SANDRA'S (3) RECIPES: HOT COFFEE TODDIES

All 3 recipes for
hot toddies are immensely
spectacular on
cold winter days,
and especially nice
on St. Patrick's Day...

Serving: (1 each)

IRISH COFFEE

1 teaspoon raw sugar
--(or dark brown sugar)
1-1/2 ozs. Irish whiskey
4 ozs. hot coffee
Unsweetened whipped cream

Make the whipped cream, and coffee. Pour the whiskey over the sugar in an 8 oz. glass mug, and top with coffee within 1” of rim, then spoon cream over top, and serve.

(Note: If you use sweetened whipped cream the toddy tends to become too sweet.)

IRISH CREAM COFFEE

1-1/2 ozs. Irish whiskey
1/2 oz. Irish cream (I prefer Baileys)
1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
--(or raw sugar)
6 ozs. hot coffee
Unsweetened whipped cream

Make the whipped cream, and coffee. Pour the coffee over the brown sugar in an 8 oz. glass mug and stir to dissolve, adding the whiskey and Baileys Irish Cream within 1” of rim; spoon the whipped cream over top, and serve.

KEOKE COFFEE

1/2 oz. kahlua
1/2 oz. creme de cacoa
1/2 oz. Christian Brothers Brandy
4 ozs. hot coffee
Unsweetened whipped cream

Make whipped cream, and coffee. Add spirits to an 8 oz. glass mug, and stir to combine. Pour in coffee to within 1” of rim, then spoon whipped cream over top and serve.

(Credits: To a bartender in a famous downtown Anchorage restaurant who provided this Keoke Coffee recipe to me years ago.)

SANDRA'S MOIST MINT BUTTERCREAM CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

How festive are these?!

Perfect cupcakes to serve any day of the year, 
although they're extra special on St. Patrick's Day...

Yields: (30 cupcakes)
Prep: 20 Mins.
Bake: 20 to 22 Mins.

***Chocolate Cupcakes
2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup hershey’s cocoa powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

***Mint Buttercream
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter, at room temp.
1 teaspoon mint extract
A few drops of organic green food coloring
--(enough to achieve your desired green hue)
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

***Garnish
15 peppermint patties, cut in half

Method for cupcakes:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, whisk eggs, then add the milk, oil and vanilla. Sift together, through a sieve, sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl, then add wet ingredients from small bowl; continue whisking for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup boiling water and mix to combine (batter will be thin). Line medium-sized muffin cups with paper baking cups, and fill each 2/3rds full of batter. Bake 20 to 22 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Move cupcakes onto wire racks to cool completely.

Method for buttercream:

Meanwhile, sift confectioners’ sugar through a clean sieve into a large bowl (do not skip this step as it makes for a creamier frosting). With a hand mixer on lowest setting, begin by adding butter and mix with sugar until well blended, and then increase speed to medium and beat for 3 additional minutes. Add mint extract, a few drops of green food coloring, and cream. Continue to beat on medium speed for 1 more minute, adding additional cream a bit at a time if needed for your desired consistency. Slightly snip bottom corner of a large ziploc bag and place a star-decorating tip into snipped hole, then fill bag with frosting, and close up bag. Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes.  Top each cupcake off with a half slice of peppermint patty. ~ Enjoy!

SANDRA'S OVEN BRAISED CORNED-BEEF BRISKET and CABBAGE with a HORSERADISH SAUCE

Excellent for St. Patrick's Day or any other day of the year...

Servings (6)
Prep: 15 mins.
Cook: 4 hrs.

INGREDIENTS:

--Brisket:
· 4 lb. center-cut corned-brisket, trimmed of visible surface fat
· 1 bottle of beer (Recommend: Alaskan Pale Ale)
· 2 tablespoons pickling spice (tied up in cheesecloth)
· Water to cover
· 3 large garlic cloves, minced
· 1 lemon, quartered, seeds removed
· 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

***Add to pot 1 hour before done:
· 10 medium red potatoes; scrubbed, unpeeled, and cut in half
· 5 medium carrots; scrubbed, and cut into 1” chunks

***Add to pot 20 minutes before done:
· 1 onion, cut into 8 wedges
· 1 large head of green cabbage, cut into 8 wedges

--Optional:  Fresh lemon wedges for serving (although highly recommended)

Horseradish sauce:
· ¾ cup sour cream
· ¼ cup jarred ‘hot’ horseradish
· 1 tablespoon dried chives
· 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Rinse brisket to release its corning salt. Place corned beef in dutch oven and cover with beer and water. Add the pickling spice tied in cheesecloth, then the garlic, lemon wedges, and pepper. Cover pot and bring to boil on stove top.  Transfer dutch oven, covered, to preheated oven, placing it on middle rack. Braise for 3 hours, and add ingredients listed as stated above (1 hour before done), and return, covered, to oven.  After 40 minutes, add remaining ingredients listed as stated above (20 minutes before done), and return, covered, to oven.

Meanwhile, prepare horseradish sauce in a small bowl by adding all  ingredients in order listed; whisk to combine (I like to do so about 1 hr. ahead of time to allow flavors of sauce to meld)

Place vegetables on serving platter, adding brisket sliced against the grain and drizzled with a bit of cooking liquid. Place lemon wedges around edge of platter. Serve meal family style with a side of horseradish sauce. ~ Enjoy!