Healthier Holiday

Happy Monday all! Last week I decided to test my one year old's palette. He loves to eat my blueberry muffins and zucchini bread so I wanted to up my game with something a little more festive (one of my mom's favorite ways to describe a holiday food). Scouring my Ellie Krieger books I happened upon a sweet bread that would work well for me, as it included pumpkin (because, of course), cranberries, and whole wheat flour. Well the baby enjoys the cake, it's not exactly his favorite. Maybe it's the bad mom in me, but it's funny to watch him eat a cranberry and spit it out. At any rate, I really like it.

Pumpkin Bread with Cranberries
Ellie Krieger

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour or whole-wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 2/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large egg white
• 1 cup fresh whole cranberries

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. In another large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, honey, oil, eggs, and egg white until well combined. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing just enough to combine evenly. Gently stir in the cranberries.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the top is browned and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Happy baking!

Election Night Celebration - or Commiseration

Happy Election Tuesday everyone! I hope you've all gone out and voted (or plan to vote) in this extremely significant election! Whether or not your candidate wins is irrelevant when it comes to dessert...you can eat either way. So today we have 3 election-y fun desserts to honor this very important historic event.

Oreo Cheesecake Brownie Bars
Elise Strachan

Ingredients
Brownie Batter:

• 13 tablespoons (185 g or 6½ ounces) unsalted butter, cubed
• 7 ounces (200 g) good quality dark chocolate, chopped
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/3 cups (270 g or 9½ ounces) granulated sugar or superfine sugar
• 2/3 cup (90 g or 3.2 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup (40 g or 1½ ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder
• Nonstick cooking spray

Cheesecake Batter:

• 16 ounces (2 bricks) cream cheese, softened
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 large eggs
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 48 Oreo cookies, broken into chunks
• 1 package mini Oreo cookies

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 320°F.
2. Make the brownie batter: In a saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and bring to a gentle boil. Turn the heat OFF and then add the dark chocolate, stirring intermittently until the chocolate has melted. Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool slightly.
3. In a large bowl, add the eggs and sugar and beat with an electric mixer until they have almost doubled in size and are super light and fluffy, at least 7 minutes.
4. Pour the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and gently fold the two together using big round figure-8 movements. Stop mixing as soon as you no longer see white streaks through the chocolate batter.
5. In another bowl, sift the flour and cocoa powder together. Sift the cocoa flour mix directly over the top of the chocolate mixture so it falls evenly. Fold together, again using big round figure-8 movements.
6. Spray a 9-inch x 13-inch pan with the cooking spray and line the base with parchment paper. Pour half of the brownie mixture into the prepared pan and par-bake for 15 minutes. 
7. Meanwhile, make the cheesecake batter: In a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, sugar and cornstarch and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy.
8. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating in between each addition.
9. Stir in the cream, vanilla and 1½ cups of the crushed Oreo cookies.
10. Remove the partially cooked brownie from the oven. Pour the cheesecake mixture over the par-cooked brownie and bake for 20 minutes.
11. Remove the tray from the oven and gently spread the remaining brownie batter over the cheesecake layer. Cover the brownie with chunks of crushed Oreo, adding some whole and halved mini Oreos throughout before returning to the oven for a further 20 minutes. The top should start to look a little flaky and the middle should spring back lightly when touched.
12. Cool completely in the pan (or preferably, chill overnight) before cutting into bars.

Flag Cake

Ina Garten

Ingredients

• 18 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 3 cups sugar
• 6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
• 1 cup sour cream at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups flour
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

For the icing:

• 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 1/2 pounds cream cheese at room temperature
• 1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

To assemble:

• 2 half-pints blueberries
• 3 half-pints raspberries

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Butter and flour an 18 by 13 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan.
3. Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed, until light and fluffy. On medium speed, add the eggs, 2 at a time, then add the sour cream and vanilla. Scrape down the sides and stir until smooth.
4. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with a spatula. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool to room temperature.
5. For the icing, combine the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mixing just until smooth.
6. Spread three-fourths of the icing on the top of the cooled sheet cake. Outline the flag on the top of the cake with a toothpick. Fill the upper left corner with blueberries. Place 2 rows of raspberries across the top of the cake like a red stripe. Put the remaining icing in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe two rows of white stripes below the raspberries. Alternate rows of raspberries and icing until the flag is completed. Pipe stars on top of the blueberries.
7. I serve this cake right in the pan. If you want to turn it out onto a board before frosting, use parchment paper when you grease and flour the pan.

