Shrubs, not just for your garden anymore!

Refreshing Beverage of the Week
I love the way words and terms define us. I used to erase, now I delete. I used to call someone, now I ping them. I used to say "I'm not in the mood to talk about that," now I say "let's circle back to that and take it offline." (Just kidding, I never say that shit but I learned it when I worked in corporate kitchens in NYC.) I used to eat everything, I was a "good" eater and exercised whenever, now I am a senior citizen obsessed with micronutrients and strengthening my core. Currently we are obsessed with probiotics, kombucha, apple cider gummies, actually all kinds of gummies, and kraut. Life goes on.

My clients (I am a private chef) have decided to limit their alcohol intake and have asked me to make mocktails. These drinks mirror actual cocktails using non-alcoholic booze substitutes — which, frankly, taste awful and are terribly expensive. So I searched the internet for recipes and, so far, not too many were drinkable. They are unhealthy and usually full of high-sugar fruit juice.

The non-alcoholic beverage market is booming and I have tried about 5 different brands and I would say the best-tasting ones are the gin alternatives. Juniper berries are very distinctive and even in a weird herbal base that flavor reminds you of gin. I tried a non-alcoholic tequila beverage made with apple. I accidentally spilled some, and it was so vile I had to scrub down my counter with lemon juice to kill the odor. So I started looking for other options.

This brings me to the subject of shrubs. I first had a shrub at Russ & Daughters Cafe, and it was love at first sip! A shrub is a drink made with fruit- and herb-infused vinegars (usually apple cider vinegar), a sweetener, and some club soda or anything sparkly. You'll find tons of recipes out there to make the vinegar. I am going to share a great all-around method and then some recipes. There are two ways to make a shrub: cold and hot. Hot is faster, cold is better.

Basic recipe for any fruit shrub · Food52

Ingredients
1 pound chopped fruit
2 cups sugar
2 cups vinegar (usually apple cider, I also like using rice wine vinegar, coconut, or white balsamic)
optional: ginger; rosemary; thyme; cardamon; bay leaves; etc.

Procedure
Assemble your fruit (sliced or gently mashed) in a bowl, and toss it with the sugar. Let this mixture sit, covered securely with a dishtowel, on your kitchen counter for about 2 days. Stir once a day. It should start to look very juicy. After 2 days, strain the mixture into a measuring cup, discard the fruit, then combine the syrup with approximately an equal amount of vinegar (again, your choice, but apple cider vinegar is a good place to start). Do this slowly, tasting as you go, so that you get a shrub that is sharp but tasty.

That's it! Pour it into a jar and stick it in the fridge. Here are two recipes with great combo of flavors.

Mixed berry shrub · Bon Appetit

Ingredients
12 ounces berries (such as raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, or strawberries), sliced or quartered if large
1 1/2 cups (or more) granulated sugar
1 cup (or more) vinegar (such as red wine, white wine, apple cider, white balsamic, or unseasoned rice)

Procedure
Gently mash berries in a medium bowl with a fork. Transfer to jar, add sugar, and stir to combine. Seal jar and let fruit mixture sit at room temperature, shaking a couple of times, until berries are very soft and falling apart and sugar is at least mostly dissolved, about 1 day (mixture should look very juicy).

Strain fruit mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Line sieve with a layer of cheesecloth if you want to catch every bit of seed and fruit pulp, discard fruit. Scrape any undissolved sugar left in jar into bowl. Add vinegar to syrup and stir to combine. Taste shrub and adjust of necessary. Pour shrub into a clean jar; cover with lid and chill until flavors come together and mellow, at least 1 week.

Shrub can be made 6 months ahead. Keep chilled.

To make a drink, pour 2 Tbsp. shrub into a glass filled with ice and top off with club soda; stir gently to combine. Garnish with berries and/or herbs. Thai basil is a good choice!

Butternut Sage shrub · The Spruce Eats

Ingredients
2 cups good-quality apple cider vinegar
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups cubed butternut squash
1/2 cup fresh sage leaves, from about 8 sprigs
Cold seltzer, ginger ale, or still water, for serving

Procedure
Place the apple cider vinegar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then stir in the sugar. Lower the heat to a simmer and continue to cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves.

