My Great Recipes Collection

Great Recipes From the Past

Liqueur

Lemon Almond Cookies

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Call them what you like – Lemon-Almond cookies or Lemon-Almond Tiles – these look refreshing… especially when accompanied by two drinks.

This is from the 2-in-1 International Recipe Card Collection, and is After-Dinner Drinks, Card 8.

Cassis Mist

1/2 jigger creme de cassis
1 jigger pineapple juice
1/2 jigger brandy
1/2 cup shaved ice
Place in blender and blend 10 seconds. Pour into saucer champagne glass. Garnish with orange slice.

Cherry Blossom

1 jigger cherry brandy
2/3 jigger brandy
4 dashes curacao
4 dashes grenadine
4 dashes lemon juice
Shake well with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

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Lemon-Almond Tiles

Course Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup almonds finely chopped
  • 4 tablespoons sweet butter
  • 1/2 cup superfine sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 teaspoon lemon rind grated

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425. Grease 2 baking sheets and set aside.
  2. Divide chopped almonds in half; pulverize 1 half in blender or mouli grater.
  3. Blend butter with fork and stir in sugar; stir with fork until light and fluffy. Blend in salt, heavy cream, and pulverized almonds. Fold in egg whites; add flour, almond extract, and grated lemon rind.
  4. Drop batter onto cookie sheet in 1/2 tablespoonfuls and spread with back of spoon to form 3-3 1/2-inch disks. Bake 5-6 minutes or until edges of cookies are lightly browned.
  5. Remove from oven. Immediately remove cookies from baking sheet with small spatula and drap over rolling pin to form tiles. Cookies will harden quickly (5-10 seconds) and can then be removed.
  6. Store cookies at room temperature up to 24 hours. To hold longer, store in sealed plastic bags and freeze; serve directly from freezer (thawing not necessary.)

Recipe Notes

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

Little Daiquiri Souffle

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There was a time when the Daiquiri was the height of after-dinner drink sophistication. That time, of course, is gone, but the drink is still delicious. Here, instead of a drink, you make a souffle…and accompany it with coffee and chocolate-flavored drinks.

This card is from the 2-in-1 International Recipe Card Collection, and is After-Dinner Drinks, Card 6.

Cafe Kirsch

1 jigger kirsch
1 teaspoon superfine sugar
2 jiggers strong cold coffee
1 egg white
Shake well with ice and strain into wine glass or crystal Irish coffee mug.

King Afonso

4 teaspoons brown creme de cacao
2 teaspoons heavy cream
Pour creme de cacao into liqueur glass. Gently pour cream over back of spoon, floating it atop creme de cacao.

Angel’s Tip

Follow instructions for the King Afonso, but garnish with toothpick-seared maraschino cherry placed over top of glass.

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Little Daiquiri Souffles

Course Dessert
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 6 limes
  • 4 tablespoons superfine sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
  • 7 egg yolks
  • 1 cup superfine sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons heavy rum
  • 1 1/2 cups boiling milk
  • 7 egg whites
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon superfine sugar
  • 1 teaspoon rum extract
  • Whipped sweetened cream

Instructions

  1. Rub limes into 4 tablespoons sugar in mixing bowl to release lime oils into sugar.
  2. Squeeze limes into measuring cup, filling to at least 1/2 cup level. Use more lime juice if necessary to fill. Sprinkle lime juice with gelatin and set aside.
  3. Add egg yolks to lime sugar in mixing bowl. Beat in 1 cup superfine sugar until mixture forms ribbon; beat in cornstarch.
  4. Beat over boiling milk into mixture in thin stream; pour mixture into saucepan and set over medium heat; cook, stirring, constantly with wooden spoon, until mixture thickens and coats spoon (170.) Do not overcook lest eggs curdle.
  5. Remove from heat and add lime-gelatin mixture. Stir in rum. Pour into mixing bowl. Cool slightly.
  6. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into lime mixture. Cover and place in refrigerator; chill about 2 hours or until almost set, stirring every 15 minutes to prevent mixture from separating.
  7. Whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. Fold in 1 tablespoon superfine sugar and rum extract and whip until stiff peaks form. Fold into lime mixture.
  8. Tie 4-inch strips of foil, lightly greased, around 6 individual souffle dishes. Spoon lime mixture into cups, piling high against foil collars to form 'souffles." Chill. Remove foil before serving.
  9. Makes 6 individual souffle dishes.

Grasshopper Pie and Two Minty Drinks

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A Southern favorite in the ’50s and ’60s, here is Grasshopper Pie accompanied by two minty drinks.

This is from the 2-in-1 International Recipe Card Collection, and it’s After-Dinner Drinks Card 12.

For “Stinger Pie” substitute brandy for creme de cacao and white creme de menthe for green.

For “Brandy Alexander Pie” substitute brandy for green creme de menthe.

Mocha Mint

1 jigger coffee liqueur
1 jigger white creme de menthe
1 jigger creme de cacao
Shake well with ice and serve in cocktail glass or punch cup.

