When Ryan and I were in Edinburgh we bought a bottle of whisky. Because, you know, that’s one of the things you do (according to the guide books) when you go to Scotland. We picked out a cute shop along the Royal Mile and browsed around. I asked a woman who worked there what she recommended for people who wanted to have some whisky but aren’t regular whisky drinkers. After giving us some helpful advice she showed us a few bottles. We chose the one that she said was light, had a nice flavor, had no burn, and wasn’t too expensive. It was exactly what I wanted. 

Since then, we’ve had some – but not much because in general we aren’t big drinkers. At least, we’re not at the level of having Scotch on the rocks to unwind after a long day at the office (à la Mad Men). So we have this beautiful bottle and I wanted you use it. Mainly, I wanted to see if I could cook with it. I looked up some recipes, found some things, but everyone said don’t cook with single malt whisky because you’re just wasting it. Ugh, fine. 

Finally I stumbled onto a Scottish recipe called cranachan, which is a dessert that uses whisky but doesn’t cook it. Ideal, right? Even better, it’s so easy to make. It’s cream, oats, raspberries, whisky and just a few other ingredients. Blended all together the whisky flavor is smooth and harmonious alongside some honey and vanilla. It was so good that from now on the only way I want to have whisky is with whipped cream and sugar.

In the photos I assembled the cranachan in these cute glass espresso cups – but I also made some in regular disposable clear plastic cups. And if you did that, I think this dessert would be perfect for a barbecue. Simply assemble the cranachan ahead of time, pop them in the fridge, and then whip them out when it’s time have dessert. A sweet boozy treat for your guests, it’s simple and cooling for eating outside, and it looks cute and fun too.

This recipe is adapted from Harper’s Bazaar. The only adaptation is this: they said whip the cream until it comes to soft peaks and I didn’t do that. I totally intended to do that, but I walked away from the mixer for a minute and when I returned it was proper thick whipped cream. I didn’t have another pot of cream, so I went with it. And actually, I’m glad I did. Because after you beat the cream you’ll need to add liquid ingredients to it, which will soften the cream up a bit anyway. If the cream had been soft already, I think adding the liquid would have made everything too drippy. Making the cream thick also means that you can be a little less careful when folding in the other ingredients. All in all, I was pretty pleased that my inattention led to such great results.

Messy level: Pleasingly quick and mess free. Very few dishes are needed, nothing is sticky, and that’s just wonderful.

Cranachan

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Serves: about 6 depending on size of cup

Ingredients

• 60g/3/4 cup of oatmeal
• 200g/about 1½ cups of raspberries, divided (can be more than this amount)
• 1 tablespoon of confectioner's sugar
• ground black pepper, to taste
• 600ml/ 2½ cups of double cream
• 4 tablespoons of clear runny honey
• 3 tablespoons of malt whisky
• ½ vanilla pod

Instructions

1. Heat a medium sized skilled over medium heat. Toast the oats for about 5 minutes, or until they start to smell toasty and are a little bit brownish.
2. Measure out 2 tablespoons of oats to use for garnish. Set all the oats to the side to cool while you prepare everything else.
3. Put the raspberries, confectioner's sugar, and a little bit of pepper together in a small bowl. Using a fork, or a potato masher, mash up the fruit until you have a fairly smooth puree. Taste and add a little more sugar or pepper depending on your preferences. Once to your liking, set aside.
4. Put the cream in a large bowl and using a mixer (or your arm!) mix over medium speed until the cream is thick, set, and looks like whipped cream.
5. Cut open the vanilla pod. [Need help? See how to do it here} Using your knife scrape out the insides and dump them into the cream. Gently fold the vanilla into the cream.
6. Add the honey and whisky and gently fold them into the cream.
7. Add the oats to the cream and gently mix them throughout.
8. Finally, add the reserved raspberry puree. Mix it into the cream so you can a gorgeous pink ripple. Don't mix it all the way otherwise the whole thing will be pink.
9. Line the bottom of a clear cup or ramekin with the whole raspberries you set aside at the beginning. Top with your cream mixture. Alternate layers of cream and raspberries until you cup is full. Make sure the top layer has at least 1 or 2 raspberries.
10. Using the 2 tablespoons of oats you set aside at the beginning, sprinkle the oats on top of your cranachan for garnish.
11. Serve and be delighted.

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On Sunday it’s Easter. But later in the day Mad Men returns with the final episodes of the series. Woot woot! I’m excited to see where the show will go with these final episodes. I can easily see it ending simply with Don Draper sitting in a chair smoking (like in the opening credits) or I can see it going down totally dramatically with big reveals, deaths, and jail. Who knows! Anyway, today’s recipe celebrates the drama, the style, and the boozing of this wonderful show with a twist on Don Draper’s favorite cocktail, the Old Fashioned. 

I think Don Draper is an incredible character. He is charismatic, mysterious, and suave. He’s sexy, smart, and he does whatever the hell he wants. But at the same time, he is such a jerk. He’s sometimes selfish, a drunk, a cheater, and he’s tormented by his past. With all of those traits put together, I’m mesmerized by him. I like him, I hate him, I root for him, and I just can’t stop watching him. I need to know what happens next.