Election Cake

Melissa Gaman

Ingredients

• Two .25-ounce envelopes dry active yeast
• 1 cup warm, but not hot, water (about 105 degrees F)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing the pan
• 1 cup mixed dried fruit, such as golden raisins, cranberries and pittedprunes, chopped if large
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup American whiskey, bourbonor rye
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk

Directions

1. Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water in a medium bowl. Stir a few times and let stand to allow the yeast to dissolve and begin bubbling, 1 to 2 minutes. Sift 1 1/2 cups of the flour into the bowl and stir until mostly smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place for about 30 minutes. The mixture will expand, loosen in texture and will have large bubbles on the surface. 
2. While that sits, generously butter a 12-cup Bundt pan and set aside. Place the dried fruit, 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar and all of the whiskey in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Heat in the microwave until hot and bubbling, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir and set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, whisk the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour with the cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and salt. 
3. Beat the butter with the remaining 1/2 cup brown and the granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined (the mixture may look slightly curdled at this stage), and then add 1 teaspoon of the vanilla. Beat in the yeast mixture and then reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually beat in the flour mixture. Add the plumped dried fruit with any remaining liquid and beat on medium speed until the fruit is well blended. The dough should be soft and elastic at this point. 
4. Transfer the dough to the prepared Bundt pan and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until the dough fills the pan about three-quarters of the way, about 2 hours. When is the cake is almost done rising, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 
5. Bake the cake until golden brown and a skewer inserted comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes in the pan on a wire rack. Loosen the sides with a small metal spatula and turn onto the wire rack to cool completely. 
6. Before serving, stir the confectioners' sugar with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1 tablespoon milk. Gradually add as much as needed of the second tablespoon of milk to make a thick glaze that will just gently run. Spoon over the top of the cake, allowing the glaze to slowly run down the outside and inside of the cake. 

Cook's Note: This cake is great made a day or two in advance. Just hold off on the glaze until you are ready to serve.

Happy election baking!

Pumpkins Abound

Happy Thursday! Listen...it's pumpkin season. Like it or hate it, the facts are the facts. They are EVERYWHERE. It would go against my professional pastry principles NOT to mention this and celebrate it in some way. Personally, I love all things pumpkin (although I draw the line at pumpkin spice lattes...I don't drink my pumpkin calories on a lack of pumpkin). Recently I made a pumpkin spice babka, just because. (My husband is still confused as to why there are babkas in our freezer, but I just love an excuse to bake. I got an email with a recipe and I had to try. His office was pleased with the results I think.) At any rate...here's the recipe. It's easier than you think!

Pumpkin Spice Babka
Tasting Table

Ingredients

• For the Dough:
• 1 cup whole milk, warmed to 115°
• 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
• ¼ cup, plus 1 teaspoon, granulated sugar, divided
• 5¼ cups flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ cup light brown sugar
• 4 eggs, divided
• 1 stick unsalted butter cubed and softened, plus more for greasing

For the Filling:

• One 15-ounce can pumpkin purée
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

1. Make the dough: In a large bowl, combine the milk, yeast and 1 teaspoon of the granulated sugar. Let it sit until it begins to foam, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt and cinnamon, and set aside.
2. To the foamy yeast mixture, add the remaining granulated sugar, the brown sugar and 3 eggs, and whisk to combine. Slowly stir in the flour until a dough forms, then transfer to a lightly floured surface. Using your hands, knead in the softened butter, a little at a time, until a smooth dough forms. Place in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, make the filling: In a medium bowl, stir the filling ingredients together until incorporated.
4. Assemble the babkas: Preheat the oven to 350° and grease two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans. Divide the dough into 2 balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 ball of dough out into a 14-inch square, about ⅛-inch thick.
5. Spread half of the filling evenly over the surface of the dough, leaving a 1-inch margin at the top of the square. Starting with the edge closest to you, roll the dough up tightly. Leaving ½-inch of dough connected, cut the roll lengthwise in two. Twist the strands together and pinch at the end to seal. Carefully place the babka in one of the prepared pans.
6. Repeat this process with the remaining dough and filling. Cover both babkas loosely with plastic wrap and place in a warm area until the dough expands to fill the pan, 45 minutes more.
7. In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg and liberally brush onto each babka. Bake, rotating halfway through, until golden and cooked through, 40 to 45 minutes.
8. Let cool slightly, then remove each bread from the pan and let cool before slicing and serving.

