Nothing says summer like cooking on the grill, and the best grilling recipes usually call for bourbon. So here’s another quick and easy dessert that involves two of our favorite things: grilling and bourbon. Be sure to save a tipple of bourbon to accompany this fun treat. And, we recommend pouring it over one of our handcrafted whiskey stones – they chill without diluting.

GRILLED PINEAPPLE WITH BOURBON GLAZE

15 minutes • Delicious Boozy Dessert • Serves 4

Ingredients:

• half cup bourbon
• half cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• quarter teaspoon cinnamon powder
• half a pineapple, cored, peeled and cut into long wedges
• bamboo skewers, soaked in water 15 minutes
• ice cream

Preparation:

1. In small saucepan over medium heat simmer bourbon, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon until sugar dissolves. Set aside.
2. Thread pineapple pieces onto skewers.
3. Heat grill to high. Grill pineapple until brown, basting with bourbon glaze and turning occasionally, about 6-8 minutes.
4. Remove pineapple from skewers. Dice. Serve warm with remaining bourbon glaze and your favorite ice cream.

This may just be the best dessert you’ll ever taste. It’s a chocolaty, boozy molten cake that is simply magical. Hands down, the best recipe for molten cake you’ll ever come across. The depth of flavors are staggering: dark chocolate, smokey sweet whiskey, warm vanilla, a zing of pepper and candy-like hints of orange zest. Don’t let the fact that there’s cayenne pepper in the mix scare you away; it’s not there for heat,  just to add a slight warmth.

And don’t forget to save a tipple of whiskey to accompany this delicious gooey dessert. We suggest serving it straight with a slight chill, using one of our unique handcrafted whiskey stones.

Molten Chocolate Whiskey Cake

Ingredients:

• 8 oz chocolate baking bar, 60% bittersweet
• 1 cup butter, unsalted
• 3/4 tsp iodized salt
• 3 tbsp whiskey
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp  fresh cracked black pepper
• 2 tbsp orange zest
• 4 eggs plus 2 yolks
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large microwave safe bowl, microwave butter and chocolate for 1 minute or until melted – being careful not to burn the chocolate. Then whisk in the salt, whiskey, vanilla, powdered sugar, ginger, cayenne, pepper, and orange zest. Whisk in eggs and yolks, one at a time. Whisk in flour just until combined. Divide batter into 8 greased ramekins. Place on baking sheet.  Bake for 13 minutes or until the sides are set. The middle will have a slight sag to it, but don’t worry that’s the molten filling. Remove from the oven and let stand for 60 seconds. Loosen edges with a knife and invert onto dessert plates.

Every fine bourbon should eventually mingle with chocolate.

Kentucky’s premiere bourbon chocolatier can be found in Louisville. Art Eatables® is the originator of the Small-batch Bourbon Truffle™ and waht sets them apart from most other confectioners in that they focus as much on bourbon as they do chocolate. What’s more, they carefully pick chocolates that accent the complex flavor profiles of America’s native spirit. This is how candy-making becomes art. Often their combinations reveal previously hidden notes in the bourbons they use. By paying strict attention to both the chocolate and the bourbon, they manage to deliver a taste experience like no other.

These decadent treats are substantial, consider them two-bite truffles. Each bite delivering a wave of different flavors, creating a unique tasting experience. They proudly hand dip each one of their bourbon truffle masterpieces. Here’s a list of just some of their offerings:

