Sea Salted Chocolate Peanut Butter Skillet Cookie a la Mode

This week's rare blue super moon seems to be causing me to so all sorts of strange things. Which might explain why I am having a rare week of self disclosure. In my last post I shared how complete strangers have come to influence my book and movie choices. Although I intentionally, I left out the role my friends play in these decisions to avoid crossing into too much information (TMI) territory. So here goes my next admission, one possibly showing a little less restraint. After almost a year of going to yoga three, four, sometimes five days a week I am still finding it challenging; I am pretty sure I am only marginally better than I was when I started; and, I continue to find yoga's underlying 'seek to be your best self, not seek to be THE best' philosophy to be incongruent with my competitive self. For all of the stretching, balancing, and 'how could that be humanly possible' poses my body has experienced over the last twelve months, one would think (or at least I think) I should have the strength and flexibility of someone at least half my age. Or at least have mastered the graceful and effortless flow of a handful of poses. But that hasn't happened....yet. I still hold out the semi-impossible expectation that one day it will. Yoga requires a relative high degree of concentration. But when I am dripping wet and on the verge of feeling pushed beyond my physical limits, I find my mind suddenly unable to translate yoga language (malansana, tadasana, trikonsana, supta baddha konasana, chataranga dandasana, and even shavasana) into English. You might wonder how I managed to earn a doctorate degree and not be able to have mastered the language of yoga no matter what. I am wondering the same thing! We are reminded in almost every yoga class to make it 'our practice'. In other words, there are no expectations. The only expectations and intentions are the ones you set for yourself. After spending nineteen years of my life going to school this philosophy continues to feel incongruent with the expectation messages permanently hardwired into my brain. More often than I should admit, I find myself assigning a letter grade during and/or after yoga. And it would be one of those grades I would have cringed at seeing if they ever appeared on a report card. So why would someone like me continue to religiously make yoga an almost daily practice? Well I suppose it's because (a) I am a glutton for punishment, (b) I believe the benefits of yoga, like the benefits of relationships, are endless with ongoing, continuous hard work, (c) I feel my running has benefitted, (d) I treasure the post-yoga coffee time with friends, and, last but not least, (e) I am unwilling to give up my love-hate-love relationship with it. What is it in your life challenging your body, mind, and spirit you don't want to walk away from either?

I believe if you make time for exercise in your life, you should reward yourself. Right? Yes, I know, the benefits of exercise are supposed to be THE reward. But don't we all deserve a little something more to refuel our energy levels? Like maybe something made with chocolate and peanut butter? Aren't they on the list of super foods?

This Sea Salted Chocolate Peanut Butter Skillet Cookie a la Mode might just be one of those perfect rewards.

After seeing a photo of a chocolate peanut butter skillet cookie on Instagram last week, I set off on yet another down the rabbit hole recipe search. This time there were only dozens, not hundreds of recipes out there. All with a variety of chocolate and peanut butter ingredient variations. Some were made with chocolate chips and peanut butter chips, some with cocoa and peanut butter, and some with chocolate chips and peanut butter. But there wasn't one saying 'pick me, I am the best'. The cocoa and peanut butter combination had the greatest appeal. However, most of the recipes I found didn't specify whether to use unsweetened or Dutch-processed cocoa. After doing a little more research on when to use unsweetened cocoa and when to use Dutch-processed cocoa, I decided probably either would work in this skillet cookie recipe. Instead of making two versions of this skillet cookie, I trusted my chocolate loving instincts and made it using unsweetened cocoa. While I can't tell you if it would be as good as or better using Dutch-processed cocoa, I don't need to know. Not after tasting this one. Swirling creamy peanut butter into the chocolate instead of mixing peanut butter chips chips into the batter made for a visually appealing skillet cookie. It definitely exceeded my eye catching expectations. The sprinkling of sea salt on top pushed this version into contention for the 'pick me I am the best' category.