Fondant Painting!

Happy Monday everyone! It's been back-to-back birthday cakes this month...I guess it's birthday season! For today's tip, I want to talk about a different technique for decorating fondant. I know everyone's big on creating characters out of rice krispy treats and making tiered birthday cakes for the "wow factor," but I prefer spending my time on making a cake that's delicious and pretty. When it comes to big parties, you don't actually need a big cake. Very few people actually want to be tied down to a big honking slice while mingling.

That being said, last weekend my baby celebrated his FIRST birthday and I had to do something special! After researching some tips, I decided to try painting dye onto fondant to create his favorite book characters (drawing cartoons happens to be my specialty). To do this, mix your favorite dye colors (I always prefer gels) and a splash of vodka (for hold), use a clean paint brush, and paint your design onto the fondant. I rolled my fondant on a mat, made sure it wouldn't break when I picked it up (run an offset spatula underneath so it doesn't stick), and painted a design. You need to continually wet your brush with the dye and work slowly for a well-drawn line. I free-handed a cut around the outside, and let it dry overnight. Remember if you leave fondant out uncovered it hardens a bit, thus becoming more breakable. If your paint isn't runny, the other option is to put it directly on the fondant after painting, so you can place it where you want it/bend it before letting it dry.

Happy baking!

Change Your Rosh Hashanah Menu

Happy Tuesday! It's been awhile since we last spoke; between summer vacation and a baby on the move, things have been crazy! I'm hoping to stay back in action now. Like any holiday, the menu for the Jewish new year can get tired and blah. If you're looking to step outside the box, it's not too late to start.

Honey cake isn't boring.
I know, I know, I said these would be new and updated but for me, this is a new and updated honey cake recipe. I use the same one year after year because it's FABULOUS, but this year I'm going to try this one. Apple cider makes this one a winner.

Apple Cider Honey Cake
Alex Levin via NYT

Ingredients
Apple Cider Butter:

• 2 pounds/910 grams Granny Smith apples (about 5 or 6 apples), peeled, cored and cut into medium chunks
• ¾ cup/150 grams light brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons/56 grams unsalted butter, or use 1/4 cup/60 milliliters grapeseed or other neutral oil
• ½ to 1 ½ cups/118 to 355 milliliters apple cider

Cake:

• ¾ cup/170 grams melted unsalted butter or 3/4 cup/177 milliliters olive oil, more for the pan
• 2 ½ cups/310 grams all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 3 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 large eggs
• ¾ cup/177 milliliters honey
• ¼ cup/60 milliliters whiskey
• Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Directions

1. Prepare the apple cider butter: Combine apples, light brown sugar and butter or oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is reduced and appears soft and golden, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Let mixture cool slightly, then transfer to a large measuring cup and add enough apple cider to make 3 cups/710 milliliters. Transfer mixture to a food processor or blender and purée until smooth. (This can be made up to 1 day ahead.)
3. Prepare the cake: Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 325 degrees. Generously grease a 10-inch Bundt pan.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. 
5. In another large bowl, whisk together eggs, prepared apple cider butter, honey, melted butter or oil and whiskey. Whisk in the dry ingredients until smooth.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until firm to the touch and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool for 30 minutes, then carefully unmold cake and let cool completely on a wire rack. Before serving, transfer cake to a platter and dust with confectioners’ sugar.

A Hungarian option...