Add the butternut squash and sage. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the squash is softened and easily pierced with a fork, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Lightly smash the softened squash with a potato masher or wooden spoon in the saucepan to release more flavor. Cover and steep for 3 hours.

Strain the squash and sage from the liquid using a fine-mesh strainer. Bottle the shrub, seal, and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days before using.

To make a drink, pour 1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) of the butternut-sage shrub into a glass (over ice, if you like). Top with about 6 ounces (3/4 cup) of cold seltzer, ginger ale, or water, pouring more or less to taste. Stir well.

The Classics We Enjoyed this Holiday Season

Seasonal Recipes of the Week
Yes, I still hate Christmas, Chanukah, New Year's Eve (because everyone always fails at having fun), and even Kwanzaa. What can I say? I'm an equal-opportunity Grinch. I hate the stressful over-shopping, the insanity in parking lots, the parents lamenting about their materialistic kids (“I learned it by watching you, Dad!”), and the required overindulgences. BUT! I do love the getting together with friends and sharing a meal or a cocktail. So here are three recipes I made this year to share with neighbors and friends. They are all classics and can be served anytime. So sit back, watch the yule log burn on TV, and relax. Don't worry, it's almost over.

Crème Brûlée

Ingredients
1 extra-large egg
4 extra-large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for each serving
3 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

Procedure
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. In a bowl, mix the egg, egg yolks, and 1/2 cup of the sugar together until just combined. Meanwhile, scald the cream in a small saucepan until it's very hot to the touch, but not boiled. Now slowly add the cream to the eggs. Add the vanilla and orange liqueur, mix to combine, then pour into 6 to 8-ounce ramekins until almost full.

Place the ramekins in a baking pan and carefully pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the custards are set when gently shaken. Remove the custards from the water bath, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until firm.

To serve, spread 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly on the top of each ramekin and heat with a kitchen blowtorch (or under the broiler — watch it!) until the sugar caramelizes evenly. Allow to sit at room temperature for a minute until the caramelized sugar hardens.

Tiramisù

Ingredients
2 cups hot water
3 tablespoons instant espresso powder
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
3 tablespoons rum
4 large egg yolks
1/3 cup dry Madeira
1 pound mascarpone (2 1/2 cups)
1 cup chilled heavy cream
36 crisp Italian ladyfingers
Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting

Procedure
Stir together water, espresso powder, 1 tablespoon sugar, and rum in a shallow bowl until sugar has dissolved, then set aside to cool. Beat egg yolks, Madeira, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, using a whisk or handheld electric mixer until tripled in volume, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove bowl from heat. Beat in mascarpone until just combined. Beat cream in a large bowl until it holds stiff peaks. Fold mascarpone mixture into whipped cream gently but thoroughly.

Dipping both sides of each ladyfinger into coffee mixture, line bottom of a 13 × 9 × 3-inch baking pan with 18 ladyfingers in 3 rows, trimming edges to fit as necessary. Spread half of mascarpone filling on top. Dip remaining 18 ladyfingers in coffee and arrange over filling in pan. Spread remaining mascarpone filling on top and dust with cocoa. Chill, covered, at least 6 hours. Let tiramisu stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving, then dust with more cocoa.

Hazelnut Linzer Tart cookies

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar, plus more for decorating
3 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
3 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cups hazelnuts, finely ground in processor (about 1 1/2 cups ground)
jam filing of your choice (I like to mix raspberry and apricot)

Procedure
In a medium bowl, whisk dry ingredients together. In a large bowl, beat butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, and citrus zest until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks. Beat in dry ingredients in 4 additions, then beat in nuts. Gather dough into ball, then flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out half of dough on lightly floured surface to a 1/8-inch thickness. Using 2-inch round cutter, cut out rounds. Using 3/4-inch round cutter (or a shape that's about the same size, like I did), cut out the centers of half of the rounds to make rings. Transfer rounds and rings to prepared sheets. Gather dough scraps, chill, and re-roll to make more cookies. Repeat until all dough is used.

Bake cookies until golden, reversing sheets after 10 minutes, about 22 minutes total. Cool completely on sheets.

