BEDKNOBS & BAUBLES

Cocktail Recipe: The Classic Manhattan

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Cocktail Picks (also available in gold) | Brass Tray | Faux Pine Sprig

I typically opt for a classic Manhattan when we’re cocktailing at home. It’s such an easy, yet sophisticated, cocktail to make which lends itself perfectly to the upcoming holiday season. With just four ingredients (if you include the cherries), a Manhattan relies on quality spirits. I promise that it’s worth spending the extra money, even on the sweet vermouth. (Carpano Antica is my favorite and it should be kept refrigerated.) You’ll find the recipe below. Cheers!

Coupes | Brass Coasters | Tealight Holder | Flameless Tealights | Dining Table

What You’ll Need:

Ingredients:

Makes one serving.

  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters
  • 2 to 2.5 ounces bourbon, depending on how strong you’d like it
  • 1 ounce sweet vermouth
  • Luxardo maraschino cherries

Preparation:

  1. Fill your mixing glass with ice.
  2. Add bitters, vermouth, bourbon.
  3. Stir until well-chilled.
  4. Strain into cocktail glass.
  5. Garnish with cherries.


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Recipe: The Absolute Best Frosted Sugar Cookies

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Frosted Sugar Cookie Recipe

It never feels like Christmas until I’ve had my mom’s sugar cookies. In a typical year (or even an atypical one like 2020!), I’ll spend a couple of days working on these — baking them the first and decorating them the second — and it immediately puts me in the holiday spirit. Not only are these nostalgic for me as she’s been making them my entire life (there’s even a photo of me, no older than 2 years old, sitting at the kitchen table “helping” with them), they’re hands-down the best sugar cookies I have ever had. And plenty of people agree with not-so-subtle hints to make them each year. So, as my holiday gift to you, enjoy my favorite family recipe. 🙂

If you make them, please let me know what you thought and tag me in any photos! And please don’t hesitate to send me a DM on Instagram or leave a comment here if you have questions.

Frosted Sugar Cookie Recipe

SUGAR COOKIES

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup butter (softened to room temperature)
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup sugar

Instructions:
(yields 4-5 dozen, depending on cookie cutter size)

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
  3. Cut butter into the flour mixture. (I use a pastry cutter.)
  4. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, vanilla, and sugar.
  5. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients. (While this probably isn’t the best way to do it, I’ve always used a electric hand mixer to incorporate the ingredients and then I use my hands to bring it together into a ball.)
  6. Working in small batches, roll out dough on a floured surface sprinkled with a 50/50 mixture of flour and sugar. (I do a half cup of each in a bowl nearby to sprinkle on top of the dough, my rolling pin, and the cookie cutters to keep everything from sticking.)
  7. Bake for 9-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. (I used this highly rated cookie sheet this year. By the time I was on my last batch and the sheet is piping hot, I’ve reduced the cooking time to about 8 minutes. If you prefer to chill your dough, adjust your cooking times accordingly.)
  8. Cool on a wire rack.
Frosted Sugar Cookie Recipe

VANILLA FROSTING

Ingredients:

  • 2-4 cups of powdered sugar
  • 2 tbs butter (softened to room temperature)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • splash of milk (or a dairy-free alternative)

Instructions:

Fair warning, this is going to be one of those annoying, adjust-it-as-you-go endeavors rather than being a hard-and-fast recipe. I didn’t have any milk in the fridge this year and used almond milk, which turned out fine and didn’t affect the color or flavor of the frosting.

  1. Start with approximately 2 cups of powdered sugar in a bowl.
  2. Add 2 tbs soft butter and 1/2 tsp vanilla.
  3. Pour in a touch of milk (just a little at a time).
  4. Stir together by hand. You’ll want the consistency to be thick but still spreadable. If it seems too thick, add some milk. If it’s too thin, go ahead and add more powdered sugar. I tend to add an additional cup of powdered sugar.
  5. When you’re frosting your cookies, work in batches between frosting and decorating. The frosting will never get hard per se, but it will stiffen up where the sprinkles will no longer stick.
  6. Let your cookies sit out until the frosting is set and then store them in an airtight container.

Frosted Sugar Cookie Recipe

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Recipe Roundup: 7 of My Favorite Dinners While We’re Social Distancing

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Well, things have certainly become interesting since I’ve last checked in with a global COVID-19 pandemic upending our lives. It’s not lost on me how fortunate Dave and I both are in light of what’s happening. We have everything we need: we have a roof over our heads, resources to stock up on necessities for a two-week (or more) quarantine, and the ability to work from home. We’re social distancing hard right now, which means curbing our dining-out habits in favor of home-cooked meals every night for the foreseeable future. And, since we already like to cook at home most nights, there are a lot of recipes we can revisit to keep things from becoming boring! I’ve rounded up seven of my favorites in case you’re looking to shake up your at-home menu!