More than likely you have all of the ingredients in your pantry and refrigerator for this skillet cookie.If you needed a reason to justify why a box of unsweetened cocoa, a pint of vanilla ice cream, and a cast iron skillet are absolute necessities, it would be this Sea Salted Chocolate Peanut Butter Skillet Cookie. Being able to make this warm chocolatey, peanut buttery skillet cookie whenever you wanted to wow your family and/or friends, have an impromptu gathering, were storm homebound, or simply had a craving for it might be some of them. Or simply having a bite might be reason enough.

The butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar are beaten until light and fluffy. It generally takes three to five minutes of beating at medium-high speed to achieve the perfect state of fluffiness. After beating in the egg and vanilla, the dry ingredients are mixed in only until no streaks of flour remain. The batter will be very thick. 

After scraping the batter into a buttered 8" or 9" cast iron skillet, use an offset spatula or large tablespoon spoon to smooth the top. Then drop on small dollops of peanut butter. Use a butter knife to lightly swirl the peanut butter into the cookie batter. Be careful not to over swirl as you want streaks of peanut butter to remain visible. The finishing touch is a light sprinkle of sea salt. It's now ready to go into a preheated 350 degree (F) oven. Baking time ranges from 15-18 minutes.

The Sea Salted Chocolate Peanut Butter Skillet Cookie is done when the edges begin to firm up but the center remains soft. You definitely do not want to over bake this cookie or wait until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. It will continue to bake in the skillet after being removed from the oven. Letting it rest for five minutes gets your cookie to the best of both cookie worlds eating experience place. Crunchy edges and a warm, slightly gooey center. 

You could serve this blissfully delicious Sea Salted Chocolate Peanut Butter Skillet Cookie without scoops of vanilla ice cream, but why would you? Hold back on sprinkling miniature peanut butter cups if you really have to. But leaving out the vanilla ice cream would be akin to serving pancakes without butter, syrup, or jam. You could do it, but the eating experience would not be the same.

This is one of those desserts where you can pass out spoons, have everyone eat it directly out of the pan, and ultimately let there be a battle of the spoons for the final morsel. However, if you are worried about those who like to slowly savor their desserts not getting their fair share, you can spoon out the cookie into serving bowls and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Either option works!

There are so many reasons why cast iron skillets have been around since the late 19th century. However, if I haven't yet convinced you this dessert alone is worth purchasing an 8" or 9" cast iron pan for, maybe this Dutch Baby with Creme Fraiche and Mixed Berries or this Caramel Apple Dutch Baby ala Mode or this Savory and Hearty Frittata or this Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie would. 

You can more than satisfy the sweet tooth of up to six people with this Sea Salted Chocolate Peanut Butter Skillet Cookie a la Mode. Although you would make four of your chocolate and peanut butter loving friends even happier if you didn't invite two more people to the table. 

If you are looking for an easy to make, slightly decadent, insanely delicious, destined to satisfy any chocolate and peanut butter lover dessert, make this Sea Salted Chocolate Peanut Butter Skillet Cookie a la Mode. You might end up having a love-hate-love relationship with it but refuse to give it up. You can probably guess why.

Recipe
Sea Salted Chocolate Peanut Butter Skillet Cookie a la Mode (inspired by multiple sources)
Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients
8 Tablespoons (114 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup (50 g) light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (128 g) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (23 g) unsweetened cocoa (not Dutch-processed)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg, room temperature
3-4 Tablespoon creamy peanut butter
Sea Salt for finishing
Good quality vanilla ice for serving
Optional: Miniature peanut butter cups for garnish

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Butter an 8 or 9 inch cast iron skillet and set aside.
2. In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
3. In a medium-large bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium speed using a hand mixer until light and fluffy (approximately 3-5 minutes).
4. Add egg and vanilla to the butter/sugar mixer. Beat to combine.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the batter. Beat until blended and no streaks of flour remain.
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Use an offset spatula to smooth and spread evenly.
7. Drop dollops of the creamy peanut butter on top of the batter. Use a butter knife to swirl it into the cookie batter. Lightly sprinkle the top of the cookie with sea salt
8. Bake for 15-18 minutes until the edges begin for firm up but is still soft in the center. Be careful to not over bake. 
9. Remove from oven and let the cookie rest for 5 minutes (the cookie will continue to bake during this time).
10. Top with scoops of vanilla ice cream. Sprinkle with miniature peanut butter cups, if using. Serve immediately Note: The Sea Salted Chocolate Peanut Butter Skillet Cookie is best served warm but is equally delicious served at room temperature.

