Our housemate and beloved photographer Eric couldn't be home for Mardi Gras this year, so he brought a little bit of NOLA back to the District in the form of Bananas Foster. Here is his guest blog, and if you have one of your own you would like to contribute, email us!
"In keeping with all things New Orleans, I brought back some beads from Mardi Gras and an itching to have some real New Orleans desserts. Case-in-point: Bananas Foster! This dessert was invented at Brennan's Restaurant in New Orleans, and it is most often prepared tableside for a show of fire and deliciousness. It's also pretty easy to make!
4 servings: ¼ cup (½ stick) butter 1 cup brown sugar ½ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ cup banana liqueur (we used Creme de Banane) 4 bananas, cut in half lengthwise ¼ cup rum (we used dark but light is okay) 4 scoops vanilla ice cream Start off with by melting your butter and brown sugar in a large and deep saucepan over low eat. While that's melting into the most delicious syrup ever, prep your bananas by cutting them in half lengthwise. When your mixture is good and melted, add your banana liquor and rum alcohols to the pan and let heat for a bit. When it's good and bubbly, add the bananas and top with cinnamon.
Mmmm rummmmm
THEN HERE COMES THE COOL PART. Once everything is cooking together, CAREFULLY light the rum in the pan with a long lighter. Be careful of shooting blue flames and your body parts [in fancy cooking terms, this is called flambé]. While the alcohol is burning off, scoop vanilla ice cream into individual bowl servings. When the alcohol has completely burned off the flames, quickly scoop the the bananas (2 halves per person) and some extra sauce over the ice cream.
Then sit back, relax, pretend you are watching a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans, and ENJOY."
I don’t mean to brag, but I’m pretty damn adorable. And so are these Valentine’s Day cake balls. Also, let’s be real, these get back to the heart and soul of the crackden: alcoholic dessert.
This was my first time making cake balls, so there was some ghetto cooking that went on. Also a pretty steep learning curve... If you haven’t done this before, just plan on cringing at the sight of the first few and passing them off on a non-judgmental roommate. Skip over to Safeway/Waggie’s and procure the following:
Red Velvet cake mix plus necessary ingredients
Cream cheese icing
Chocolate chips
liiiiiiitle bit of butter
Bourbon
Girly pink sprinkles
First thing mix and bake your cake, you’re going to have to let it completely cool before you can move on. When it’s entirely cool, crumble the cake into a very large bowl. The recipe I had consulted for this recommended 1/4 cup of bourbon... but you should about triple that. If it’s supposed to taste like bourbon, it should actually taste like bourbon. Next, mix in your icing. Because you added more bourbon, take it a little easy on the icing, and don’t quite add all of the container. Mix thoroughly, and put in the freezer until it gets firm.
Use this as an opportunity to rearrange your freezer, because you will need a LOT of room, and cover two cookie sheets in wax paper. When the cake/icing mix is firm-ish, use your hands to roll spoonfuls into 1 inch balls and put the trays back into the freezer for another hour. If they look kinda fuzzy or spikey when you take them out, that’s fine, just re-roll to smooth them out and re-freeze for a bit.
In the meantime, melt your chocolate with a few tablespoons of butter in a double-boiler. In case you haven’t melted chocolate like this before, you need a pot filled with simmering water on the stove, and you place a metal bowl filled with the chocolate chips on top of that.
**Note: I consulted with Alissa, who is an expert in cake balls, and she says that chocolate chips are actually pretty hard to work with (after this, I would agree). You’re better off with candy melts or almond bark. However, chocolate chips are definitely easier to find, so there’s trade offs.**
Toss a frozen cake ball in, and use a fork to roll it around to get it coated and to scoop it out onto your wax papered cookie sheet. Because of all the booze, they’re not quite as firm as normal cake balls, so be gentle. Immediately sprinkle with girly pink sprinkles, because chocolate chips set pretty quickly. You might need to re-freeze the cake balls if they’re getting too soft to work with, I had to do that a couple of times and it makes them much easier to work with.
Messy, but delicious.
You’re done when you run out of chocolate or balls, whichever comes first. Freeze overnight to make sure everything sets, and offer up to all of your loved ones to celebrate :)
"You need one with the bourbon!" -Kate, our lovely and talented photographer
Every once in awhile, the Kpak gets really mysterious and starts asking weird questions. "Do we have triple sec? Do you like kiwis?" I follow Kpak blindly in all respects, so I never question.
Anyway, apparently kiwis not in season in February, who woulda guessed? Instead, get the following:
Jose
triple sec
pineapple juice
simple syrup (sugar and water)
blackberries/raspberries
Magic bullet about half a cup of berries, and dump the puree into a pitcher along with a healthy splash of simple syrup. Fill about half full with pineapple juice, then the rest of it with mostly tequila and some triple sec. Throw in some ice cubes, stir that up, and serve. I mean... adjust the tequila to suit your needs.
Kpak commented later that she shoulda strained out all the berry-bits, this is a recurring theme with her, but we love her dearly. And Bufe likes pulp, so things are good.