Arrange cookie rings on work surface. Sift powdered sugar over. Spread 1 teaspoon jam on each cookie round. Press rings onto jam on rounds. Can be assembled 1 day ahead. Store between sheets of waxed paper in airtight container at room temperature.

Do ahead: Before filling, you can store baked cookies airtight at room temperature up to 2 days, or freeze up to 2 weeks.

This Year's Sweets Tray

This year, I gave all my friends these trays of mixed cookies and candies for Christmas. They were so much fun to put together! From left to right: Passionfruit-Raspberry Gelées; Wheatena-Coconut Cookies with Royal Icing; Lapsang Souchong Truffles (top); Pomegranate-Pistachio Truffles (center); Chocolate Turtles with Bourbon-Soaked Pecans (bottom); Salted Maple Honeycomb Candy; more Wheatena Cookies; and Tangerine Gelées. Yum!

Chilled Plum, Raspberry and Tarragon Soup

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Fruit soups are a great item to make in the summer, especially now when the plums are so delicious. And I love the inclusion of tarragon to the flavor list. I like to garnish this with a little scoop of creme fraiche and a fresh tarragon sprig.

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds (about 6) ripe red plums, plus 1 plum, skin on and cut into 1/4-inch dice for garnish
6 ounces raspberries, plus more for garnish
1 cup white wine or champagne
6 tablespoons sugar
3 sprigs tarragon, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons triple sec, Cointreau, or Grand Marnier (optional)
1/4 cup water

Procedure
Fill a large bowl with ice and water; set aside. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add plums; blanch until skin begins to peel, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove plums from water; place in the ice bath until cool. Remove plums from ice bath, reserving ice bath.

Peel plums, remove pits, cut into chunks, and place in a medium saucepan. Add the raspberries, wine, sugar, tarragon, triple sec (if using), and the water to the saucepan; cover, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium low, and allow to simmer until plums are falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer to a clean bowl, and place in the reserved ice bath, stirring occasionally, until cold. Remove tarragon sprigs from cold mixture, and transfer mixture to a blender. Puree, working in batches if necessary. Serve garnished with diced plum, raspberries, and tarragon.

Summer Berry Pudding

The Altitude Adjustment Section
The English have a very interesting repertoire of deserts. Many are made with leftovers, which often include old bread. Hey, you use what you have. This is a recipe for summer berry pudding, which requires no baking so you don’t need to heat up your kitchen, and it's yummy. This recipe is slightly fancier and suggests using Brioche bread, but you could go traditional and use plain old white bread or even Challah if you are so inclined. It does need to sit overnight, so plan ahead!

Ingredients
1 loaf Brioche bread
8 cups assorted ripe berries
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Sweetened whipped cream of cream fraiche

Procedure
Line a 1 1/2 quart soufflé dish with plastic wrap, making sure to leave excess wrap hanging over the edges. Trim the crust off the bread and slice into 1/4 inch thick slices. Combine the berries sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice in a medium sauce pan and cook just 5 minutes until the berries exude their juices. Reserve 1 cup of berries and 1/2-cup juice for sauce at the end. Line the bottom of your soufflé dish with sliced bread, cutting and fitting so you have a tight fit. Using a ladle, spoon about half the berry mixture into the pan. Now make another tight layer of bread. Ladle the remaining berry mixture into the pan and top with another layer of brioche. Cover the pudding with excess plastic wrap. Now put a plate large enough just to cover the surface of the pudding on top and then set a 1-2 pound weight on top of that (2 pounds of butter or a large can of tomato product would work) to compress the whole thing. Set this inside a sheet pan or roasting pan to catch the potential drippage that might occur during compression and place in the refrigerator overnight.

To make the sauce, puree the reserved berries and juice in a blender and then strain out seeds though a fine sieve. You can cook and thicken it with a little cornstarch if you desire. To serve pudding, remove the weight from the pan, peel back the plastic wrap, and invert mold onto a serving plate with sides to catch the juices. Let the pudding stand for about 1 hour before slicing. Cut with a serrated knife and serve with sauce, whipped cream or crème fraiche.

Frozen Raspberry Cream Pie

The Altitude Adjustment Section
The perfect dessert for your next barbecue: This chilled pie is a combination of chocolate, berries, and lemon. And all it takes is a food processor and a whisk. The crust — made from chocolate wafer cookies and melted chocolate — is simply pressed into the pan. The filling is just a mix of berries and cream.

