Monday, January 27, 2014

The Art of Fine Cookery : Craving some Comfort and a wee bit of Atholl Brose


       
It's freezing here in Northeast Ohio and it's time for a good old fashioned hot alcoholic drink...you know, something to warm your heart as well as your hands! I have plenty of toddies and hot buttered rum recipes in my arsenal but I really wanted something different; I just wasn't sure what!

Then I remembered the bottle of Apple Pie Moonshine that I had sitting in my cabinet and just as quickly I ran downstairs and took the lid off of the mason jar with the wicked looking brown liquid in it. 

Warning- This is not your uncles Moonshine...This stuff is unbelievable and it smells and tastes just like a fresh cinnamon spiked apple pie, but with a mule sized kick. For some reason (or maybe I'm just highly suggestible!) it made me crave a mug of Atholl Brose, that wonderful Scottish drink of oatmeal brose , honey , whisky and cream so I grabbed my copper kettle and filled it with 3/4 of a gallon of apple cider, 3 tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice and 1 stick of butter. I let that simmer for a bit, whisking frequently and next added about 1 1/2 cups of blackstrap molasses and a sachet of one cup of oatmeal tied in the foot of a brand new pair of stockings that I'd cut the foot off of. (I keep plenty of cheap pairs around for that purpose) 

After that simmered for about 45 minutes there was still plenty of liquid but it was syrupy, wonderful and the molasses and oatmeal gave it a very earthy flavor. I squeezed the bag of oatmeal several times into the pot and then I added one jar of the moonshine, 1 cup of Buttershot schnapps, 1 cup of Drambuie, 3/4 of a cup of vanilla brandy and two teaspoons of vanilla extract. I brought it all to steaming, filled a camping thermos with boiling water , dumped it out and then added the piping hot Brew. It was delicious ~ I'm absolutely thrilled!  I've been sipping it all day with steaming Scottish breakfast tea, a shot of Laphroaig and some brown sugar whipped cream! It keeps well and I have enough for an army so perhaps a gathering of the clans is in order or at least a comfy chair, a soft blanket and your dog eared copy of Outlander! 


Bubbling in the Cauldron ~ Witches Brew
Bubbling in the Cauldron ~ Witches Brew
Bubbling in the Cauldron ~ Witches Brew

2 comments:

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  2. I love to cook and I've made whipped cream before. But how do you make brown sugar whipped cream?

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