An adoring fan recently pointed out that the most difficult part of the holiday season is having to choose between drinking and dessert. Well, here at Crack Den Cookies, we believe that no one should ever have to choose between their two favorite categories of edibles. And, as enablers, we’re going to make sure you have the tools you need to get both fat and drunk.
First: the cookie shot glasses. You will need:
1 heaping cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter
1/4 heaping cup brown sugar
1/4 heaping cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 cup MINI chocolate chips. MINI, I SAID.
mini-muffin tins and mini-muffin-paper-liners
Note: this is a halved recipe, so when I say heaping, I mean heaping. I’m not gonna tell you to measure out eighths of a cup, because that’s stupid.
Next, from the liquor store...
1 container alcoholic whipped cream. Your liquor store will have it, just ask.
vanilla vodka
creme de cacao
amaretto
Mix together butter and sugars, then mix in egg and vanilla. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt, then add that to the wet stuff and mix in your chocolate chips.
While your oven is preheating to 375, line your mini-muffin tin. Drop 1-inch-diameter cookie dough balls into your muffin tins, then bake for about 15 minutes until nicely golden brown. When you take them out of the oven, the centers will start to fall, and that’s actually what you want. Use your fingers (or the handle of a knife if, like Paul, you believe that the use of tools separates humans from chimpanzees) and poke down the center until you have a nice little cookie cup.
While the cookie cups are cooling, mix up your shots. 2-1-1 vodka, creme de cacao, and amaretto.
Fill cookie cups with your whip-a-hol. Shoot shot. Shoot cookie. Love.
Due to a non-existent budget and a predilection for cheap vodka, us having good alcohol on hand is a little bit of a rarity. We do, however, sometimes surprise even ourselves on holidays like St. Patty’s Day by splurging on the good stuff. These alcohol-laced cupcakes are scrumptious, adorable, and innocuous-enough-looking to bring into the housing office without getting anyone fired... yet.
Besides Bailey’s, Jameson, and Guinness, which you should already have in preparation for the holiday, you will need:
For cupcakes:
1 cup Guinness
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
3/4 cup cocoa*
2 cups flour with some salt sprinkled in
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 eggs
2/3 cup sour cream
For ganache (think fudgey chocolate filling)
about 2/3 a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips*
2/3 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons softened butter
2 tablespoons Jameson*
For frosting:
2 cups (4 sticks) softened butter (I’M SORRY IT’S SO MUCH, DON’T THINK ABOUT IT)
5 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons Bailey’s*
*NOTE: chocolate and liquor make people happy, so be generous. Just not TOO generous, you want the consistency to stay the same. But generous enough. You know what I mean.
Now cook!
In a pot, bring the Guinness and butter to a simmer, then stir in cocoa and whisk until smooth. Take it off the heat and let it cool a little. While it’s cooling, mix together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda in a separate bowl. In yet another bowl, beat together eggs and sour cream using a fork because you’re too poor to afford an electric mixer. Add the chocolate-beer to the egg stuff and blend. Gradually add in and mix together all the flour stuff. Fill cupcake liners (I found out what they’re called!) 2/3 full of batter and bake for about 17 minutes at 350.
While those are baking, ignore your roommate’s concerns that you’re using all the dishes in the house and get another bowl for ganache. Fill the bowl with chocolate chips. Giggle. Take just a few chocolate chips for yourself. Refill the bowl because you ate too many. Heat the cream on the stove until it’s simmering, then pour it over the chocolate chips and stir until they completely melt. Stir in the melted butter and Jameson. Anddddd maybe a splash of Bailey’s, cause why not.
HOKAY here’s where things get tricky. It would be absolutely lovely if you had the baking tools necessary to pipe ganache to fill your cupcakes, but you are SO far from that actually happening. Instead, find a butter knife and the smallest spoon you have in your apartment. Using the knife, cut out a 1 inch diameter chunk from your cupcake going about half the way down. Using your tiny spoon, get a glob of ganache approximately the size of your cupcake hole, and drop it in there. Use your fingers, no one will ever know.
Now for frosting! While whipping the butter, gradually add all of the powdered sugar and Bailey’s. Keep going until it’s light and fluffy looking. Because you’ve got the ganache in there, the best way to ice these babies is to plop a large spoonful of icing on top and then spread it out with a knife or spatula. You can add a few drops of green food coloring if you like, but we preferred green sprinkles.
Behold: the most unflattering picture of Erin and Melissa ever taken, albeit with delicious cupcakes.
So. Yeah. Tequila again. It’s our favorite beach tradition, but has also made appearances at tropical parties. It’s quite popular, to the point that Melissa wrestled her football-playing neighbors to get it back.
1 pineapple
big knife
orange juice
tequila
straws
Cut off the top of the pineapple. Use the knife to saw around the perimeter of the pineapple and pry chunks out using whatever tools are at your disposal. The first time we did this, it took a spoon, a fork, a knife, and... chopsticks. Hint: the riper your fruit, the easier this goes. Leave as much juice in the pineapple shell as you can, and fill to about 2/3 full with orange juice. Fill the rest of the way with tequila. Using a chopstick, poke straw-holes in the leaf-part that you cut off. Top off your pineapple and enjoy!
