Scorpion Cocktail

Aptly named, as it has a sting in the tail!  The relative length of the drink, with fresh orange and lemon juice and loads of ice, means it is dangerously 'gluggable'.  But refreshing on a warm, dry, sunny evening.  Per person, you need 2 parts of white rum (i.e. Bacardi), 2 parts of good, freshly-squeezed orange juice, 1 and a half parts of fresh lemon juice, 1 part brandy (preferably good Cognac), 2 teaspoons of Amaretto liqueur (or orgeat syrup, if you happen to have any lying around, as you do), 2-3 drops of Angostura Bitters, sugar syrup, to taste, and slices of orange and lemon.  Shake over ice, then strain into highball glasses filled with broken ice and garnish with the fruit slices.  ***Hic! ***

Deauville Cocktails

Hubby just described these as 'Sidecars with Calvados', and I guess that is pretty much what they are - equal measures each of good Cognac, Calvados, Cointreau and freshly-squeezed lemon juice.  We sweetened it with a little gomme sugar syrup, and added a lemon twist.  Shaken over ice and served in a martini glass, this was a classic example of the alchemy of a good cocktail -all the ingredients combine to taste of something different from the individual parts.  Very delicious, and quite potent - hic!

Between the Sheets Cocktail

Tonight's cocktail is a classic, and we make it with equal quantities of Bacardi white rum, cognac, Cointreau and fresh lemon juice, shaken over ice and strained into a martini glass with a lemon twist.  Totally.  Delicious.   Served with crisp little Cheddar and Rosemary biscuits.  I think Sundays are my favourite day of the week!  Hic!
NB: many thanks to Helen for spotting the deliberate error in my original posting, where I listed gin instead of Bacardi white rum.  What can I say?  I was drunk at the time.

Brandied Cherries

Alice Waters (of Chez Panisse fame) has produced some wonderful cookbooks. This recipe (from 'Fruit') is simplicity itself, and I can't wait until Christmas now to be able to eat them (and drink the cherry brandy left over - hic!). Remove the pits from a pound of washed, stemmed cherries - I have a nifty cherry and olive pitter which is invaluable for the job. Keep the pits. Take a sterilised Kilner jar (don't forget to sterilise the rubber seal, too) and put the cherry stones in the bottom - apparently, they contribute hugely to the flavour. Now add the cherries and pour over half a cup of granulated sugar (about 125g) and then cover with brandy - you don't have to get the best cognac for this, but don't use stuff that could also clean the bathroom tile grouting! Seal the jar and give it a shake. Now, keep somewhere dark and cool for a week or so, and remember to shake the jar each day to dissolve the sugar. After that, let the whole lot mature for at least three months. It will keep longer, but once the jar is opened, the fruit should be consumed within a month and the jar kept in the fridge. The resulting cherry brandy should keep for ages - who am I kidding? This treatment can also be given to raspberries, which I will try next week.

Christmas Cake [#185]

Okay, so I won't know what this cake tastes like until Christmas - although the raw mixture was mightly good. This made a deep, richly fruited cake that certainly smells fantastic. It is now tightly wrapped, ready to have brandy spooned over every week until it is consumed greedily. I don't intend to decorate it, leaving it as a perfectly plain, rich fruit cake - there is enough sweet over-indulgence at this time of year as it is.
Tasting notes: well, we had our first slices on Christmas Eve. After weekly feeding with cognac, the cake was exceedingly moist and totally delicious. The crumb insode is buttery and surprisingly light - not at all dark and treacly, like some Christmas Cakes. Another example of Nigel's excellent baking skills.