Notes: (1) I used almost four tablespoons of creamy JIF when I made this skillet cookie. (2) If I was making this dessert on the east coast I would serve it with the vanilla ice cream made by Bliss. But since I am here in the midwest, I used Ben and Jerry's vanilla.

Little Compton, Rhode Island (November 2017)

Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Shortbread

I have a confession to make. Before I see a movie or buy/read a book, I want to know what others have thought and/or have said about it. I read all of the reviews available, check to see the film ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, and/or look at how many stars a book has on Amazon or Goodreads. Although I haven't done any extensive research confirm whether or not the algorithms used to generate these ratings are true, universal indicators of the quality of a film or book, my working hypothesis is they aren't. Yet, in all honesty these sources sometimes influence my decisions. And then sometimes they don't. Yes, I have have been guilty of suffering from FOMO. However, the genre or story still has to interest or speak to me. Hype combined with the opinions of those who take the time (or are paid) to share them can sometimes lead to unrealistic high or low ratings as well as expectations. Worse yet, they can lead to regretful decisions. I have never walked out of a movie but do have a stack of unread books to prove this. Have you ever been lulled into seeing a movie or reading book based on its' hype and then found yourself saying 'what was all the fuss about'? If you haven't, you are lucky. Have you ever decided to see a film or read a book with less than a four star review and wondered how it could have been so under-rated? If you have, you are in good company. Or, have there been any books you labored through or set down for months before finally going back to? Only to later realize giving up on them completely would have been a huge mistake. If you have, you can appreciate why persistence can have its' rewards. Most recently that book for me was 'A Gentlemen in Moscow'. Had I put it back on the book shelf after the 'first hundred pages' (the no explainable limit I set), I might still be wondering why so many found it compelling or why it earned not 4 but 4.5 stars on Amazon. Fortunately I now know why. And after going on endlessly singing the praises of the film 'Get Out', I learned some of my friends may begin to think twice about taking a movie recommendation from me!

If you have made any inferences about my views on reviews and ratings, the rest of this post may seem a bit out of character. Or maybe not. I might have left out the part where I can be both consistently inconsistent and predictable. Spoiler Alert: If this Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Shortbread cookie was a book, it would have a 5 star rating. And if it was a movie, it would have a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 

They are described by cookbook author Alison Roman as a "less chocolate chip cookie, more brown sugar shortbread with chocolate chunks-they just might be the cookie you've been looking for." If those words aren't enough to inspire you to make her Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Shortbread cookie recipe, well maybe the hundreds of photos of them posted on Instagram in the last couple of weeks will whet your appetite for them. For those of you who don't believe every viral or trending photo of a recipe is worthy of being made (and in some cases it's not), this would be the time to BELIEVE. For those of you who suffer from FOMO, your fear would be considered clinically real this time if you don't make them. And for those of who you pride yourselves on not jumping on every new bandwagon along with having the patience of Job, all I can say is there comes a time in your life when you need to become a fast follower. There may have never been a cookie worthy of all of the rave reviews, accolades, and best cookie of year nominations this shortbread cookie has received thus far. I am here to say they live up to their hype. 

Light brown sugar, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, semi-sweet or dark chocolate and salted (yes salted) butter are six of the ingredients needed to make these Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Shortbread cookies gaining a cult following. Flaky sea salt, demerara sugar, and one egg are the remaining three finishing ingredients. But let's go back to the butter for a moment. This may be the only cookie I have made specifically calling for salted butter. Alison Roman shares you can use unsalted butter but will need to add 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Although the salted butter adds a depth of flavor you won't experience if you use unsalted butter and salt. And after reading all the reviews about this cookie, there was overwhelming consensus advocating for the use of salted butter rather than the unsalted butter/salt option. So who was I to argue with both the recipe creator and consensus? I used salted butter or rather a European salted butter. My taste buds strongly believe there is a discernible taste difference between American and European butters, particularly in baked goods, and especially in things like cookies and caramels. So if the dominate flavor of a cookie comes from butter, I will use a European butter.

