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5 ways to 'eat' an Old Fashioned Cocktail

When Summerfest announced that you can get a deep-fried old-fashioned, it got me thinking about other ways you could  "eat" an Old Fashioned.  I found five recipes that incorporate ingredients from the Old Fashioned including recipes for cookies, cupcakes, and a pie.

Check out the recipes below.

 

Bourbon Old Fashioned Cocktail Cookies via Foxes Love Lemons

This recipe takes the basic sugar cookie and adds orange zest and orange bitters. Then the cookie is topped with bourbon-infused cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients:

FOR THE COOKIES:

1 stick (1/2 cup) room temperature unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Grated zest of 1 Valencia orange
1/2 teaspoon orange bitters
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

1 package (8 ounces) room temperature cream cheese
1 stick (1/2 cup) room temperature unsalted butter
2-1/4 cups powdered sugar
5 teaspoons bourbon
FOR THE GARNISH (OPTIONAL):

36 thin pieces of orange peel
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions:

Make the Cookies: In mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar, sour cream, egg and baking soda at medium speed until well combined. Gradually beat in flour, then stir in orange zest, bitters and vanilla. Cover and chill at least 1 hour, or overnight for best results.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In batches, roll chunks of dough to about 1/8-inch thickness (use well-floured surface and floured rolling pin). Cut dough using 3-inch round cookie cutters. Bake cookies 8 minutes or until they just begin to brown around the edges. Carefully transfer to cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting. If making in advance, store between layers of parchment in airtight container.

Make the Cream Cheese Frosting: Place cream cheese and butter in mixing bowl and mix on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce mixer to low; gradually mix in powdered sugar, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Add bourbon; beat until well combined. If making in advance, cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.
To serve, spread each cookie with about 1 tablespoon frosting and garnish with orange peel and powdered sugar, if desired. Cookies are best eaten the day they are frosted and served. Store any leftover cookies in refrigerator.

Cherry Bourbon Pie via Baking the Goods

I would have to say that a pie could be the best vessel for the old-fashioned.  I found this recipe for a Cherry Bourbon Pie which is made with bourbon soaked cherries, bitters, zest and juice of an orange and homemade crust.

Cherry Bourbon Pie Filling

fresh red cherries, pitted and halved - 5-6 cups
orange - 1 (2 strips of zest and 2 tablespoons of juice)
bourbon - 1/4 cup + 1 teaspoon
brown sugar - 1/2 cup
tapioca starch - 2 tablespoons
granulated sugar - 1/4 cup
vanilla - 1 teaspoon
bitters - 1 teaspoon
All Butter Vodka Pie Dough - 2 disks (recipe on bakingthegoods.com)
turbinado sugar - 1 tablespoon
egg - 1

Directions:

Pit and halve 5-6 cups of cherries and set aside in a mixing bowl. Peel two 1" wide strips of orange peel and add to cherries.

Combine the cherries, brown sugar, granulated sugar, 1/4 cup of bourbon and orange juice in a large saucepan or dutch oven. Allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Add tapioca starch and simmer mixture over medium/low heat for about 5 minutes, until it begins to thicken.

Remove from heat and remove orange peel. Stir in vanilla and bitters. Transfer to a mixing bowl and refrigerate the filling until cool, about an hour.

Place oven rack in the lower third of oven and preheat oven to 400°F.

Remove dough disks from refrigerator and roll out the first disk into a 12" round on a lightly floured surface. Gently transfer the dough disk into a 9" pan, leaving a 1" overhang all the way around. Store in the fridge.

Roll the second dough disk out into a 12" round and cut desired top crust design. To create the stripes and stars first slice the dough round into 1" strips using a straight edge and a pastry wheel.
Pour the cherry filling into the prepared pie shell. Use the cut strips to create a stripe design over the filling. Cut little stars from the remaining pie dough and decorate the pie as desired.

Mix the egg and 1 teaspoon of bourbon together in a small bowl. Gently brush the top crust with egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

Bake for 20 minutes on 400°F. Lower the oven temperature to 350° and bake for another 25-35 minutes until the crust is a deep golden color.

Old Fashioned Cupcakes via The Lush Chef

If a pie is not your thing, what about an Old Fashioned cupcake? The frosting contains all the ingredients for an Old Fashioned.

Ingredients for the cake:

1 1/2 cups and 2 Tbs cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
12 Tbs (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
1/4 cup and 2 Tbs fresh-squeezed orange juice
1 Tbs orange zest
1/4 tsp orange extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup sour cream (don't use low or non-fat)
1/4-1/2 cup whiskey or bourbon (I used Wild Turkey) for soaking the cupcakes

Ingredients for the frosting:

12 Tbs (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
4 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/4 cup and 2 Tbs whiskey or bourbon
7-9 dashes of Angostura bitters, to taste
3/4 tsp orange extract
1/2 tsp orange zest

Ingredients for the "orange sawdust":

2 Tbs sugar
1 tsp orange zest

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 350 and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt, and set aside.
- In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the eggs and beat until well-combined.
- Add the orange juice, orange zest, orange extract, vanilla extract and combine on low speed.
- Add the flour mixture in intervals on low speed, until all the dry ingredients are thoroughly combined.
- Add the sour cream and beat again until combined.
- Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 full.
- Bake for 24 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
- Wait until the cupcakes have cooled a bit and poke about 12 holes on the top of each cupcake with a fork.
- Pour 1 tsp of whiskey or bourbon (I did less than the original recipe suggested) on top of each cupcake to soak through.
- Make sure cupcakes are completely cooled before frosting.

To make the frosting:
- In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
- Reduce the speed to low and add half of the confectioners' sugar, and all of the whiskey, Angostura bitters, orange extract and orange zest, beating until fully combined.
- Add the rest of the confectioners' sugar and beat on medium-high speed for about 2-3 minutes, or until completely mixed.

To make the "orange sawdust":
- In a small bowl, thoroughly combine the sugar and orange zest.
- Sprinkle on top of the cupcakes, immediately after frosting.

Peach Old Fashioned Ice Pops via Real Simple

Last week, I had a popsicle from Pete's Pops for the first time and they were amazing. So why not  Old Fashioned popsicles.  I found this recipe for Peach Old Fashioned Ice Pops. It made sense since peaches are in season and Maxie's and Story Hill BKC are also hosting Peach Week.

Ingredients:

2 cups peach juice
1/3 cup bourbon
1/4 teaspoon Angostura bitters
2 small yellow peaches, finely chop (about 1 1/3 cups)

Directions:

Combine the peach juice, bourbon, and bitters in a liquid measuring cup with a spout.

Add the chopped peaches to 10 3-ounce or 8 4-ounce ice pop molds, dividing evenly. Pour the peach juice mixture into the molds. Insert ice-pop sticks and freeze until firm, at least 8 hours or overnight.

Bourbon Old Fashioned Milkshake via Chowhound

Finally, how about just adding ice cream to an Old Fashioned to make a milkshake. This milkshake is made with Luxardo cherries, Angostura bitters, orange zest, and bourbon.

Ingredients:

1 (14-ounce) container vanilla ice cream
2 dashes angostura bitters
2 maraschino cherries, such as Luxardo, plus more for garnish
3/4 teaspoon orange zest (from 1 medium orange)
2 ounces bourbon

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients in a blender. Pulse 8 to 10 times or until mostly smooth. Pour into a chilled glass, garnish with a cherry, and serve.

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