Ingredients
7 ounces chocolate wafer cookies (about 32), coarsely broken
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup sugar
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup crème fraîche
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
2 1/2 cups fresh raspberries (two 6-ounce containers)

Procedure
Place broken cookies in processor. Using on/off turns, process until finely ground. Place chocolate chips, butter, and sugar in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high at 15-second intervals until melted, stirring occasionally. Add chocolate mixture to processor and blend until combined. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch glass pie dish (do not pack firmly). Chill crust while preparing filling.

Whisk condensed milk, crème fraîche, lemon juice, and lemon peel in large bowl to blend. Add half of raspberries. Stir, pressing gently on some raspberries, until raspberries begin to break apart and filling turns pink. Transfer filling to crust. Chill until filling is set, about 2 hours.Scatter remaining raspberries over pie. Cut into wedges and serve.

Homemade Kahlua and Raspberry Infused Vodka

Refreshing Beverage of the Week
Yes, fancy schmancy liquor can be very pricey, but there are some delicious libations you can make at home. Here are two suggestions. The one thing to remember is these concoctions need to age, so plan ahead!

Homemade Kahlua

Ingredients
4 cups sugar
3 1/2 cups water
1 vanilla bean, cut in half
3/4 cup freeze-dried coffee (like Café Bustelo instant espresso)
1/4 cup hot water
2 cups brandy
2 cups vodka or Everclear
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

Procedure
Combine sugar, water, and vanilla bean in a large heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Let boil 15 minutes to let the sugar dissolve completely. Remove from heat. Combine coffee with the hot sugar syrup mix well. Return to heat and simmer on low heat for 6 minutes; do not boil. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Remove vanilla beans.

When cool, add brandy or vodka, and then add the vanilla extract. Pour into bottles and cap tightly. Store in a cool dark place, and let age at least 1 month before serving.

Raspberry Vodka

Ingredients
4 Cups Vodka
2 Cups Sugar
1 Lb. Fresh Red Raspberries
Large container with tightly fitting lid

Procedure
Add vodka, sugar, and raspberries to large container, cover, and store in a cool, dark place. Every week open container and stir well. After about two months, strain liquid through a fine sieve into a bottle and store in refrigerator or freezer. This is a traditional and widely used method of flavoring vodka, and works well with any fresh fruit.

Buttermilk Raspberry Cake

The Altitude Adjustment Section
Keeping with the old school dairy products, here's a recipe for a buttermilk raspberry cake. This comes from the now-defunct Gourmet magazine, which — even though it was for old, rich, well-traveled foodies and socialites — I still miss.

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 large egg
1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 cup fresh raspberries

Procedure
Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In a larger bowl, beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about two minutes, and then beat in vanilla and zest. Add egg and beat well. At low speed, mix in flour mixture in three batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until just combined. Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top. Scatter raspberries evenly over top and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes then turn out onto a rack and cool to warm, 10 to 15 minutes more. Invert onto a plate.

Lemon Bar with Raspberries

The Altitude Adjustment Section
This is a simple recipe for a lemon bar covered with raspberries. I really don’t like conventional lemon bars but I like a thin layer of lemon filling covered with berries, it’s just a suggestion.

Ingredients
1 cup (1/2 pound) unsalted room temp butter
1 cup A.P. flour
1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
1 cup granulated sugar
grated zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons A.P. flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups fresh berries
Confectioner’s sugar for dusting the top

Procedure
First you need to make the crust, so combine the flour, butter, and confectioners sugar in the bowl of your electric mixer and beat till ingredients come together. This mixture will be dry and crumbly. Dump the mixture into a 9 inch square pan and using your fingertips, press to form an even layer on the bottom of the pan. Bake the crust in preheated 350 oven for about 15 minutes till lightly browned. Now let crust completely cool on a wire rack.

To make the filling, combine the eggs, granulated sugar, lemon zest, flour and baking powder in a bowl and beat till slightly frothy. Pour into the cooled crust. Now put back into a 350 oven and bake for about 20 minutes till tart sets. It should be a little bubbly but should not be brown on top. Let cool completely, then carefully arrange the berries over the top of the tart and dust with the powdered sugar. Serve chilled.