I thought I committed the number of grams in one cup of flour to memory. But I second guessed myself when I started making these cookies. Which invariably led me to do a 'grams to cup for all-purpose (AP)' search. And much to my dismay, there was not a hard, fast universal gram to one cup of flour measurement. Gram weights were as low as 120 g and as high as 130 g, with 123g, 125g, and 127g options. In other words, there wasn't a gram weight consensus. I used 120g when making this first batch of cookies (as it's the weight I have used before), however, after making them I would recommend using the 130g to a one cup measurement to ensure your cookie has a denser shortbread consistency and spreads less in the baking process (my shortbread seemed 'bigger' than the hundreds of photos of them posted to Instagram). Don't get me wrong, the first 120 g per cup version of this shortbread got rave reviews. But they have may have tasted the four and a half star version.

Sifting the flour is not required. So why would I sift the flour when it specifically did not call for it? Call it force of habit. In other words, you don't have or need to sift the flour when making this shortbread. Some might say you shouldn't.

If there are any downsides to this shortbread cookie it's having to wait (at least) two hours after making the batter before baking them. But good things really do come to those who wait. After dividing the dough half and wrapping in plastic wrap, it is shaped into 2" to 2 1/4" logs before going into the refrigerator to let the magic happen. Note: The dough can be made ahead and stored, tightly wrapped in plastic, up to one week in the refrigerator, or one month in the freezer.

Before slicing and baking the cookie logs, they are brushed with a lightly beaten egg and rolled in demerara sugar. The demerara sugar helps to create crispy, sugary edges. Turning every bite of this buttery, chocolatey shortbread cookie into a head-spinning experience. After laying the slices of the shortbread dough on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, lightly sprinkle with a flaky sea salt (Maldon is one of my favorites).

Use your sharpest serrated knife when cutting your completely firmed up, chilled logs into 1/2" slices. You will invariably hit some chunks of the chocolate when cutting, so slice slowly. If by chance any of your slices break apart (and they might), carefully reshape them using your hands.

In a 350 degree (F) oven the cookies bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges just begin to turn brown. My baking time was slightly over 15 minutes, quite possibly because they were on the larger size. Allow the shortbread to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing and placing on a cooling rack. Those five minutes will seem like an eternity. 

These Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Shortbread cookies are pure bliss. Serve with a glass of milk and be prepared to enter into a euphoric state unlike anything you have experienced. This would truth not hype. Quite possibly after one bite you may also find yourself seriously considering permanently or temporarily abandoning your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. It's only my opinion, but I don't think these cookies are worthy of the cookie of year nomination. I think they should be nominated for cookie of the decade. 

Recipe
Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Shortbread (quite possibly one of the most favorite, most photographed recipes from Alison Ronan's new cookbook "Dining In: Highly Cookable Recipes")
Makes 18-24 cookies 

Ingredients
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons (256 g) room temperature salted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (recommend a European salted butter)
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (50 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon good quality vanilla
2 1/4 cups (292.5 g) all-purpose flour (sifting is optional)
6 ounces (171 g) semi-sweet or bittersweet dark chocolate, chopped (but not too finely as you want chunks, not thin shards of chocolate)
1 large egg, beaten to blend
Demerara sugar, for rolling
Flaky sea salt, for finishing before baking (Recommend Maldon Sea Salt)