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

Notes: This recipe uses a lot of spices, but it’s totally worth the effort for such a complex flavor profile. We make this with chicken thighs so they stay tender.

Spicy Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Notes: This works really well with lettuce, as suggested, but it’s also amazing over sticky rice topped with cilantro, green onions, lime juice, and sambal oelek. Double the sauce if you’re putting it over rice.

Carbonara

Notes: An extra splash of wine never hurt anyone. Also, the cubed pancetta at Trader Joe’s is perfect for this.

Slow Cooker Korean Tacos

Notes: This is a forgiving recipe to play around with. I eyeball powdered ginger and garlic, pour in hoisin sauce until it’s coated, and add some sambal oelek and sesame oil. It’s great over sticky rice, and better yet, use sticky rice and the pulled pork inside a tortilla to make Korean burritos. It makes a lot of food for two people, so you could realistically eat a week of dinners with this one depending on the size of your pork loin.

Sheet Pan Tandoori Chicken with Vegetables

Notes: We usually skip the cauliflower and just do carrots. Pair the leftover chicken with naan for an easy lunch the next day.

Kimchi Udon with Scallions

Notes: I know this recipe sounds weird, but stick with it. It’s delicious and so easy to make!

Spicy Mexican Quinoa Casserole

Notes: This is a great, high-protein option for Meatless Monday or for any vegetarians in our midst. Toasting the quinoa is a bit putzy and I don’t think it adds much to the meal, so I tend to skip that. We eat it by itself, but you could definitely grill some chicken to have on the side if a meat-free meal doesn’t go over well in your household.

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Recipes: Rhubarb Conserves & Du Bon Pain Blanc

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Pantry and Palate Cookbook Review & Excerpt

Once it starts getting cold outside, we’re just as content spending time at home cooking as we are heading out to one of our favorite restaurants — and on those coldest days, few things are better than cozying up inside with music playing as we mix up cocktails and try out a new recipe together. I tend to add a new cookbook to our collection each year to keep things fresh, so I was especially excited to receive a review copy of Pantry and Palate last month. Pantry and Palate focuses on the culinary traditions of the Acadians, the descendents of French colonists who settled in Canada’s maritime regions, through journalist Simon Thibault’s exploration of old family recipes, vintage cookbooks, and folk wisdom. “Comfort cooking at its finest” is probably the best way to describe the hearty meals within, but the cookbook is more than that. Thibault’s notations throughout the book share the history and tradition of the region — and the recipes themselves — adding a welcome dose of soul to Pantry and Palate.

I was able to share two recipes from the collection with you: rhubarb conserves and du bon pain blanc (or, “good white bread”). I haven’t made either yet, but I thought you’d love having these on hand for the upcoming holiday season.

Pantry & Palate Cookbook: Rhubarb Conserves Recipe

RECIPE | RHUBARB CONSERVES
Makes 4–6 ( 500ml ) Bottles

From the Author
The initials “BL”were written next to this recipe. I’m not sure who “BL”is, but I would like to thank her very much for this recipe. “Soak overnight 2 quarts rhubarb and sugar,”it asks. There were no instructions for how and when to use the citrus, which is used to add pectin to the preserves. I decided to zest and juice the lemon and orange, and then let them macerate along with the rest of the fruit. I’m glad I did, as the smell in the morning was enough of a pick-me-up that I forgot to make coffee. I put the rhubarb straight into a pot to slowly simmer over a couple hours, reducing and thickening it into a tart/sweet jumble that smelled like a cross between poached rhubarb and marmalade. Midway through the cooking, I had a taste, and I may or may not have done a little dance. A note (or two): The original recipe asks for 1 to 2 quarts of sugar. I only used one, as I found it sweet enough. Once the rhubarb starts cooking down, give it a taste. If you think it can handle a bit more sugar, add a 1/4 cup or so, until it gets to the taste you’re looking for. And even though it’s not traditional, a vanilla bean that has been split in half and scraped of its seeds never hurt anyone. When it comes to the citrus fruits, you may want to place them in cheesecloth before you add them into the pot for cooking. It makes it easier if you wish to remove them from the preserves. I keep mine in as I like the slightly bitter taste I get from them.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds rhubarb, washed and rinsed
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 oranges
  • 1 pound sugar