Filled Ravioli Cookies

The Altitude Adjustment Section
I like it when food fools the eye. That’s what drew me to this recipe. It looks like savory ravioli, but it’s a cookie filled with a sweet fruit filling. Just think of the possibilities!

Ingredients
2/3 cup butter, room temp
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup raspberry or other fruit preserve
Powdered sugar

Procedure
In the bowl of your electric mixer, whip your butter till light and softened. Add sugar, baking powder and orange rind. Beat till combined. Beat in egg and vanilla. Now add in flour. Divide dough in half form into balls, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 3 hours.

Line a sheet pan with parchment. Lightly flour your work surface and roll out each piece of dough into a 12 x 18 inch rectangle. Using a fluted pastry wheel cut the dough into 24 2-inch squares. Yes, accuracy counts! Place the squares 1 inch apart on your sheet pan. Carefully spoon 1/2 teaspoon jam into the center of each square and then top with another pastry square. Press edges together with a fork to seal. Bake at 375 for 9 to 11 minutes, until they are lightly browned. Cool cookies on wire rack and then dust with powdered sugar. Other fillings? How about apricot jam, quince preserves, Nutella, walnuts and chocolate chips, lekvar, poppy seeds, etc, etc.

Linzer Tart Cookies

The Altitude Adjustment Section
I love Linzer tarts and Linzer tart cookies, and am also totally in awe of Nancy Silverton's cookbooks. So when I came across her recipe for Linzer tart cookies that use hard-boiled egg yolk in the dough, I knew I had to try it.

Ingredients
1/4 cup hazelnuts
1/2 cup whole, unblanched almonds
1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 cups, plus 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 extra-large eggs, hard-boiled
2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon almond extract
confectioners sugar for dusting
1 cup good raspberry jam

Procedure
Preheat oven to 325 and place rack in center of oven. Toast almonds and hazelnuts separately in oven, about 10-12 minutes each. Put hazelnuts in a clean tea towel and rub together to remove skins. Next, process almonds, hazelnuts, 1/4 cup sugar, and cinnamon in food processor, until the consistency of fine meal. Add flour and pulse a few times to mix. Separate the hard-boiled egg yolks from the whites, and discard the whites (or eat them). Push the yolks through a fine mesh sieve. Add to the nut/flour mixture in the food processor, and pulse a few times to mix.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and lemon zest on low speed for 2-3 minutes, until soft. Add the remaining sugar and mix on medium speed for 3-4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add almond extract. Turn mixer off, and add nut mixture. Mix on low until incorporated. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, and form into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to make cookies, divide dough in half and keep half in the fridge. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out rounds and place 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined cookie sheets. Repeat with other half of the dough. Chill cut-out cookies again until firm, about 30-45 minutes before baking. I like to make the bottom cookies solid rounds, and the top ones with holes, so you can see the filling. You can also make heart shapes. Once all the cookies are cut out and well-chilled, bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, until firm to the touch and browned around the edges. If you made ones with holes, they will bake faster, so keep a close watch. Let cool, then dust the "holey" ones with powdered sugar. Spread jam on the solid bottom cookies, then top with the sugar-dusted ones. Voila! This recipe makes about four dozen 2-inch cookies.

Chocolate Raspberry Cookies (which happen to be vegan)

The Altitude Adjustment Section
Here is a easy little recipe from the cookbook of the week Veganomicon for a chocolate raspberry cookie. It is so easy even my mother could make these! Sorry Bernice!

Ingredients
1/2 cup raspberry preserves
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sifted unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Procedure
Preheat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment. In a large mixing bowl, combine the raspberry preserves, sugar canola oil, vanilla, and almond extract. In a separate bowl, sift together the cocoa, flour, soda and salt. Now add the dry to the wet in three separate batches. When you get to the last batch you might need to use your hands to work it into a soft and pliable dough. Roll dough into walnut size balls, flatten slightly — they should be 2 1/2 inches in diameter — and place 1/2 inch apart (they do not spread) on cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes and then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely. This recipe make 2 dozen cookies.

