Maker's Mark Bourbon Balls
A classic Kentucky Christmas treat!
In my family, it isn't Christmas until somebody makes a batch of bourbon balls. This recipe, passed down from my Great-Aunt Marie, is the only one that will do. Because the bourbon isn't cooked down, the candy retains the taste of the bourbon used. I think it's pretty important to use a rich wheated bourbon like Maker's Mark to retain the sweetness of the dough. Bourbon balls made with a rye blend bourbon (think Early Times or Old Forester) tend to add a bitter note.
This yields between six and seven dozen bourbon balls.
1 to 2 cups good bourbon whisky (I use Maker's Mark)
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 to 1 cup whole pecan halves (optional)
1 two-pound bag of powdered sugar
1 stick butter, softened
2 bags Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate chips
paraffin wax
Place 1/2 to 1 cup of chopped pecans in shallow bowl. Pour Maker's Mark over nuts, immersing completely. Cover and let soak 12 hours to overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pecan halves in shallow pan and toast lightly for about ten minutes.
Cream butter in stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Combine bourbon-pecan mixture with just enough powdered sugar to form a stiff ball. Refrigerate to let stiffen slightly.
Roll dough into small balls.
In double-boiler (or a sauce pan placed over a cooker full of boiling water), add a third to a half a bag of semisweet chocolate chips and a small shaving of paraffin wax (no more than 1/4 cup). Heat until just smooth. Dip dough balls into the chocolate mixture. The key is to coat them quickly and make small, frequent batches of melted chocolate.
Place bourbon balls on wax paper to cool. Top each with a toasted pecan half, if desired. Results are better if you leave them to cool at room temperature rather than in the refrigerator.
Maker's Mark and Ale-8 Popsicles
A bourbon and Ale-8 popsicle is the perfect warm-weather treat for Kentuckians!
I'm obsessed with popsicles. It's been oppressively hot this summer and a popsicle seems like the only reasonable option when even breathing causes you to break a sweat. Popsicles are also easy to make. You can even easily create your own unique recipes, which is what I exactly what I decided to do.
Nothing says Kentucky like Maker's Mark Bourbon Whisky. There are already a wide variation of bourbon and peach popsicles, as well as bourbon and chocolate popsicles. However, I like to keep things simple and there is nothing simpler (or more Kentucky) than Maker's Mark and Ale-8.
Bourbon and Ale-8 Popsicles
1. Determine how much your popsicle molds hold. Mine held about four ounces.
2. Keep the alcohol content below 10%. I mixed up enough for about two molds at a time.
3. Mix bourbon and Ale-8. I used one ounce of bourbon and seven ounces of Ale-8.
4. Fill your molds about 3/4 of the way full and freeze for at least four to six hours.
If you don't have access to Ale-8 or you don't really care for it, then you can use coke for a classic bourbon and coke popsicles. I actually made a batch of each. Coke has a slightly higher sugar content so I preferred the bourbon and coke combo.
Once frozen, find a shady spot, take a seat, and enjoy!
~ Sarah Stewart Holland
Derby-Pie®
Perhaps the most iconic of all Kentucky Derby dishes is the Derby-Pie®; in fact, Derby is right there in the pastry’s name! Served warm or cool, with ice cream, whipped cream, or all by itself, Derby-Pie® is one of those treats that you just can’t pass up. The signature mix of chocolate chips and walnuts, the oh-so-light filling, the flaky pastry. Every time you take a bite, you feel like a cross between an amateur chef and a detective: Is that a taste of bourbon? Or maybe vanilla? No, it’s got to be a high-rye bourbon; the tartness will offset the sweetness of the chocolate…
Of course, the secrets of Derby-Pie® are closely guarded by Kern’s Kitchen, a family-owned company here in Louisville. The story goes that, in the early 1950s, George Kern was managing the restaurant at the Melrose Inn in Prospect, KY, just outside of Louisville. With the help of his parents, Walter and Leaudra Kern, George came up with a signature dessert for the restaurant. Once the recipe was perfected, the Kerns needed a great name for their creation, which combined the flavors of a chocolate chip cookie and a nut pie. So, they wrote several suggestions on slips of paper, and threw those into a hat. The winning name was, of course, Derby Pie, a reference to the big horse race just a few miles down the road. Soon, the Kerns were met with so many copycats of their delicious dessert that, in 1968, they filed for federal trademark protection of the term Derby-Pie®.