Banana Mint

1 jigger creme de banana
1 jigger white creme de menthe
1 jigger white creme de cacao
Shake well with ice and serve in cocktail glass or punch cup.

Grasshopper Pie

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Grasshopper Pie

Ingredients

  • 1 9- inch size graham cracker pie shell
  • 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
  • 1/2 cup lemonade
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1/3 cup green creme de menthe
  • 1/3 creme de cacao
  • 1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 4 egg whites
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 drops green food coloring optional

Instructions

  1. Sprinkle gelatin over lemonade and let soften about 5 minutes. Pour gelatin mixture and sugar into saucepan and heat, stirring until gelatin dissolves.
  2. Beat egg yolks until frothy and stir into gelatin mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon until mixture begins to thicken and coats back of spoon. Do not overcook or eggs will curdle.
  3. Remove from heat and stir in liqueurs and peppermint extract.
  4. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form; fold into egg mixture. Chill until mixture begins to set.
  5. Whip 1/2 cup heavy cream until soft peaks form and fold into mixture. Spoon into prepared pie shell and chill until firm, about 3 hours. Top with sweetened whipped cream and chocolate curls, if desired.

Recipe Notes

May substitute 1 9-inch flaky, baked pie crust, fully cooled

Espresso Creme Brulee and Benedictine Liqueur

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Classic Creme Brulee, a New Orleans favorite which actually originated in England, is a splendid do-ahead dessert.

In this recipe the slight hint of brandy and espresso are introduced to the sweet, rich cream, making it ideal for an after-dinner party, and a boon companion for a B & B or Benedictine Cocktail.

After-Dinner Drinks, Card 3

This card contains three drinks and one recipe.

B & B

1/2 jigger Benedictine
1/2 jigger brandy
Pour Benedictine into bottom of liqueur glass; gently pour brand on top

Benedictine Cocktail

1 jigger brandy
2/3 jigger Benedictine
2/3 jigger lemon juice
Shake well with ice and strain into cocktail glass

Widow’s Dream

2 jiggers Benedictine
1 whole egg
1 jigger cream
Shake well with ice and strain into 6-ounce highball glass.

Espresso Creme Brulee

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Espresso Creme Brulee

Course Dessert

Ingredients

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon instant espresso coffee
  • 2 tablespoons hot water
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 3 tablespoons cognac
  • Brown sugar to sprinkle

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 225. Place cream in double boiler over gently simmering water and heat until water is warm to the finger (about 105.) Remove from heat. Stir in 3 tablespoons brown sugar. Dissolve instant espresso in hot water and stir into cream.
  2. Beat egg yolks with fork or wire whip until fluffy; blend into cream. Add cognac. Pour into custard cups. Arrange custard cups in shallow baking dish. Pour hot water into baking dish, about 1/4 way up sides of custard cups. Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Wrap custard cups with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool, at least 6 hours
  3. Just before serving, preheat oven to broil. Arrange custard cups on baking sheet. Sprinkle brown sugar over tops of cups (about 2 teaspoons sugar per cup.) Broil until sugar caramelizes, about 1 minute. If desired, sprinkle tops with few drops Benedictine before serving.

Recipe Notes

Recipe fills 6-8 pots de creme or custard cups, or use individual souffle dishes. Copyright 1977 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA

That Rum Thing with Two Creamy Drinks

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In the quest for new and different desserts the adventurous gourmet so often overlooks ice cream. Good quality American ice cream ranks among the best of American foods, whether homemade or store-bought, and, for ease of availability and consistency of quality, puts all other store-bought desserts to shame.

Still, when you’re planning a special after-dinner party you want to do something special. So why not dress up ice cream? Baked Alaska and Ice Cream Bombes come to mind. Peppermint ice cream drizzled with chocolate-flavored liqueur; chocolate ice cream drizzled with an orange liqueur; strawberry ice cream drizzled with Fraise or framboise (strawberry and raspberry liqueuors.)

And then there’s “That Rum Thing:” coffee ice cream sprinkled with chocolate bean candies and drizzled with dark rum. For a substantial dessert, serve it with slices of pound cake.

After-Dinner Drinks, Card 7.

Carioca

1/2 jigger Kahlua
1 jigger brandy
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 egg yolk
Nutmeg
Shake well with ice and strain into saucer champagne glass. Dust with nutmeg.

Velvet Hammer

1/2 jigger creme de cacao
1/2 jigger cognac
1/2 jigger Cointreau
1 jigger heavy cream
Shake well with ice and strain into cocktail glass.
Midcentury Menu pronounced this drink “amazing.”

That Rum Thing

There’s no mention on the card of exactly what “chocolate bean candies” are. I’d guess a chocolate covered coffee bean might work, or perhaps something from the Candy Warehouse – rum-flavored, of course.

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That Rum Thing

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 to 2 quarts coffee ice cream softened
  • chocolate bean candies
  • 1/2 cup dark rum

Instructions

  1. Scoop ice cream into decorative mold (preferably a melon mold.) Place in freezer, covered. Just before serving, unmold ice cream onto platter. Sprinkle with chocolate bean candies with liquid centers. Drizzle with rum and serve.