Directions
1. Using an electric mixer and medium-sized bowl or a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla on medium speed until super light and fluffy, approximately 3-5 minutes.
2. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl. With mixer on low, slowly add flour, followed by the chocolate chunks and beat only to blend.
3. Divide dough in half. Place each  half on a large piece of plastic wrap. Fold plastic over the dough to keep your hands from getting sticky. 
4. Using your hands, form dough into a log shape, rolling on the counter will help you smooth it out, but it won't be perfect. Each of the logs should be 2-2 1/4" inches in diameter. Chill until firm, about 2 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Brush the outside of the shortbread logs with the egg wash. Roll in the demerara sugar.
7. Slice each shortbread log into 1/2" rounds. Arrange on baking sheet, placing approximately 1" apart.
8. Sprinkle with sea salt.
9. Bake until the edges are just beginning to brown, approximately 12-15 minutes. 
10. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before placing on a cooling rack.
11. Serve immediately. Store any uneaten cookies in a tightly sealed container for 3 to 5 days (if they last that long).

Notes: (1) My shortbread cookies were probably on the larger size as my shortbread logs were 2 1/4" in diameter. As a result, the yield was 18 cookies. If you want slightly smaller and up to 24 cookies, roll out your logs closer to 2" in diameter. (2) I chopped up Trader Joe's dark chocolate for these cookies. If it is available near where you live, would highly recommend. (3) If possible use a European salted butter when making these cookies. Kerrygold is one of my favorites. (4) Sifting the flour is optional, not required. 

Views of the Denison Homestead  built in 1717 in Mystic CT (November 2017)

Rosemary Roasted Cashews

We celebrated the birthday of one of our friends this past weekend. This birthday gathering might best be described as an adult birthday party complete with a destination activity. Before we sat by the fire indulging ourselves in bottles of (my new favorite) Italian prosecco, some appetizers, a simple dinner, and of course, the birthday girl's favorite combination of flavors cake (peanut butter and chocolate), we spent two hours at the 'barre'. Depending on one's perspective, this was either two hours of 'pure' joy or two hours of being semi-permanently traumatized looking at yourself close-up in the mirror. But in all seriousness, doing any form of exercise with a group of friends, for however long or however challenging, is always so much more fun than doing it alone. There are an infinite number of reasons why we all love this collective friendship. Encouraging each another to be physically healthy and active is just one of them. Celebrating important life events together is another. I could go endlessly listing the mutual benefits everyone gets from this posse's friendship.

Being one of the Type A personalities in the group, I love when I get to host any of our gatherings here at my house. What I love even more is how generous everyone contributes, how comfortable everyone seems to feel when they are here as well as witnessing them experience a dish for the 'first' time. Whether it's a lox platter, a Dutch Baby, tomato jam, an Elderflower cordial, or these Rosemary Roasted Cashews, their reactions always make my heart happy.

I thought I had already shared my version of Ina Garten's Rosemary Roasted Cashews with you, but apparently I had only shared my variation of her Chipotle and Rosemary Roasted Nuts recipe. There are similarities and differences between the two so you need to have both of them. The Rosemary Roasted Cashews are made only with cashews, while the Chipotle and Rosemary Roasted Nuts recipe is made with cashews, walnuts, and walnuts. While most of the other ingredients between the two are similar, one uses maple syrup and one doesn't. This is the version that doesn't. 

This is a six ingredient appetizer. Depending on where you live or whether or not you have the uncanny ability to keep your herbs alive indoors during the winter months, fresh rosemary is available year round in most grocery stores. In spite of what you may read, dried rosemary isn't always a substitute for the fresh stuff. If there was ever a dish to prove that 'theory bordering on fact', it would be this one. In a pinch you probably could swap out the dark brown sugar for light brown sugar, but your Rosemary Roasted Cashews might suffer from a depth of sweetness. For optimal eating pleasure and presentation, splurge on whole cashews.

From start to finish, these Rosemary Roasted Cashews take about 20 minutes. They are one of those no fuss, simple appetizer that everyone will go nut for (please forgive the pun). In a preheated 375 degree (F) the cashews are roasted for approximately 10 minutes or until heated through.

The roasted cashews are stirred into the rosemary/chipotle chile/dark brown sugar/kosher salt/rosemary/melted butter mixture until they are coated. Making these Rosemary Roasted Cashews could not be easier. Once you taste them, you will think twice about serving 'naked' cashews. 