Instructions

  • Cut the rhubarb into 1-inch pieces. Place in a large bowl.
  • Wash the oranges under warm water, and pat dry. Zest the citrus directly into the bowl with the rhubarb.
  • Cut the oranges and lemon in half, and juice them, adding the juice to the rhubarb.
  • Add the sugar and the spent citrus halves, and stir well. Place in fridge.and allow to macerate overnight.
  • The next day place the ingredients from the bowl into a large pot, and turn the heat to medium-low. You will want to bring the rhubarb up to a gentle simmer, making sure to stir often so as not to scorch the sugar or the fruit. Make sure to skim off any scum that rises to the surface.
  • Once it’s been brought up to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low,and stir every 8–10 minutes or so. This helps reduce the amount of liquid, as well as any possible chances of scorching.
  • Keep cooking until the rhubarb thickens and reduces slightly, about 90 minutes or so. If you find yourself worrying about it scorching, simply reduce the heat further. It won’t hurt, and if anything will allow the liquid to reduce and the flavour to improve.
  • Remove the orange and lemon segments if desired and pour the contents into a container.
  • Serve on toast, over ice cream, with yogurt, or whatever your heart desires.

Pantry & Palate Cookbook: Du Bon Pain Blanc Recipe

RECIPE | DU BON PAIN BLANC/GOOD WHITE BREAD
Makes 1 Loaf

From the Author
“Du bon pain blanc” is the headnote I find in Rosalie’s notebook. This bread recipe is one of the few that asks for packages of yeast, something that would have been relatively new for a baker of her era. All of her other recipes called for cakes of yeast, which were much more common at the time. The recipe also calls for milk, buttermilk, and sugar, which would enrich the bread’s flavour and extend its shelf life. This enriched white bread reminds me slightly of an eggless challah, or even French pain au lait. It’s a great white bread to eat on its own, as toast, and, perhaps best of all, cut into slices and left out to dry overnight for pain perdu, also known as French toast.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons shortening
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
  • 1/2 cup water, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 6 cups flour, sifted

Instructions

  • In a saucepan, warm the milk and buttermilk to a gentle simmer.
  • Remove the milk from the heat and add the sugar and shortening. Stir to dissolve the sugar.
  • Dissolve the yeast in the room-temperature water.
  • Add 1 cup of flour into the milk mixture and blend to make a smooth batter.
  • Add the salt and yeast water to the batter, and mix thoroughly.
  • Add rest of flour, 1 cup at a time, until the dough forms a ball and unsticks from the sides of the bowl.
  • With flour-dusted hands, gather the dough into a large ball, and begin to knead the dough on a well-floured surface, adding flour as you go.
  • Place the dough in a clean bowl, cover it, and allow it to rest until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
  • Remove the dough from the bowl. Place on a well-floured surface and knead briefly.
  • Roll the dough into a log, and place in a greased and floured loaf pan.
  • Cover, and allow to rise for 1 hour.
  • Preheat your oven to 400̊ F. Place the bread into the oven and bake for 1 hour.
  • Remove the bread from the oven and remove from pans. The bread should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. If not, return to oven for 10 minutes.
  • Allow the bread to cool for at least 1 hour before cutting into it.

Pantry and Palate Cookbook Review & Excerpt

Pantry and Palate by Simon Thibault | Target runner (the print is also available in placemats) | Target bowls | Target serving board (similar here and here) | Saint Linen towels

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Excerpted from Pantry and Palate by Simon Thibault © 2017, Recipe text by Simon Thibault. ©2017, Recipe photographs by Noah Fecks. All rights reserved. Published by Nimbus Publishing

 

Cocktail Hour: Pineapple Punch

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Cocktail Hour: Pineapple Punch

If there’s one thing I love about summer, it’s the excuse to sit outside with a tropical cocktail in hand — and it’s especially fun with a few colorful outdoor linens to liven up an otherwise humdrum patio, like this indoor/outdoor tablecloth and these punchy napkins from JCPenney’s summer collection. They’re the perfect complement to a pineapple-based drink for a sweltering summer day. Read on for the recipe!

Cocktail Hour: Pineapple Punch

Ingredients:

Cocktail Hour: Pineapple Punch

Directions:

  • Put all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice
  • Shake vigorously
  • Pour over ice (preferably an oversize cube or pineapple-shaped ice if you’re feeling fancy)
  • Garnish with blueberries speared by a pineapple frond and a wedge of pineapple

Cocktail Hour: Pineapple Punch

Tablecloth: c/o JCPenney
Napkins: c/o JCPenney
Glasses: Target

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Thanks to JCPenney for partnering on this post!