• Maker’s Mark® Bourbon Truffle – Smooth and approachable, just like the bourbon, the milk chocolate accents the caramel notes of the bourbon and lets the vanilla shine through.  This is a full-flavored bourbon and chocolate candy like no other. Features Maker’s Mark® Bourbon Whisky.
• Signature Black Cherry Bourbon Truffle™ – Decadent dark chocolate and pronounced black cherry are up front, while the bourbon gradually swells in.  Chocolate, bourbon and cherry all mingle together over the finish. Features Red Stag® by Jim Beam® Black Cherry.
• Black Bourbon Truffle™ - Dense cocoa presents initially, with woody overtones that play on the mellower flavor of the bourbon.  While it’s still a surge of bold bourbon flavor, the aging shows more complexity and smoothness.  The finish is a pleasing drift of cocoa. Features Jim Beam® Black.
• Sweet Honey Truffle™ – Their mildest bourbon truffle, this confection is creamy and sweet, with only a hint of bourbon flavor developing in the mid to late part of the tasting, and finishes with a high, faint note of tea.  White chocolate.  Features Red Stag® by Jim Beam® Honey Tea.
• Ol’ Basil’s Truffle™ - They pair an extra dark chocolate to play with the ginger and cinnamon top notes while the milk chocolate accents the smooth caramel and vanilla notes and preserves a spicy finish.  The finish is a pleasing drift of cocoa. Features Basil Hayden® Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
• Yellow Rose Truffle™ - With this one the bourbon comes into play early. Well-rounded mix of smooth bourbon and creamy milk chocolate flavor.  As the flavor heads into the finish, the spicy notes come out and leave you with a pleasing warmth.  Features Four Roses® Yellow Label.
• Branch Out Truffle™ - This bourbon is unique in that it uses only corn (51%) and barley (49%) in the mashbill.  This results in an earthy bourbon with a subtle body and it’s captured in the truffle.  Surprisingly smooth and earthy, it’s less sweet than others.  The finish stays with you with hints of chocolate and a bourbon topnote that goes on and on. Features Town Branch® Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
• Gobble-it-Up Truffle™ - Dark and extra dark chocolates bring plenty of rich cocoa to the front which keeps the truffle from being too sweet, while still allowing a dense, mouth-filling bourbon flavor with caramel and vanilla notes to come to the fore.  Features Wild Turkey® Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (81 proof).
• Wood River Truffle™ - Decadent dark chocolate is quickly met by the bourbon and they play back and forth, accenting the wood, smoke and leather notes.  At the finish, a high note of cherry comes out. Features Woodford Reserve® Distiller’s Select.

Art Eatables®
631 South Fourth Street
Louisville, KY
(502) 589-0210

http://www.arteatables.com/

Bourbon Caramel Peanut Butter Cups

The boys here at Hammerstone’s WhiskeyDisks™ have a serious sweet tooth. And we believe in indulging that sweet tooth once in a while. What better way to indulge than whipping up some Bourbon Caramel Peanut Butter Cups.

Yup, you heard us. Bourbon, caramel and peanut butter all in one tidy little package. These are easy to make. They’re boozy little confections that won’t stick around long. So if you’re smart, you’ll tuck a couple away in a little hidy-hole for when that sweet tooth starts rattling the cage.

And if you’re really smart, you’ll save a tipple of that bourbon and pour it over one of our handcrafted whiskey stones. They chill fine liquors without diluting. And nothing goes better with a Bourbon Caramel Peanut Butter Cup than a little sip of the sweet brown liquor itself.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
• 1 3/4 cups smooth all-natural peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 pounds chocolate (blend of semisweet and milk)
• 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
• 3/4 cup thick caramel sauce
• 50 mini candy cups

Method:

• Combine sugar, peanut butter and butter in an electric mixer with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-low until combined. Add the bourbon and vanilla and mix until combined. Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag.
• Melt chocolate in a double-boiler. Once melted, stir in espresso powder, turn off the burner and leave while you work. Use a small brush to coat the bottom and up the sides of the candy cups with melted chocolate, and place them on a rimmed baking sheet. Put them in the freezer until set, about 10 minutes.
• Remove chocolate cups from the freezer and use pastry bag to fill them 3/4 of the way with the peanut butter mixture. Next, spoon a little caramel into each cup. Cover the caramel with a thin layer of chocolate. Return the cups to the freezer until set, about 15 minutes.
• Cups can be stored tightly sealed in the fridge or freezer.

Note: Makes 50 small cups.

Handmade State-Shaped Cast Iron Skillets

Have you ever wanted to eat bacon in every state across the country? What? You didn’t know that was possible? Well indeed it is, thanks to Alisa Toninato, an artist in Madison, Wisconsin. Through FeLion Studios, she has created the entire contiguous United States out of cast iron skillets. The installation of the entire set of states in cast iron measures 9′-6″ by 6′ and weighs 550 pounds.

Every state-shaped skillet is labeled with the FeLion Studios logo, and stamped with a production number. These gorgeous skillets are fully functional works of art — pans you can really cook in, but also pieces you can hang on the wall. Each skillet comes with a custom made magnetic hanger that allows you to easily install the piece as wall art.

The skillets are made to order, and ship in a timely fashion the day after they’re poured. One of these will run you a cool $300 to $400, but hey, anything for bacon. And nothing goes better with bacon than bourbon, so pour a tipple over one of our handcrafted whiskey stones and make a toast to your favorite state.

Everyone’s wishlist includes chocolate, bourbon and toffee. Give it to them, all in one fabulous cookie.

Well, the holidays are here, and everyone knows you’ve got to be prepared for parties and visitors. You’re going to have to feed these folks, and you know they’re going to be expecting something spectacular. We feel it’s best to be prepared with a complete arsenal of tempting delights. And there’s no better way to get a party started than with bourbon. Salted Chocolate Bourbon Toffee Cookies, that is. Unleash this recipe and watch the holiday smiles start appear.

