"Sweet" 16+1

Courtesy of ireallylikefood.com

Day 17 has arrived and I cannot be happier! I am so happy that I treated myself to a little bit of ice cream and thought "hmm desserts and alcohol have to go together" Immediately I think back to my mother's rum cake she makes every year over the holidays and how odd I would find myself bouncing off the walls whenever I stole a piece during my childhood.I always noticed she would take this cake, and pour this amber liquid all over it and I just thought it was a magical glaze. Little did I know it was straight rum, and every year, when I was a kid I would take steal numerous slivers of that cake. Now I know it was rum. No wonder my grandmother always fell to sleep when she ate it.(sorry mom).

Rum is just one alcohol that you can create fancy desserts. I challenge all of you to broaden your horizons and bake with these interesting liqueurs. If you looked in my earlier entries I made Bailey's Brownies and they turned out to be outstanding. However, Bailey's is way too use. People use it because it is almost like a milk substitute and people won't feel strange trying it.

Sorry about the dry post yesterday. This is how I will make it up to you.

I am (because I am an idiot!) Making a challenge to myself when I come back home (I won't forget it!) to try to make desserts after my trusty baker/artist/I'mgreatateverything (Alyssa) teaches me how to bake (AND IF WE SURVIVE TO TELL THE TALE!) with the liqueurs you see below. I don't know what I'm going to make, but I will once I talk to my colleague and I brainstorm will have a few ideas. By the end of the summer I will give you the completed list and we(she) will make them!

Deal?

So first, a mini lesson on Liqueurs. These are in fact alcoholic beverages that have notes of sugar, herbs, and nuts. They don't normally have a lot a high alcohol proof (the cheap ones don't) but some can have up to at least 40% alcohol in them. This is of course the ones that I have been exposed to. I am not aware if there are any liqueurs with a higher proof.

The kinds of liqueurs are berry, creme, coffee, chocolate, herb, honey, and nut. There are a few others but not enough to be placed in their own category.

I want to be creative so I will try some realistic dessert ideas with these liqueurs. Then, I will go "Chopped" on your ass and try some zany flavors and figure out what We(she) can come up with.

And go!

The Lucky Liqueurs

1. St. Germain-Elderflower
2. Hypnotiq-Tropical Fruit
3. Jagermeister -So many herbs shockingly
4. Fernet Branca. This to me, is the most foul, of all liqueurs....lets do it! 

So my mother is a liar, well not really. I just assumed she made the rum cake from scratch. She actually got the recipe here. Try to make it for yourself.

Enjoy!