet with foil; set aside.  On a well floured surface roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness.  Using cookie cutters, cut into desired shapes, rerolling trimmings as necessary.  Cut small shaped holes inside the shapes, rerolling trimmings.  Place cookie shapes with holes in centres about 1 inch apart on the foil lined cookie sheet.  Sprinkle crushed candies into the holes.

* Bake in a 375F oven for 10 to 12 minutes or till edges are firm and light brown.  Cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes.  Carefully transfer the cokies on the foil to a wire rack to cool completely.
When cookies are cool, carefully peel the foil from bottoms of cookies.  Spread the cookie tops with Eggnog Glaze.  If desired, sprinkle with coloured sugar.  Makes about 24 cookies

Eggnog Glaze
In a small mixing bowl stir together 3 cups sifted powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp rum extract, and enough eggnog (2 to 3 tbsp) to make a glaze of spreading consistency.

Dirty Pink Perrier

Cheers!

1 oz Amber Rum

1/2 oz vodka

Pink Lemonade

Perrier

Combine rum, vodka and pink lemonade with ice.  Shake well.  Pour into a martini glass, fill with perrier and garnish with two cherries.

All Purpose Truffles

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge chocolate lover.  I really should have posted these for Christmas because that is when I usually make them.  However work interceded and I didn't have the time to make them.  I will post this recipe though because Valentines day is coming up and really do you need an excuse to make truffles?

Consider this a base recipe, add flavourings (rum, triple sec, toasted almonds, whatever) to it to customize.   I find melting a bit of chocolate and drizzling over the finished ones makes for a simple but pleasing finish.

FILLING

½ cup Whipping Cream

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1 tbsp corn syrup

1 tbsp rum, orange, raspberry or coffee flavoured liqueur

8 oz semi sweet, bittersweet or milk chocolate, melted

COATING

12 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate

2 cups sifted unsweetened cocoa powder

In non aluminum pan, stir together cream, butter syrup, and liqueur, if using; bring to simmer over low heat.  Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.  In medium bowl, combine chocolate and cream mixture; beat until smooth.  Let cool for two to three hours at room temperature, until mixture reaches about 80F on a candy or instant read thermometer.

In bowl, using electric mixer, beat chocolate mixture on medium until thick and smooth.  Spoon mixture into pastry bag fitted with ½ inch plain tube; pipe ¾ inch balls onto parchment paper or foil lined baking sheets.  Or using teaspoon shape chocolate mixture into balls.  Chill for at least one hour.

Coating;  In heatproof bowl set over hot water, melt chocolate; remove and let cool to about 90F on candy or instant read thermometer.  Using fork, submerge truffle in warm chocolate to coat.  Remove with fork, scraping excess chocolate on to side of bowl; roll in cocoa powder to coat.  Repeat with remaining truffles.  When firm roll truffles, several at a time in strainer, with waxed paper below to catch excess cocoa.  Store truffles in tin or plastic container with tight fitting lid and keep at cool room temperature for up to one week.  Makes 35 to 50 truffles depending on size.

Perrier a Trois

This will make you feel you are somewhere tropical!

1 oz Rum

1/2 oz Triple Sec

1/2 oz Pineapple Juice

1/2 oz Bar Lime Mix

1/2 oz Orange Juice

2 Floats of Malibu

Perrier

Combine Rum, Triple Sec, Pineapple Juice, Lime Mix and Orange Juice.  Shake well.  Pour Malibu and top with Perrier.  Garnish with a slice of lime, orange or Pineapple.

Citrus Cool Cocktail

A nice light cocktail - the first time I have used Vermouth :)

1 oz white rum
1/2 oz dry vermouth
1/2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
Lemon Lime pop

Pour the rum, vermouth and lime juice into glass filled with ice.  Stir, then top with lemon lime pop.  Garnish with a lime or lime slice.