So.... I have a thing for tequila. A big thing. And I consider it a little bit of a personal challenge to make everyone else tequila-converts, too. This recipe is perfect for doing just that. It’s a nice summery drink, ideal for picnics and sunbathing on the rooftop in front of prospective students and their families.
1 can frozen limeade
10-15 strawberries (or more, go nuts)
handful of basil leaves
gold tequila
To a (ideally clear, because these are pretty) pitcher, add the frozen limeade with 2 1/2 cans of water and 2 cans of tequila. Less for the weak-hearted. Slice the strawberries and throw them in there, then crumple the basil and add that, too. The crumpling will help release the flavor. Stir vigorously and refrigerate. Give it at least an hour, if not more, and it will be lovely pink-colored and ready to drink!
Georgetown Day is... it’s better than Christmas. It is a day of pure joy and fun and friends, celebrated by drinking from sunrise til whenever you pass out that afternoon. Of course, any college student knows that a solid day of day-drinking begins with a well-balanced, alcohol-laced breakfast. And that’s where our boys at Epic Meal Time came in.
A sunrise booze banquet for our closest friends was a pretty big undertaking, and there was lots of prep time the night before, which I definitely suggest. HOWEVER, totes worth it, turned out pretty legendary.
We’ll start you out slow: MIMOSAS
You need cheap champagne and orange juice. Stock up on both. Half and half. Boom.
BEER WAFFLES
2 cups flour
12 oz Guiness
1/2 cup butter (1 stick) melted
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs, separated
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
chocolate chips
How to separate an egg for beginners: crack it in the middle, but don’t shatter it cause you actually need two halves of the shell. You kinda slide the yolk back and forth between the two shell halves, letting the egg white fall into a bowl below. The important thing is that no yolk gets into your white-bowl, otherwise they won’t beat properly.
Mix flour, beer, butter, egg yolks, milk, sugar, and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they have “stiff peaks,” which is to say they hold their shape when you make an egg white pyramid with your fork. Fold egg whites into the flour mixture gently.
Spoon into preheated and sprayed waffle iron. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top and close waffle iron. Cook until deliciously golden brown.
JACK DANIELS SYRUP
Half Jack, half Jemima. Or less if you want, we were just really getting after it.
BAILEY’S WHIPPED CREAM
For the ladies. Mix 2 tablespoons Bailey’s into a caup of heavy cream and beat until stiff. Don’t overbeat, or it’ll get nasty.
JELLO SHOT FRUIT
1 package Jello (orange or strawberry, because those are breakfast flavors)
1 pint strawberries
2ish oranges
1 cup vodka
1 cup water
First things first: prepare your fruit. For oranges, halve and hollow out so you just have the skin. Strawberries take a little more work. Wash them, then cut out the leaf-part so it’s hollow. To make it stand up, you have to slice a little off the bottom to make it flat. Be careful though because if you slice off too much, you’ll make a hole and the jello will seep out and you will just have.... a plain strawberry cut funny.
Make your jello. 1 cup boiling water mixed with jello powder. Wait for it to cool a bit so you don’t evaporate off the alcohol, then add 1 cup vodka. Using a spoon and a lot of patience, spoon jello into the hollowed out strawberries. I suggest standing them up in a brownie pan in case there’s a leak. When you’ve finished your strawberries, pour the remainder of your jello into the orange halves and put those in the brownie pan too. Put the whole thing in the fridge overnight to harden
In the morning, slice the oranges using the sharpest knife you own. Do this... before you start drinking.
CANDIED BACON
Ok, this isn’t alcoholic. But it’s delicious. Line a pan with tin foil and arrange slices of bacon on top. Sprinkle brown sugar over the bacon slices. You’ll probably need 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup of brown sugar, depending on your tastes and the amount of bacon you have. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until crispy.
GOLDSCHLAGER CINNAMON BUNS
Our friend Rennie came up with this one, and it was a delicious and surprisingly alcoholic.
1 package crescent rolls
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon (or more, depending on taste)
3 tablespoon melted butter
goldschlager
1 cup powdered sugar
First, mix the butter, sugar, cinnamon, and about 2 tablespoons of goldschlager
Open the packages of crescent rolls and unroll them, but don’t separate the rolls where they’re perforated. Spread the cinnamon sugar mixture all over the crescent rolls and then roll the dough up into a long, tight... log.
You can put it in the fridge overnight, then slice into 1 inch cinnamon rolls when you’re ready to bake. Bake at 350 on a greased cookie sheet for about 15 min, but keep an eye on them so they don’t burn!
While they’re in the oven, mix 1 cup powdered sugar with about 3 tablespoons of goldschlager. You don’t want the icing to get too watery, so it’s probably best to do this in little doses so you get the texture right.
When the buns are out of the oven, stack them on a plate and pour icing over them.
