Holiday cocktail revival
During the holiday season, my parents would keep a batch of hot-buttered rum batter in the freezer. I never really knew what a hot-buttered rum drink tasted like, but I enjoyed secretly taking spoonfuls of the batter out of the freezer. The combination of vanilla ice cream, butter, brown sugar and cinnamon was just too good to resist.Childhood food memories are the strongest, and are the ones we return to as we become older. So it was no surprise that when we started our own holiday traditions, I longed for hot-buttered rum batter. A quick telephone call to Mom and I was on my way.
Although some hot-buttered rum batters do not include vanilla ice cream, I believe it is the essential ingredient that makes this hot drink smooth and creamy. Brown sugar, cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg give depth to the drink. You can use whatever kind of rum you prefer, but I like it best with dark rum.
Not many people of my generation are familiar with a cocktail called an Old Fashion. Unlike a Cosmopolitan or Lemon Drop, you don't see them mixed at the hand of a bartender on a Friday or Saturday night.
It was my husband who introduced me to Old Fashions. His grandfather was famous with the family for making them and passed his recipe down to the next generation. If you like bourbon, then you will love the sweetness of this drink, offset with Angostura bitters and carbonation from the club soda. The lemon twist adds just the right amount of refreshing zest at the end.
HOT-BUTTERED RUM BATTER
Makes two cups (enough for about 6 drinks).
1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened
1-1/2 cubes (6 ounces) butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Stir together all ingredients until evenly mixed. Cover and store in the freezer.
HOT-BUTTERED RUM
Makes one drink
2-3 generous Tablespoons hot-buttered rum batter
1-1/4 ounces dark rum
6 ounces hot water
Dash ground nutmeg
Put batter and rum in a heat-proof mug. Add hot water and stir well. Sprinkle with nutmeg.
OLD FASHION
Makes 1 drink
2 Tablespoons (1 ounce) simple syrup*
3 dashes Angostura bitters
1 Maraschino cherry
1-1/4 ounces bourbon whiskey
4-6 ounces club soda
1 lemon twist
In a glass, stir together simple syrup, Angostura bitters, cherry and bourbon until evenly mixed. Fill glass with ice; pour in club soda; twist lemon over drink then add to drink. Stir and serve.
*To make simple syrup: In small saucepan, bring 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water to boil; reduce heat and stir until sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Allow cooling to room temperature.
Have a recipe to share, or a dish you'd like to see in an upcoming column? Linda Burner Augustine, our food maven, can be reached through mptimes@nwlink.com.
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