The Melrose Inn is long gone, having closed its doors in 2000, but the Kern’s Kitchen company is going strong, selling their delicious pies in restaurants and retailers throughout Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio. For over fifty years, Derby-Pie® has been the taste of the Kentucky Derby for Kentuckians who are way too young to place a bet or order a mint julep, who miss their Old Kentucky Homes, or for those attending parties en route to the Derby. We may not know exactly what’s in a Derby-Pie®, but we know it tastes like Derby Season!
This post also appears on the Kentucky Derby Book blog. Special thanks to the folks at Kern's Kitchen for Derby-Pie® photos!}
Chocolate Pecan Pie with Maker's Mark
Celebrate Pi Day with Louisville's signature pie!
Derby Pie is, of course, a trademark of Louisville's Kern's Kitchen bakery. Every other restaurant, bakery, and home cook in the Bluegrass State has a different name for it: Pegasus Pie, May Day Pie, Run for the Roses Pie, etc. The idea remains. Chocolate chips and nuts. It's pretty delicious, whatever you call it.
I always opt for pecans rather than the traditional walnuts, simply because I prefer the flavor. I added a good healthy swig of Maker's Mark because, well, why wouldn't you? For time's sake, I use a pre-made pie crust, but I don't cut corners with the homemade whipped cream. Nobody ever seems to complain about the tradeoff.
Chocolate Pecan Pie with Maker's Mark:
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/4 cup bourbon
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup pecans or 3/4 cup walnuts
- 9 inch unbaked pie shell
Combine ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir with fork and pour into pie shell. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until browned.
Potato-Leek Soup
It's no wonder January is National Soup Month. With the cold temperatures and snowy days, I want to make a fresh kettle of soup every couple of days. And, in fact, that's exactly what I've been doing.
I made one of my go-to favorite soups, potato-leek, as the snow fell on Friday. I always stick to this basic recipe. Sometimes I add some pancetta or country ham; sometimes I forget to buy or make stock and use water. This time, I got the bright idea to add a little cayenne pepper for depth. We loved the way the heat of the cayenne played off the smokiness of the bacon!
Potato-leek soup
- 6-7 slices bacon
- 3 leeks, chopped (white and light green portion)
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 7-8 Russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into quarters
- 64 oz box chicken broth
- 1/3 cup half-and-half
- Kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper (optional)
- Parmesan cheese and scallions for garnish
Cut bacon into lardons. Place in dutch oven over medium heat; cook until bacon is lightly browned and fat has rendered. Add leeks and garlic, cook until translucent (3-4 minutes). Add potatoes; let cook for 10-15 minutes. Add chicken broth (It's better to use homemade stock, but packaged broth will do in a pinch...) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let cook for about 25-30 minutes, until potatoes are soft. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Using an immersion blender (or a food processor), blend most of the soup, leaving a few chunks of potato. Add half-and-half and let cook another 10 minutes or so before serving. If leaving on the stove for a while, you may need to gradually add water to keep from thickening too much.
Happy Hot Toddy Day!
Beat the chill with a Maker's Mark Hot Toddy!
Today is National Hot Toddy Day, y'all! Between the cold weather and all the nasty viruses that are going around, it seems like a good day to celebrate. So, grab a bottle of your favorite bourbon (I like Maker's Mark for this one!), some local honey, and a lemon and enjoy!
- 1 oz bourbon
- 1 oz steaming-hot water
- Local honey
- 1 lemon
Put a kettle of water on to boil. Drizzle honey in the bottom of coffee mug. Pour in one ounce bourbon, or to taste. Squeeze juice of 1/4 lemon into mug. Pour in hot water. Add additional bourbon and/or hot water to taste.
Cheers, y'all!
Maker's Mark Mochaccino
A serious snowstorm like the one we've experienced this week calls for a serious warm cocktail. I love mixing a spicy, wheated bourbon with chocolate. This one adds steamed milk to keep you warm and two rich shots of espresso for good measure.
- 2 shots of espresso
- 2 cups steamed steamed milk (or half and half)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 oz Maker's Mark
Pull 2 shots espresso. Add sugar and cocoa powder; stir well. Add Maker's Mark. Add milk, sprinkle with additional cocoa if desired.
Stay warm out there, y'all!