These Rosemary Roasted Cashews are highly addictive. It is almost impossible to eat only a few. Even for those who boast of having incredible will power. Recommended to be served warm, they are also sinfully delicious served at room temperature. The taste of the chipotle chile is detectable but subtle. They are definitely not like the 'hot' version I once made for a golf outing an extremely hot, humid, sunny day. When combined with the rosemary, brown sugar and kosher salt the cashews are transformed in a most savory, flavorful bite. They paired perfectly with prosecco, but these cashews are wine, champagne, cocktail, and beer friendly. In other words, serve them with your favorite beverages. When you make these Rosemary Roasted Cashews, your house just might become the one everyone wants to come to or come back to. 

Recipe
Rosemary Roasted Cashews (slight adaptation to Ina Garten's Roasted Rosemary Cashews recipe)

Ingredients
1 1/4 pounds whole cashews
2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile spice (or cayenne) Note: I use this one made by Spice Islands.
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F).
2. Combine the rosemary, chipotle chile, brown sugar, kosher salt, and melted butter in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Set aside.
3. Place cashews on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until they are warmed through.
4. Toss the warm cashews with the rosemary mixture until they are completely coated.
5. Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve warm or at room temperature.
6. If making ahead, allow to cool before transferring to a tightly sealed container. 

Notes: (1) In spite of the use of kosher salt in the coating, I use roasted and salted whole cashews instead of raw (unsalted) cashews as the rosemary coating doesn't adhere to the raw cashews. (2) I have made these Rosemary Roasted Cashews using both chipotle chile and cayenne. The ones made with the chipotle chile are my favorite. (3) For the most flavorful nuts, use fresh rosemary. Don't even think about using dried rosemary.

Sunrise views from the cottage. Little Compton, Rhode Island (2017)

Irish Coffee

When you live in the midwest you are well aware of the fact you are living in a four season section of the country. And for the most part, you completely embrace and look forward to the changes each season brings. If you didn't, you would probably consider moving. Yet, in spite of seasonal knowledge and life experience, some of us can't help but remain eternally hopeful the seasons won't be characterized by weather extremes, record setting hot or cold temperatures, and/or unusually high amounts of precipitation regardless of the season. In other words, we want the impossible. Days having only the most optimal seasonal conditions. For some (of us) who like to run outdoors even in the winter, cold weather is refreshing, but double digit below zero temperatures can make running arduous. A run with snowflakes falling from the skies is definitely preferable to one in a torrential downpour. If that wish list doesn't already seem a bit unrealistic or one expecting too much from Mother Nature, particularly during a midwestern winter, well I might as well go all out and add one more. Like wishing there wouldn't be any icy roads and snow packed paths. There that's it. Three simple wishes.

Apparently I am slowly turning into one of those conditional winter warriors. Meaning I love running in the winter when I like the conditions. Because at my age, the thought of slipping and/or falling is slightly worrisome. At the moment I am nursing an overuse injury. As a result I have barely run outside during the last several weeks. At this point, I am so anxious to return to running I don't even care what the weather is, what the road conditions are like, or whatever else Mother Nature throws at me. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't whine an ever so slight amount. I would. However, after experiencing that return to running euphoria, my selective memory would conveniently appear.

The one thing you can't ignore or rationalize away after running in arctic cold weather is the chill your body feels. A change of clothes, a hot shower, or a cup of hot coffee can all take the chill off. But the best anecdote came from one of my friends. She sent a group of us a photo of the mugs of Irish Coffee she made after last weekend's run. Needless to say this photo put all of us under a Irish Coffee spell.

Having recently seen a post for an Irish Coffee recipe from the Dead Rabbit. Described as bringing the Irish Pub into the 21st century and winning the 2016 Drinks International Award for the World's Best Bar, I thought surely the mixologists at the Dead Rabbit were experts in making Irish Coffee. There were several links claiming to have the Dead Rabbit's Irish Coffee recipe. All were made with Irish Whiskey, hot coffee, whipped cream, and demerara syrup. However, there were some differences in each of the recipes. They ranged in the recommended amounts of alcohol (ranging from 1 1/4 ounces to 1 1/2 ounces) to the sugar to water ratios in the demerara syrup. But still, the idea of making Irish Coffee with a sugar syrup, one made with demerara sugar, was more than intriguing. 

