Eggnog Panna Cotta with Salted Caramel

How about finishing your dinner with eggnog instead of starting with it?

We know, some of you may be thinking, why not do both. We’ll leave that for you to decide! 

Makes 6-8 Servings

Panna Cotta Ingredients 

4    cups eggnog

½   tsp. vanilla extract

½   tsp. rum extract

½   tsp. cinnamon, ground ( we recommend Vietnamese )

¼  tsp. nutmeg, we prefer fresh shaved using whole nutmeg & shaving with a microplane

2   packets unflavored gelatin

¼  cup water, bottled

Salted Caramel Ingredients

3 1/3  cups water

1 cup sugar

1  tsp. vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean pod split and scrapped

¼  cup heavy cream

1  oz. butter, unsalted

1-2 pinches sea salt

Directions for Panna Cotta:

1. Place the water in a 2 quart size bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over to bloom (soak) for 10 minutes.

2. While the gelatin softens, heat the eggnog in a saucepan and add the remaining ingredients. Bring the eggnog mixture to a warm but not scalding temperature.

3. Once the gelatin is completely dissolved remove the eggnog mixture from the stove top. Slowly whisk the gelatin into the eggnog saucepan.  

4. Transfer your mixture into individual dishes and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.  

Directions for Caramel Sauce:

1. Combine the water and sugar and cook at medium/medium low heat. You with take this past the boil temp of 210 to over 260 degrees. Keep heating until your caramel has reached a golden amber color. You can gently turn your pan side to side if you feel the sides are burning but do not stir.
2. Remove the caramel from the heat once it has reached the desired color and gently whisk in the vanilla, heavy cream, butter, and salt.
3. Pour into a jar and cover until you are ready to serve your panna cotta.

Holiday Cocktail | Autumn Gold Rush

Infused bourbon brings fall flavors to life in this holiday themed drink. Perfect sipping cocktail to keep you warm from the inside out on those cool fall evenings.  

Ingredients

2 ounces apple and pear infused bourbon (recipe below) *Make a week in advance

.75 ounce honey syrup

.75 ounce lemon juice

Directions to Infuse Bourbon (Make 1 week in advance)

1. Cut 1 red apple and 1 pear into large pieces. Place fruit slices in a large jar and pour a 750 ml bottle of bourbon over the fruit.

2. Cover and shake well - every day for 3-4 days.

3. Add a vanilla bean and 2 cinnamon sticks. Allow to infuse, shaking daily for another 3-4 days. Strain.

For honey syrup: combine equal parts honey and hot water. Stir well to combine. Let cool and pour into a squeeze bottle.

Cocktail Directions: 

1. Combine all ingredients in shaker with ice and shake, then strain over fresh ice in a highball. Garnish with fruit and cinnamon stick. Enjoy!

No Mocking These Graduate Inspired Mocktails

Having a Summer Graduation party? Looking for some unique, alcohol-free beverages that the whole crowd can enjoy?  Consider having a “mocktail” bar. Mocktails are fun, flavorful, hand-crafted beverages that contain zero alcohol making this a no-brainer for a high-school-aged crowd of graduates. As for the adults? Good luck keeping them away from these delicious and refreshing drinks!

• Cotton candy - enough to fill an 8oz glass
• Raspberry or Regular Gingerale
• Cherry or Raspberry Garnish
  
  Crafting Your Mocktail:

  Set out your martini glass. For optional flare, lightly wet the rim your glass with a lemon wedge and dip in colored sugar. Then place one piece of cotton candy in each glass. Pour the ginger ale over the cotton candy and top with cherry before serving.

The Adventure Awaits

• 3 TBS Water
• 2 TBS White Sugar
• 1 TSP Coconut Extract
• 2- 12 oz Cans of Lemon Lime Soda
• Blue Food Coloring
• Swedish Fish for Garnish

Crafting Your Mocktail:

1. Make the simple syrup by combining the water and sugar together and heating in the microwave for 30-60 seconds or boil togher in a pot on the stove. Let cool. 

2. In a pitcher or punch bowl combine the simple syrup, soda, coconut extract and food coloring. 

3. Add in swedish fish for garnish and serve over ice. 

The Strawberry Celebration

• 1 Cup Strawberry Yogurt
• 1 Cup Vanilla Almond Milk
• 2 Cups Frozen Strawberries
• 2 TBS Lemon Juice
• Sprinkles and Fresh Strawberries for Garnish

Crafting Your Mocktail:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender

2. Blend on high for 2 minutes or until smooth. 

3. Wet the rim of glass with a lemon wedge then dip in sprinkles. Pour in mixture from blender. Garnish with a strawberry and enjoy! 

For more festive details, consider adding colorful straws in the graduates school colors or use graduation cap picks as garnish. An interesting glass such as a mason jar or a fun-shaped plastic cup makes for a great presentation. 

Apricot Almond Chicken Salad

Our Apricot Almond Chicken Salad has been a staple on our sandwich catering menu for many years and is by far one of our most popular. Now you can enjoy this recipe at home from our kitchen to yours. 
Makes 16 Servings

Chicken Salad Ingredients 
3 lbs Boneless Chicken Breasts
1 Box of Chicken Stock
4 Celery Stalks
1/2 Bunch of Scallions
1/2 Cups Sliced Toasted Almonds
½ Cup Dried Apricots
¼ Cup Dry Sherry Wine
6 sprigs of Rosemary Chopped
Black Pepper to Taste

Dressing Ingredients:
2/3 Cup Dijon Mustard
1/4 Cup Whole Grain Mustard
1/4 Cup Heavy Mayo
¼ Cup Sour Cream 
1/8 Cup + 1 TBS Honey
Juice From Half a Lemon

Directions:

1. Fill a pot with chicken stock and heat to a boil. Place chicken in pot and poach until cooked through (roughly 25-30 minutes). Let cool and cut into small cubes.
2. Dice apricots. Heat dry sherry wine on the stove. Once heated drop in diced apricots for 2-4 minutes until soft then drain.
3. Combine all dressing ingredients together and mix well.
4. Combine all chicken salad ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
5. Add dressing to bowl with chicken salad and mix.