Lychee, Raspberry and Champagne Jelly Shot

Refreshing Beverage of the Week
I know nobody but high school girls and frat boys do Jell-O shots, but I think they are kind of fun and different, and isn’t diversity what life in Santa Fe is all about? So here is a special jelly shot made with Lychee and Raspberry and Champagne, maybe even pink Champagne?

Ingredients
1 ounce sugar syrup
4 ounces champagne
3/4 teaspoon powdered gelatin
3 lychees
6 raspberries

Procedure
Heat the sugar syrup and champagne till just hot, not boiling — you don’t want to loose that alcohol! Sprinkle gelatin on top of the champagne mixture, stir until it completely dissolves, then set aside to cool. Place 1/2 a lychee and a raspberry in the center of 6 beautiful shot glasses and pour in the champagne to cover. Let set in fridge for 3 hours or over night. Serve with little food on sticks. Now that’s a party!

Cocoa Raspberry Heaven

Refreshing Beverage of the Week
Cocoa Raspberry Heaven is a fancy hot chocolate drink laced with liquor and topped with fresh berries. Do I really need to say more?

Ingredients
1 oz. plus 1 tsp. raspberry liqueur (Chambord)
1 oz. white crème de cacao
8 oz. good quality hot chocolate (Ghiradelli)
Fresh whipped cream —: no cool whip!
A few fresh raspberries (optional)

Procedure
Pour raspberry liqueur and white crème de cacao in a cappuccino mug. Add hot chocolate and stir. Top with a dollop of whipped cream. Drizzle teaspoon of Chambord on top of the whipped cream. Top with fresh raspberries.

Low-Fat Fresh Berry Clafouti

The Altitude Adjustment Section
Susan Purdy — my baking mentor and good friend — has a great recipe for a light mixed berry Clafouti in her book Have Your Cake And Eat It Too which is filled with luscious, low-fat recipes — except you would never know that from tasting the results. This cake, which is almost like a baked pudding, is so easy you have no reason not to make it, especially when the local berries are so divine. Best served hot from the oven.

Ingredients
6 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, divided
1 1/2 cups blueberries
1 1/2 cups Raspberries
3 tablespoons liquor, Chambord, Triple sec or dark rum
1 cup 1% milk
2 large eggs, plus 1 egg white
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup sifted A.P. flour
Pinch salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Confectioner’s sugar

Procedure
Preheat oven to 350 and position rack in the center of the oven. Spray a 10-inch pie plate with non-stick spray and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon granulated sugar. In a large bowl, combine berries, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, and the liquor of your choice. In the food processor or blender, combine milk, eggs, extra white, vanilla, the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar, flour, salt, and nutmeg. Process till smooth. Spread the fruit into the pie shell and pour the batter over top. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until top is puffed and golden brown. Let cool 5 minutes, then sift some confectioner’s sugar over the top and eat all up. This should serve 8 people.

Summer Berry Crumble Bars

The Altitude Adjustment Section
Cookies and bars are a great thing to make if you are challenged by the altitude and don’t have the patience to try a recipe at least 3 times to get it right. This recipe is from the King Arthur Flour cookbook, which never lets me down. Summer Berry crumble bars rule!

Ingredients for crust and topping
2 cups A.P.flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 cup unsalted cold butter (2 sticks), cut into small pieces
3/4 cup sunflower seeds (optional)

Ingredients for filling
3 cups fresh blueberries or raspberries
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons A.P. flour

Ingredients for glaze
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons water
1cup confectioner’s sugar

Procedure
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch pan. To make crust and topping, in a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, oats, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cardamom. Now cut in the hard butter with a pastry cutter or your hands till mixture is crumbly. Transfer 2 cups of mixture to another bowl and add sunflower seeds, set aside. Pat the remaining crumbs into the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes then remove from the oven. While crust is baking, prepare the filling. In a large bowl combine all the ingredients. Mix gently. Now spread filling over baked crust bottom evenly. Sprinkle the reserved crumble over the top and bake for 40 minutes more or until filling if bubbly and crust has browned. Remove from oven and now make glaze. Whisk together all the glaze ingredients and drizzle over bars while they are still warm. Cool completely before cutting. You can also substitute frozen berries if you must, but bake it while berries are still frozen or they will sink to the bottom. This makes 24 yummy bars.