We highly suggest setting aside a little bourbon to enjoy later. Pour it over one of our handcrafted whiskey stones and you’ll enjoy full flavor without dilution from melting ice. There you go, the perfect holiday treat and the perfect tipple. No one ever said that getting through the holidays had to be difficult.

Salted Chocolate Bourbon Toffee Cookies

Makes 3 Dozen Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Semisweet Chocolate Chips
• 6 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, sliced
• 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
• ¾ teaspoon Baking Powder
• ¾ teaspoon Salt
• 3 Large Eggs
• 1 cup Brown Sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 2 tablespoons Bourbon
• 1 ¼ cups Toffee Pieces
• Coarse Sea Salt

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt butter and chocolate chips. Set aside to cool slightly. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the eggs, brown sugar, vanilla and bourbon on high speed until light and fluffy. On low speed, beat in the melted chocolate and butter. Fold flour mixture in by hand until just combined then stir in toffee bits. Drop dough onto parchment lined baking sheet in 2 tablespoon-sized scoops. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Bake on a rack centered in the oven for 12 minutes or until the cookies have shiny, cracked surfaces and are firm to touch at the edges but still somewhat soft in the middle. Let cool 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Bourbon Marshmallows

Nothing takes us back to our childhood more than a good old marshmallow. As kids we’d layer them into expertly-built S’mores around a campfire, and at times, stuff them in our mouths right from the bag. We didn’t care that those lovely, gooey treats were 99% sugar and loaded with chemicals. That’s one of the great things about growing up; as you age you develop refined tastes and you gain wisdom. Now that we’re wise adults, we know that we deserve a little better, we know we deserve a marshmallow that’s free of additives. And, we definitely know we deserve a marshmallow that contains booze.

Here it comes: The Homemade Bourbon Marshmallow. Quick and easy to make, and a million times better that any marshmallow you ever had as a kid. You’re going to come unglued when you realize the possibilities. We have dozens of ways we like to eat these. Nothing elevates the common S’more more than a Homemade Bourbon Marshmallow. A mug of hot chocolate just begs for one of these babies to be floating on its surface. Heck, we pop them straight in our mouths just like we did as kids, and there’s no one here to stop us. That’s because we’re adults and we run the show. Isn’t it wonderful to be all grown up?

We highly suggest you save a bit of the bourbon to enjoy later. Pour it over one of our handcrafted whiskey stones. Make a toast to yourself for having regained a slice of your childhood. Go ahead, you can do it. After all –  you’re an adult now.

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
• 1/2 cup cold bourbon
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Oil a 9 x 13 baking pan. Sprinkle powdered sugar to cover and coat. Set aside. Pour the cold water and gelatin into a mixing bowl. Gently mix once with a spoon, then let sit while you make the sugar mixture.

In a medium sauce pan combine sugar, bourbon, syrup and salt. Heat over low heat and whisk until sugar is dissolved, about 3-5 minutes. Turn heat up to medium and let sugar come to a boil. It will bubble up so keep your eye on it. Let it boil for 8-12 minutes. Measure temperature with a candy thermometer, remove from heat when it reads 240 degrees F. The mixture will appear to be a light brown color.

Gently pour sugar mixture into mixing bowl over top of the gelatin. Mix on low till ingredients are blended. Then, mix on high and beat for for 6-8 minutes. Mixture should grow in size and be white and fluffy. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Then add egg whites and vanilla extract to the sugar-gelatin mixture and beat until just combined.

Pour marshmallow mixture into 9 x 13 pan. It will be very sticky. Remove as much as you can, then spray a spatula with non-stick spray and smooth top surface of 9 x 13 pan. Dust powdered sugar on top and let sit 3-5 hours until firm. Once firm, turn the pan upside down on a cutting board to release marshmallow rectangle. Cut into pieces.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies & Bourbon Cream Cheese

Pumpkin pie is without a doubt the most traditional Thanksgiving Day dessert. Sadly, something that predictable gets to be, well, a bit boring after a while. This year shake things up and serve this feisty incarnation of pumpkin pie – Bourbon Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Whoopie Pies. Any adults at the table will soon be squealing like children with delight. And with good reason, they’ll be sinking their teeth into moist pumpkin cake layers with bourbon cream cheese filling. That’s how we like our traditions at Hammerstone’s Whiskey Disks, we like them soaked in a little irreverence, and a little bourbon.

