Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Bourbon Slush

This recipe is the very first alcoholic drink I can remember every tasting. I was pretty young and I can remember raking my finger across the top of the slushy substance. It was sweet, cold and yummy. This drink was always prepared in a round Tupperware container that had a lid. My suggestion would be to purchase a large lidded container also. While you could mix and use a bowl, it's just easier with a lidded container.
My Mom is not a fan of bourbon, so she prefers to use a blended whiskey. I prefer to make this with Jim Beam or Maker's Mark. Both are equally delicious, but do have their subtle differences. If you prefer to go the blended whiskey route, my choice would be Canadian Club or Segrams VO. This is a wonderful drink for anytime of the year. Even with the frozen slushy part, people seem to like this in the wintertime as well as summer. We prefer to give this drink a splash or ginger ale, but I think you could add a splash of Fresca or my favorite Squirt (which by the way is so hard to find anymore). ENJOY!

7 c. warm water
2 c. sugar
2 c. strong fresh brewed tea
2 cans frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed but cold
2 cans frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed but cold
3 c. bourbon or blended whiskey

1. Mix all ingredients, by hand, in a large container; add tea once it is cooled down.

2. Freeze overnight in a container with a lid or a container with plastic wrap covering.

3. Serve a scoop of slush in an old fashioned glass with a splash of ginger ale or Squirt, you can also place a maraschino cherry on a plastic toothpick as a garnish or a slice of orange, just for presentation.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Orange Blossom Breakfast Buns


These might be my new favorite breakfast treat. Don't let the name "bun" fool you. These are not your usual "buns" that you spread a filling onto, they are already filled. They are light and fluffy, have a delicious orange flavor and are so easy to make. I made them in muffin cups and that was the best way to keep their shape and to catch all the delicious orange glaze. You could even make these in mini muffin cups by cutting the biscuit in 1/2 and using less filling. I think you will enjoy these little orange bites. I think this will be a choice on the menu at my bed and breakfast. I have a tin full of recipes for my future career. I don't know that I would ever be able to make them all, but I am having fun trying. Enjoy!
Orange Blossom Breakfast Buns Makes 20
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. finely chopped pecans
2 t. orange zest
two - 12oz. cans refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (10 count)
one - 8 oz. package cream cheese, very softened
1T. orange juice concentrate (concentrate, before you make the orange juice with water)
1/2 c. melted butter
1 c. powdered sugar, sifted
2 T. fresh squeezed orange juice (from the orange you zested)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, pecans and orange zest; set aside. Line a muffin tin with muffin cups.
2. Place cream cheese and orange juice concentrate into a small bowl, mix until smooth. Seperate the biscuits. Place about 1/2 t. of cream cheese mixture into the middle of each biscuit round. Seal the edges of the biscuits by gathering into a pinch and creating a ball of dough. Roll each biscuit ball into the butter and then in the sugar mixture. Be sure to coat well. Place, gathered side down into individual muffin cups. Continue until all biscuits are used.
3. Bake biscuits in oven for 12 - 15 minutes, or until slightly browned. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes on cooling rack, in the muffin tins.
4. While blossoms are cooling, combine powdered sugar and orange juice in a small bowl, mix until smoooth. Once blossoms are cool, remove from pan and onto cooling rack; drizzle glaze over blossoms. If you are serving blossoms warm, serve right away, or if serving later, place into microwave for a few seconds.
** You may need to make more glaze if you want the blossoms really full of glaze, as some people prefer.
** I like the taste of using the orange juice concentrate, if you want a lighter flavor, use fresh orange juice instead.