Apple, Walnut, and Poppy Seed Pastry (Flodni)

Eszter Bodrogi via Saveur

Ingredients

Dough:

• 4 cups flour
• 1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 1⁄2" pieces and softened
• 5 egg yolks
• 3⁄4 cup white wine

Fillings:

• 4 oz. dried apricots, minced
• 1 1⁄2 cups poppy seeds
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1⁄3 cup plus 1⁄4 cup apricot jam
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1⁄8 tsp. ground cloves
• 4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and grated
• 6 oz. walnuts, finely chopped
• 2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 4 oz. pitted prunes, minced
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp. water, for egg wash

Directions

1. Make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and mix until incorporated. Add the egg yolks and wine and mix until a dough forms. Replace the paddle with a dough hook and knead dough on medium speed until smooth, 5-6 minutes. Form dough into a ball and wrap in plastic; set aside to rest for 30 minutes.
2. Make the fillings: Heat the apricots, poppy seeds, 1⁄2 cup wine, 1⁄2 cup sugar, and 1⁄3 cup jam over medium heat and cook, stirring, until hot, 4 minutes. Transfer the poppy seed filling to a small bowl; set aside. Heat the remaining jam, cinnamon, cloves, and apples in a small saucepan over medium high heat and cook, stirring, until apples soften, 8-10 minutes. Transfer the apple filling to a small bowl; set aside. Heat the remaining wine, 6 tbsp. sugar, walnuts, and chocolate over medium heat and cook, stirring, until smooth, 2-3 minutes. Transfer the walnut filling to a small bowl; set aside. Heat the prunes and 1 1⁄2 cups water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, until the prunes are soft and water is almost evaporated, 16-18 minutes. Add the remaining sugar and mash with a wooden spoon until smooth. Transfer the prune butter to a small bowl; set aside. Stir the lemon juice into the poppy seed filling; divide the lemon zest between all 4 fillings, stirring to incorporate.
3. Heat oven to 350°. Line an 8" square baking pan with 2 overlapping sheets of parchment paper cut to 10" x 8". Divide the dough into thirds; set 1 third aside. Cut 2 dough pieces in half and set aside. Transfer the third dough piece to a floured work surface and roll to 1⁄8" thickness. Line the bottom and sides of the baking pan with dough and let excess dough hang over the edges; trim dough to within 1" of pan and brush with butter. Transfer the poppy seed filling to the bottom layer of dough and smooth the top with spatula. Roll 1 piece of the remaining dough to 1⁄8" thickness and trim to make an 8″ square; top the poppy seed filling with dough and brush with butter. Transfer the apple mixture to top of dough and smooth with spatula. Roll another piece of the remaining dough to 1⁄8" thickness and trim to make an 8" square; top the apple filling with dough and brush with butter. Transfer the walnut mixture to top of dough and smooth with spatula. Roll another piece of the remaining dough to 1⁄8" thickness and trim to make an 8" square; transfer the dough to top of walnut filling and brush with remaining butter. Transfer the prune mixture to top of dough and smooth with spatula; fold the overhanging dough onto the prune filling. Roll the remaining dough piece to 1⁄8" thickness and trim to make an 8" square; top the prune filling with dough, prick with a fork, and brush with the egg wash. Bake until the pastry is golden brown, 1 hour. Transfer to a rack and let cool 6 hours.
4. Using edges of parchment paper as handles, lift the pastry from pan and transfer to a cutting board. Cut flodni into 1 1⁄2" squares and serve.

When dessert won't cut it because you have family in town and there's a lot of...loud...

Pomegranate Mojito

Katherine Martinelli via Today

Ingredients

• 1 to 1.5 ounces white rum
• 1 ounce sugar or simple syrup (add more as you like)
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 to 3 sprigs fresh mint
• 1 ounce pomegranate juice
• Pomegranate seeds
• Club soda
• Ice

Directions

1. Select a big glass with room for plenty of ice.
2. Put rum, lime juice, simple syrup and pomegranate juice in glass. Mix well. Taste, and add more sugar or limejuice if needed. Add some crushed lime peel if you like.
3. Crush mint leaves from one sprig, add to drink and mix.
4. Add a handful of pomegranate seeds.
5. Add a one-second to second-and-a-half pour of club soda.
6. Top glass with ice.
7. Garnish with remaining mint leaves.