What is demerara sugar? Described as a natural cane sugar with a fairly large grain and pale amber color, demerara sugar brings a deeper flavor than regular granulated sugar. Demerara sugar has long been available in the United Kingdom and has been a relative new 'sugar' import to the states.

Instead of a 1 to 1 ratio of sugar to water, this demerara syrup was made with a 2 to 1 sugar to water ratio. (I used 1/2 cup of demerara sugar and 1/4 cup of water.) The sugar and water are combine and cooked over a medium heat until the sugar melts. I made more of the demerara syrup than I needed, but since it keeps covered in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks, nothing was going to prevent me from making Irish Coffee when the urge struck me.

What would an Irish Coffee be without lightly whipped cream? 

Instead of grating fresh nutmeg over the lightly sweetened whipped cream, I crumbled up a Cadbury Flake chocolate bar. If you can't find one, grate some milk chocolate.

Instead of making this Irish Coffee with Irish Whiskey, I used Bailey's Irish Cream.  I have a feeling they would doubly lethal (which isn't necessarily a bad thing) if made with Irish whiskey. Not just because I love the flavor of Bailey's, but I am not an Irish Whiskey expert. Which means I wouldn't know which of the 12 best Irish whiskeys to choose. I certainly could ask my Irish friends for a 'best' recommendation, but I have a sneaking suspicion there are as strong allegiances to Irish whiskey as there are to Irish football, rugby, and soccer teams. 

I may be somewhat biased but this was the best Irish Coffee I have ever had. Seriously. Not that anyone needs a reason to have an Irish Coffee, but somehow wishing for cold winter days or nights seems justifiable. Just promise me you won't wish for arctic cold, double digit below zero winter weather temperatures. Some of us want to use running in the cold as a reason to have an Irish Coffee or two to warm up.

Recipe
Irish Coffee (a slight variation recipes attributed to the Dead Rabbit's Irish Coffee Recipe)

Ingredients for a Single Serving
1 1/2 ounces Bailey's Irish Cream (or your favorite Irish whiskey)
4 ounces freshly brewed coffee
1/2 ounce demerara sugar syrup
2 Tablespoons lightly whipped, lightly sweetened whipped cream
Optional garnish: Shaved chocolate or a crumbled Cadbury Flake chocolate bar for an Irish Coffee made with Bailey's; grated nutmeg for one made with Irish Whiskey.

Directions
1. To make the demerara syrup: In a small pan, combine 1/2 cup of demerara sugar with a 1/4 cup of water. Heat until the sugar dissolves. Pour into a heat proof jar. Use as needed. Store unused demerara syrup in the refrigerator. 
2. Pour the Bailey's Irish Cream in a heat proof glass. 
3. Mix together the hot coffee and demerara syrup and then pour into the glass with the Irish Cream. Stir gently.
4. Pipe or place large dollops of the slightly whipped cream over the top. Sprinkle some shaved chocolate or some pieces of a Flake bar over the whipped cream.
5. Serve immediately.

Notes: (1) Instead of using Bailey's Irish Cream, use Irish Whiskey. If using whiskey, use 1 1/4 ounces to 1 1/2 ounces. (2) A half cup of heavy whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks will be enough for two servings of the Irish Coffee. I like to lightly sweeten the whipping cream using a 1/2 cup of whipping cream to 1 Tablespoon of confectionary sugar ratio. (3) The demerara syrup will keep for 2-3 weeks stored in the refrigerator. (4) If you love Irish Coffee, consider splurging on some clear tall glasses. They really aren't that expensive. (5) You can demerara sugar at many grocery stores. I like India Tree's demerara sugar.

Nathanael Greene Homestead, Coventry, Rhode Island (November 2017)