However, before getting to the recipe, I have to say Mad Men is not all about Don. The show is full of memorable moments and the cast has some incredible characters – and the women especially are the best. Betty, while not always likable, is one of my fashion favorites. I love her fit and flare dresses and pearl earrings. I aspire to her style. I especially love that she dressed like a sweet, ladylike housewife when in reality she can be cold and ruthless. Peggy’s transformation over the course of the show has been amazing. She starts off all bright eyed with her bouncy ponytail and now she owns a building, has clawed her way up the corporate ladder, and she doesn’t let anything stand in her way. But my favorite bad ass is Joan. She has curves for days, clear opinions on everything, and doesn’t stand for people’s nonsense. All of them smart and awesome in their own way. I want to be a little bit like all of them and I can’t wait to see what happens to them in the final episodes.

Photo from the Gloss

Anyway, you can’t talk about Mad Men without talking about cocktails. There has been all kinds of noteworthy drinks throughout Mad Men, but Don Draper’s favorite cocktail is an Old Fashioned. This is where liquor aficionados are going to disagree with me, but here’s what I know about an Old Fashioned: it has bourbon or whiskey, bitters, a bit of sugar, an orange slice, a maraschino cherry, and a lemon peel or slice. I decided to take those flavors and turn them into a boozy dark chocolate Old Fashioned Cocktail truffle. For me, this is the perfect way to channel my inner Don Draper while enjoying the show.

In preparing this recipe, I did some research about the differences between bourbon and whiskey – and then which one would most be used in an Old Fashioned, and then on top of that what brand would Don Draper drink. I came up with no conclusive results. I found out Don Draper’s favorite whiskey is Canadian Club – but that it’s not necessarily in an Old Fashioned. I found people saying to use Jim Beam, Jack Daniel’s, and Maker’s Mark – but then I also found people arguing against each of these liquors. So I asked myself, what would Don Draper do? The answer: whatever he wanted. So I like Jack Daniel’s (because Ryan and I once went to the distillery), so I bought Jack Daniel’s. I’m sorry if that makes you gasp with horror. When you make these, use the type of whiskey or bourbon that you like best.

Fair warning, these truffles are fruitier than an Old Fashioned would be. They taste largely of dark chocolate and orange, with just a hint of cherry flavor, and a finishing kick from the liquor. I used minimal lemon zest in the actual recipe. I just sprinkled a bit in the mix and then put some on my fingers before I rolled the chocolate into balls. This gave it a little bit of a lemony hint without being too much lemon. If you like more lemon then substitute it for some of the orange zest. Like regular cocktails, you can alter this a bit to suit your taste.

So, on Sunday, comb your hair back, put on your 1960’s best, and enjoy the final episodes of Mad Men with this chocolaty treat.

Messy level: Surprisingly messy recipe. Mostly this is easy and straightforward, but when you make the chocolate balls, the chocolate melts in your hand and you will be absolutely covered. There are worse problems than having chocolate covered hands, but it does make it hard to turn on the sink when you want to wash up.

Old Fashioned Cocktail Truffles

 

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Prep time

8 hours 30 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

8 hours 45 mins

 

A boozy dark chocolate truffle inspired by the Old Fashioned Cocktail

Serves: 24

Ingredients

• 4oz/100g dark chocolate, broken into small chunks
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• ¼ cup/50 g butter, cut into cubes
• 2 teaspoons cherry juice (I used juice from the maraschino cherry jar)
• ½ teaspoon orange zest
• sprinkle lemon zest
• 2-3 tablespoons bourbon or whiskey of your choice
• cocoa powder

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan bring about 2 inches of water to a simmer.
2. Place the chocolate and heavy cream into a heat proof bowl. Pop the bowl on top of the pan with simmering water. Make sure the water isn't touching the bottom of the bowl.
3. Heat the chocolate until melted. Mix until everything is smooth and melted.
4. Remove the bowl from the heat and add in the butter. Stir until it is smooth, shiny, and the butter is melted.
5. Now whisk in the orange zest, cherry juice, liquor and lemon zest. Don't worry about a ton of lemon zest, just grate the lemon a few times over the bowl. Whisk until everything is combined.
6. Transfer the chocolate mixture to a food storage container with a lid. Pop that into the fridge and chill overnight.
7. Once chilled, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
8. Remove the chocolate from the fridge. Using a teaspoon, scoop out bits of chocolate. Use your hands to roll the chocolate into balls. (If you want more lemon flavor, zest some more lemons and rub your hands in it before rolling the chocolate. The lemon oils will get on your hands then onto the chocolate)
9. Place the chocolate balls on the lined baking sheet. Put the baking sheet in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
10. Sift a bit of cocoa powder into a bowl. Sifting is important to remove big clumps. Roll the chocolate balls into the cocoa.
11. Serve on a plate with napkins in front of the television. Eat - but not too much or you'll be tipsy

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