Happy baking!

Caramel Sauce to Caramel Frost!

Chocolate cupcakes and salted caramel frosting

Happy Tuesday everyone! It's been a busy summer here at Lizzy Bee's, between the baby (read: extremely FAST crawler) and vacation, I've been out and about! Right back from vacation, I recently made 3 dozen cupcakes for a party and came across quite a conundrum: how to translate salted caramel sauce into salted caramel frosting. I have a go-to recipe for a lot of frostings but I couldn't find this one among my arsenal (much to my disappointment). This time I had to use a little creativity and pull some skills from culinary school. Here's how it goes:

I started with this recipe. Note: I used a full teaspoon of salt. I needed it REALLY salty in order to keep that taste in the frosting.

Bobby Flay's Salted Caramel Sauce
New York Times 

Ingredients

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat, combine the sugar with 1/4 cup cold water and stir to combine. Cook, without stirring, until the sugar has turned a deep amber hue, approximately 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, warm the cream in a small saucepan. When the caramel is ready, slowly whisk in the warm cream and continue simmering the mixture until it is smooth, another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, then whisk in the butter, and then the salt, to taste. Serve warm.

Not too challenging, right? Once you've got that and let it cool, then take your favorite cream cheese frosting (or buttercream) recipe. Add the caramel after you've made the frosting. I used every. last. drop. Then taste. You'll see that you lose a little of that salty flavor once you've muted it in the frosting, so veeeeery slowly, sprinkle a couple crystals on top of the frosted cake/cupcakes. Just a few. Don't turn it into a salt shaker. Voila! Done.

Happy baking!

Popsicles!

Happy Friday! What a delightfully HOT day in the northeast. There's one great way to beat the heat and that's eating something cold and messy! Here are a few ideas to keep you and the kids happy and cool this weekend.

Childhood memories...
Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars
Erica Clark

Ingredients

• 1 pint very soft (almost melted) strawberry ice cream
• 4 (3-inch) sugar cookies
• 1 tablespoon crushed freeze-dried strawberries
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Special equipment:

• 6 (3-ounce) ice-pop molds and sticks

Directions

1. Divide ice cream among ice-pop molds, insert sticks, and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.
2. Meanwhile, pulse cookies in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Transfer half of crumbs to a plate. Add strawberries to remaining crumbs in food processor and drizzle with butter. Pulse a few times to create strawberry crumbs. Stir strawberry crumbs into plain crumbs on plate.
3. Line a large plate or rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Dip molds briefly into hot water. Working one at a time, remove ice pop from mold and thaw 1 minute. Dip in crumbs, turning to coat and pressing to adhere. Transfer pops to prepared plate and freeze again at least 15 minutes before serving.

Do Ahead: Ice pops can be made 7 days ahead; freeze in an airtight container.

Adults only...

Vanilla, Apricot, Bourbon Pops

Real Simple, Lindsay Hunt

Ingredients

• 1 vanilla bean
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 1/2 cups apricot nectar (100 percent apricot juice)
• 1/2 cup bourbon
• pinch fine salt

Directions

1. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise using a sharp paring knife. Run the dull side of the knife down the length of each half, scraping up the seeds.
2. Combine the seeds and sugar in a large bowl. Add the apricot nectar, bourbon, and salt and whisk until smooth.
3. Pour the mixture into 10 3-ounce or 8 4-ounce ice-pop molds, dividing evenly. Insert ice-pop sticks and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours and up to 4 days.

Gourmet...

Minted Watermelon Popsicles

Joy Manning

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds seedless watermelon without the rind, cut into 1-inch dice (about 4 cups)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup mint leaves, minced
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• Pinch of salt

Directions

1. In a blender, puree the watermelon with the sugar until smooth. Stir in the mint, lemon zest and salt. Pour the puree into 8 popsicle molds or 2 standard ice cube trays (insert popsicle sticks halfway through freezing) and freeze until hard, about 3 hours.

MAKE AHEAD: The watermelon popsicles can be frozen for up to 1 week.

Happy freezing!