Enjoy as is, on top of a green salad, or add to your favorite sandwich bread. 

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with Homemade Lemon Curd

Lemon Curd

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup lemon juice

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 eggs

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 13 fluid ounces evaporated milk
• 1/4 cup poppy seeds

Steps for lemon curd:

1. Whisk eggs, sugar, and lemon juice in a double boiler over simmering water until mixed well, then continue to stir until thick, about 7 to 10 minutes.

2. Drain mixture through a mesh sieve to get rid of lumps. Fold in butter until well incorporated. Mix in lemon zest.

3. Cover curd and chill in the refrigerator until it has thickened, about 4 hours.

Steps for Poppy Seed Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10 inch cake pan.

2. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and add eggs, vanilla, oil and milk. Mix well. Then fold in the poppy seeds. Pour mixture into a 10 inch cake pan. 

3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

4. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

5. Pour lemon curd over cooled cake and top with berries and whipped cream. Enjoy!

English Garden Chicken Salad
4 Servings

Our English Garden Chicken Salad is one of our most popular salad dishes that has been eliciting oohs & awes for over 20 years. It is a perfect summer salad combining delicious seasonal vegetables with tender chicken and a light lemon dressing.

Chicken Marinade
1 1/4 lbs. boneless chicken breast
1.5 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp dijon mustard
Salad Ingredients
6 asparagus spears - blanch in boiling water for 10 seconds then cut on a bias into 1'' pieces
1/2 red pepper julienne cut
1/2 orange or yellow peppers julienne cut
1/2 red onion julienne cut
2 tsp fresh rosemary coarsely chopped
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes softened in warm water for 10 minutes
4 oz. stilton or local aged blue cheese crumbled *see note below
3 oz. premium ham cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Dressing Ingredients
3 oz. extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 lemon - zested and juiced
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
Dash of salt and pepper

1. Mix ingredients for the chicken marinade and toss in a bowl with the prepared chicken breasts. Let marinate for 30 minutes then grill the chicken breasts until they reach an internal temp of 155 degrees. Set aside to rest before cutting into bite size pieces.
2. Prepare all remaining salad ingredients and combine in a bowl.
3. Make the dressing by whisking together the olive oil, lemon zest and juice in a bowl. Then pour over salad ingredients.
4. Set over a bed of fresh greens and enjoy with a crisp dry white wine!

*When Peppers began in 1987, we didn't have a local cheese industry so we chose English Stilton blue cheese. Nowadays, Great Hill Blue from Marion or Berkshire Blue from our Western MA neighborhood provides terrific local options.

Peach Mint Julep

A delicious twist on the popular Kentucky Derby cocktail, the Mint Julep. 

Ingredients

1 oz. fresh lemon juice
1 oz. simple syrup
4 mint leaves
1 ½ oz. bourbon whisky
½ fresh peach pureed in food processor

Muddle mint leaves in shaker glass. Add all other ingredients and stir together with ice. Garnish with fresh mint and enjoy. This makes for one yummy cocktail! 

Fun Fact: Every year around 120,000 mint juleps are served over the course of two days during the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby weekend at Church Hill Downs Racetrack. 

What a fun night filled with tastings, delicious food, laughter and learning at Julio's Liquors in Westborough. We had the pleasure of being a part of a unique Grand Marnier and food tasting this past fall. Guests enjoyed 5 courses each paired with wine or Grand Marnier Liquor. As the servers passed each course, Master Distiller Patrick Raguenaud explained the background, history and flavors. We especially loved his enthusiasm and knowledge for the trade. Below are some of the fantastic moments captured by Erb Photography.

 Foodies of New England Spring Edition

If you love sweets as much as we do it can be difficult to choose just one dessert to try! This weekend we served a trio of our most popular cheesecakes to give the guests a variety of different flavors. We artfully plated three mini cheesecakes- banana foster, citrus and dark chocolate for their pleasure. Try this new york style cheesecake recipe at home or for your next party!  

New York Style Cheesecake

Makes 14-16 Bite Sized Cheesecakes

Ingredients 

Make sure all ingredients are room temperature 

2.5 cups graham cracker crumbs 
1/4 c melted butter 
1/8 c sugar 
1lb of cream cheese 
1 cup of sugar 
3 eggs 
1 cup of sour cream 
1TB vanilla

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350°. 

Mix 2.5 cups of graham cracker crumbs with 1/8 cup of sugar. Pour the melted butter into the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Mix with a fork. Scoop mixture into bottom paper lined muffin tins. Push the crumbs down with a flat object. (Ex. Bottom of a glass).

In an electric mixer with the paddle attachment mix the cream cheese until smooth. Then add the sugar until smooth. Add eggs one at a time mixing until each is incorporated. Add vanilla. Add the sour cream until the cheesecake is smooth and creamy. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the whole cheesecake giggles all at once. Cool until room temperature. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours and then pop out of the pan. Decorate as you like and enjoy!