So, save a bit of that wonderful brown liquor. And later, after the guests have all gone, pour it over one of our handcrafted whiskey stones. Then make a toast to yourself, because you my friend have just given tradition a whole new funky twist.

INGREDIENTS

Cakes:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin (not pie filling)
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Filling:

• 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tablespoon bourbon

PREPARATION 

Cakes:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk together flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and spices in a bowl. Whisk together sugar, oil, pumpkin, egg, and vanilla in a separate large bowl until well combined, then stir in flour mixture. Using a 1-ounce ice cream scoop or tablespoon measure, drop a scant scoop’s worth of batter or 2 scant tablespoons of batter onto a lined baking sheet to form 1 mound. Make 15 more mounds, arranging them 2 inches apart until baking sheet is full. Bake until springy to the touch, 12 to 18 minutes. Transfer cookie-cakes to rack to cool. Form and bake remaining batter on the other parchment-lined sheet. You should have a total of 32 cakes.

Filling:
While cookie-cakes are baking, beat cream cheese, butter, and salt in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add confectioners’ sugar and bourbon and mix on low speed until smooth. Chill filling until firm enough to hold its shape when spread, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Spread a heaping tablespoon of filling each on flat side of half the cooled cookie-cakes, then top with other half of cookie-cakes. If necessary, chill whoopie pies just long enough to firm up filling again, about 30 minutes.

When it comes to barbecue and whiskey, Texas ain’t got nothin’ on Philly.

What do you get when you take a bar list that includes over 50 whiskeys and saddle it up to a menu which flaunts such mouth-watering delights as fried green tomatoes with tomato-bacon mayonnaise? You get the best damn bar in Philly, that’s what you get.

Our first encounter with Percy Street Barbecue, a charismatic Texan-style barbecue joint in the South Street neighborhood of Philadelphia, will not be our last – not by a long shot. The first indication you’re in the right place is the actual space you find yourself in – it’s a large drinking hall filled with sturdy wooden furniture and mammoth windows that open directly to the street. The second hint that you’re about to experience some serious pleasure is, the menus: A bar menu that bursts with over 50 whiskeys and a mind-boggling 100+ beers, and a food menu that would be the envy of any of Texas’ best barbecue hangouts.

We are greeted by Emily, an amiable expat from Connecticut and a mighty good waitress. Soon the general manager, a fella named Aric Ferrell, makes the rounds as well. Aric is the polite, knowledgeable kind of guy that every house needs. He treats us to a tipple of Colonel E.H. Taylor Tornado Surviving Whiskey – it’s his recommendation and it does not disappoint. Aric, as it turns out, knows his stuff. On April 2, 2006, a storm ripped through Kentucky, tearing apart two of Buffalo Trace’s warehouses. One was empty. The other, Warehouse C, was full of 24,000 barrels of young, far-from-release E.H. Taylor Bourbon. The walls and roof were ripped open, but the whiskey survived. In 2011, the whiskey from the top two rows of this warehouse was bottled as a special release. It is, in a word - transcendental.

We proceed to chomp down on fried green tomatoes while shoveling in fries smothered with chopped brisket and cheddar cheese. Then we’re happily interrupted by a pour of Four Roses Single Barrel – Percy Street Edition. It’s their own private stock of the precious Kentucky export. Seeing as how we brand our handcrafted whiskey stones for Four Roses, and, seeing as how they produce one of the finest bourbons available, we are smart enough not to turn it away. It turns out to be a wonderful bourbon – aged 8 years, 11 months.

So that’s the story of how perfection was ours for an afternoon – thanks to Percy Street Barbecue. The atmosphere is rich. The staff is rock-solid. And the food and whiskey, well, lets just say it’s fantastic.

You’re an adult.

Go ahead, make pizza anytime you want.

In fact, make it with bourbon.

We grew up loving pizza. In fact, we don’t know anyone who didn’t. As children, pizza translated as a luxurious reward. Most often in our house, it was a meal that came after a busy day of fun during which everyone would gather around for a slice or two. And, it was always homemade. Homemade pizza is a most wonderful thing. It’s endlessly versatile and it’s hard for anyone not to love some variation of it. Now that we’re all grown up, we like to experiment with our favorite flavors. One of our all-time favorite flavors is bourbon. So, we proudly share with you our recipe for Sweet Onion and Green Olive Pizza with a Bourbon Crust.

Be sure to set aside some bourbon, it makes a perfect pairing with this savory homemade meal. We like to use our handcrafted whiskey stones to chill our liquor without diluting. And tonight, you’ll gather your friends and serve up that gourmet handmade pizza of yours with a slightly-chilled tipple of whiskey. Now isn’t that what being a mature adult is all about?