When it comes to Valentine's Day gifts for your sweetie, do you like to make them something homemade. I am not talking crafty, but instead...get in the kitchen and roll up your sleeves and bake homemade? My husband loves when I bake for him, and thanks to my Italian background and great teacher, my Nana who is no longer with us, I try to find a reason to spend time in the kitchen baking up sweet and delectable treats for my family -- and, Valentine's Day is no exception. My girls have already put in requests for special rainbow heart pancakes for breakfast that morning, and want to help me make pink LOVE cupcakes we make every year -- vanilla flavor cupcakes with pink sprinkles mixed in and diced cherries to give it added color and flavor. Then, I finish them off with a buttercream frosting, and more pink, red and white sprinkles. Yum! I am getting hungry just thinking about them. Thankfully, Valentine's Day is only 10 days away so they (and I) don't have to wait that long for our LOVE cupcakes.
My girls put in their Valentine's Day sweet treats requests, and when I asked my husband what he would like for me to bake up, he said, "Surprise Me." So, that is what I plan to do this year. Usually I make homemade fudge, a chocolate ganache cake or cannolis, to serve up after a fancy dinner, but this year I am going outside my comfort zone in regards to baking and using actual bourbon to make homemade truffles. Yes, you read that right bourbon infused truffles. I am giddy with excitement just thinking about them, as I know my husband will love them (as will I), and I love trying out new recipes.
Thanks to Brynn Houska of Breaking Bread XO (You definitely have to check out your page and long list of recipes as they look amazing and are so easy to make), I will be making her bourbon caramel dark chocolate truffles, using David Nicholson Reserve, which I was recently sent to review. Have you ever made boozy truffles before? If so, I would love to hear how they came out in the recipes section below, along with how you made them. If not, and you love to try out new recipes or are looking for a "Wow, you shouldn't have" type Valentine's Day gift for your sweetie this year, why not join me in the kitchen and give Brynn's bourbon caramel dark chocolate truffles a try.
Here is the recipe, which you will see doesn't call for a lot of ingredients, and is easy to make. I love making homemade chocolate truffles, and never thought to use liquor, especially bourbon, to take the flavor up a notch, and having my husband and I reaching for another (and another, until the plate is gone). :-)
These truffles are sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.
Ingredients:
· 9 oz. 60% dark chocolate chips
· 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream (or coconut milk for dairy free)
· 2 tbsp David Nicholson Reserve bourbon
For Caramel Swirl:
· 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/8 cup water
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tbsp butter
For Coating:
· Cacao powder
· Sprinkles
Instructions:
- Combine sugar and water for caramel in small saucepan on med. Heat for 10 min (1/4 cup sugar + 1/8 cup water)
- Add 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- Simmer 2 min, then add butter and remove caramel from heat
- Chop chocolate into small bits
- In a small saucepan heat 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream to simmer, remove from heat, pour over chopped chocolate in heat safe bowl
- Stir until smooth
- You may use the microwave in 15 second increments for additional melting help if necessary
- Let cool for 2 min and pour in bourbon, mix
- Swirl in about 2/3 of the caramel, marble style.
- Cover and place in fridge to chill for 1 hr
- Scoop out chocolate using a melon baller, roll gently between hands until round
- Coat in cacao or sprinkles by rolling ball on plate
Recipe courtesy of Brynn Houska
Breaking Bread XO
Breaking Bread XO
Doesn't this truffles recipe sound amazing? I, for one, am super excited to make things for Valentine's Day, and except them to be a huge hit, that my husband will be asking for them again. And, with upcoming dinner's with family and friends, I will be adding these to the dessert menu for the adults. :-)
Like I said, I was sent a sample bottle of David Nicholson Reserve to try. I had heard of this brand before, but never picked up a bottle to try. Are you a bourbon fan? I turned my husband onto bourbon whiskey and now we both enjoy sampling different whiskeys and trying them in seasonal drinks.
An extra-aged ‘ryed’ bourbon that provides full-bodied flavor and a distinct, spicy taste.
NOSE
Notes of honey and vanilla with smoky undertones.
PALATE
The woody, smoky tones you expect, followed by an exceptionally smooth finish with undertones of oak and mild spice.
One of my favorite drinks to make and serve during the winter months is a hot toddy. I found this recipe over at the David Nicholson website and had to give it a try...
- HOT TODDY
- 1 oz David Nicholson® Reserve
- 1 tbsp mild honey
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup boiling water
- Directions:Put bourbon, honey, and lemon juice in a 6–ounce mug. Top off with hot water and stir until honey is dissolved.
You don't have to be a bartender or mixologist to mix up a great drink. And, this toddy recipe was so simple to make and only required a few ingredients -- most of which you already have on hand in the fridge or pantry. Both my husband and I enjoyed this hot toddy made with the full-body, smooth finish of the David Nicholson Reserve. In addition to this drink recipe, there are more great recipes you can use David Nicholson Reserve with including a tasty Manhattan that I made tonight as I was watching the Superbowl.
- MANHATTAN
- 2 oz David Nicholson® Reserve
- ¾ oz Stock® Sweet Red Vermouth
- 1 dash of bitters
- Maraschino cherry
- Directions:Stir ingredients over ice, strain into a chilled glass, serve straight up garnished with a cherry.
And, my husband's personal favorite, next to the hot toddy was the Sazerac I made. He is not usually a Absinthe drinker, but was given this along with bitters for Christmas from a colleague and wondered what he could mix them with. When I saw the Sazerac recipe on the David Nicholson website, I knew I had to make this drink for him to try...and now, whenever he needs to unwind after a long, crazy day at work, he quickly whips up a Sazerac for himself. :-)
- SAZERAC
- 1.5 oz David Nicholson® Reserve
- ¼ oz Absinthe
- 1 sugar cube
- 3 dashes of bitters
- Directions:Rinse a chilled old-fashioned glass with the absinthe, add crushed ice, set it aside. Stir the remaining ingredients over ice and set it aside. Discard the ice and any excess absinthe from the prepared glass, and strain the drink into the glass. Add lemon peel for garnish.
I love trying out different liquors, especially bourbons, and can now say that I am a fan of David Nicholson Reserve. We will definitely be adding another bottle of this bourbon to our liquor cabinet, so we have on hand when friends and family come to visit and ask for a mixed drink, or when we want to relax and warm up by the fire with a hot toddy in hand, made only with the finest bourbon around.
You can learn more about David Nicholson Reserve by visiting http://davidnicholsonbourbon.com/. Be sure to check out the different drink recipes on this site, and give them a try when you pick up a bottle of the David Nicholson Reserve or David Nicholson 1843. And, if you are still scratching your head trying to think of a unique gift to give that special someone this Valentine's Day, why not pick up a bottle of David Nicholson Reserve bourbon and make the chocolate truffles recipe I shared above. They say the way to your love's heart is through their stomach, and these truffles are sure to satisfy their sweet tooth, and have this Valentine's Day go down as the best homemade gift ever. :-)
Disclosure: I was sent a sample from the vendor in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.
Bourbon Caramel Dark Chocolate Truffles and Hot Toddy Drink both sound incredible!
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