Whiskey Sour slushy in an Orange half

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
This is a brunch starter, a fruit dish and a cocktail all wrapped up in one, talk about multi tasking!. How about a Whiskey Sour slushy in and a frozen orange half topped with Raspberries and mint. Oh and it’s also a breath freshener!

Ingredients
6 ounces frozen lemonade concentrate sweetened
6 ounces club soda
6 ounces bourbon
1 tablespoon sugar
2 oranges
Fresh mint leaves
1 basket raspberries

Procedure
Cut oranges in half and remove flesh with a spoon. Make juice out of the flesh and drink while prepareing the rest of the recipe. I am always thinking about your vitamins! Put orange 1/2 in freezer. In the blender combine lemonade, soda, bourbon, and sugar. Pour into metal tray and freeze overnight. In the morning scoop slushy mix into orange shells and top with berries and mint. You can do this whole thing in advance so they are always ready for you!

Berry Pie with Lemonade Cream Filling

The Altitude Adjustment Section
It's berry season, so here is a great, super easy berry pie with a lemonade cream cheese filling by Susan Purdy author of Pie in the Sky. You can get creative with this one and make it your own! Try different concentrates in the filling, different types of zest and different berries.

Ingredients for Pie Dough
8 ounces Philadelphia brand, full-fat cream cheese
1/2 pound (2 sticks) room temp butter
2 cups A.P. flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Procedure
In the large bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment, combine cream cheese and butter till very smooth. Add flour and salt and just mix till combined or else it will get tough. Shape into a disc, wrap in plastic and chill at least 30 minutes or overnight. Later, roll out dough, put into an 11-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Line shell with tin foil sprayed with non stick spray and fill with pie weights or beans and fully prebake shell for 15 minutes at 400 degrees then remove pie weights lower oven to 350, and bake for 15 minutes more or until golden brown. Let cool before filling.

Ingredients for filling
12 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese
4 tablespoons Granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 1/2 tablespoons lemonade concentrate (or limeade mix or tangerine concentrate)
2 Tablespoons Triple Sec or Rum
4 cups fresh berries

Procedure
Combine all filling ingredients, except the berries, in bowl of an electric mixer and whip till smooth. Spread in bottom of cooled crust. Top with the fresh berries. If you want it shiny, melt some red currant jelly with a little water and brush over berries. Serve chilled.

Love Potion

Angela's Refreshing Beverage of the Week

Ingredients
1 oz. Orange Vodka
1/2 oz. Chambord Raspberry Liquer
1/2 oz. Cranberry Juice

Procedure
Shake with ice and strain into a fun glass!
Enjoy and go "a-maying" with your loved one!

Linzer Torte

The Altitude Adjustment Section
Here's a pretty classic recipe for a Linzer torte which originated in Austria, specifically the town of Linz, thus the name. It's from Susan Purdy’s book called The Perfect Pie. I think pies are not my strong point, so we can work on them together. They are only slightly altitude affected so they are a good thing to try. Let's start with the pastry.

Ingredients
3 cups A.P. flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1 cup ground almonds, about 5 ounces
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 large egg plus 1 large yolk

Procedure
In the bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade, combine flour, salt, sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. Cut up butter and add to mixer. Pulse till you form small-sized bits. Add nuts and zest. Finally, add egg and extra yolk and pulse till dough begins to clump together. Turn out onto waxed paper and form into ball and flatten. Wrap well. Chill for 1 hour. Butter an 11-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Divide dough in 2 pieces, one slightly bigger than the other. Roll out larger piece between two floured pieces of waxed paper or parchment to 1/8 inch thickness and fit into tart pan. Chill for 30 minutes, then bake in a 425 oven for 12 minutes, or until the shell starts to color. Cool on wire rack and reduce oven to 350.

When shell is cool, fill with 1 1/3 cups raspberry jam and sprinkle top with 1/4 cup ground almonds. Take remaining dough out of fridge and make thin ropes and pat a bit flat. Criss-cross them over the tart shell. Make an egg wash to act as glue when attaching the ends. Gently press down to keep in place and brush with egg wash. Place tart in oven on sheet pan for 40 minutes till preserves are bubbling and pastry is browned. Let cool and dust top with confectionary sugar before serving.