What’s in the jar on the left in your second picture? (if it’s okay to ask) (just curious) (I’m assuming that the Pumpkin Pie Liqueur-to-be is in the jar on the right, and that the jar on the left is something different?)
Can anything be made with the strained-out pumpkin puree?
Boil 10 mins. It needs to sit a bit, but I’d lower the H2O next time. I need my new hydrometer to know how much, but I think there’s too much water. This was my first time with this recipe.
I’m working on a menu for a Solstice Night Party. The food is heavy horse ovaries. I’ll probably trim, and add, but I welcome suggestions for anything that might be tasty, and amuse bouche fun. This is our big to-do, we don’t really have people over for things the rest of the year, so we go all-out for a crowd of about 20. Friends, no work colleagues.
Draft menu
Dips (for crackers, veggies)
Creamy horseradish
Herbed Goat Cheese
Muhammara
Hot Chipotle Spinach and Artichoke with Lime
Bites:
Deviled Eggs
Anchovy, pickle, egg (worth trying if you’ve never had it. The flavor tastes nothing like the individual ingredients)
Tapenade
Gorgonzola Stuffed Figs with Balsamic
Squash Hummus
Baked tortellini
Assorted cookies people are bringing.
Drinks
Wines (people bringing)
Hot Apple Cider with Bourbon
Mulled Homemade Mead
Bourbons (people bringing)
Ingredients set-up for people to make cocktails
Martini
Gin and Tonic
As-yet Unnamed Cocktail (2 shots lemon vodka, 1/2 shot Italian vermouth, 2 dashes absinthe. Pour into shaker with ice, let rest, and strain into a cocktail/martini glass. Do not shake or stir)
So, tentative. I’m always up for making something new and unusually interesting. Or interestingly unusual.
Not exactly answering your question, but if you decide to skip the 100% homemade option, Penzey’s makes a nice mulling spice blend. Customize it a bit to taste, and it’s all good. Penzey’s is a good company too, and they have a store in the greater ATL area (Sandy Springs).
By this time of the year I am worn out after coming up with meaningful gifts for Kiddo’s teachers (12!!!) and extraneous in-law relatives, so I’m happy to use readymade, including Trader Joe’s Glühwein.
Your menu looks amazing. The Gorgonzola stuffed dates are especially intriguing. If you’re still looking for ideas, one fun thing I like to do for “bites” is make fancy grilled cheese sandwiches from those little cocktail breads. They come in pumpernickel and rye, so you can get interesting with flavors, and people love them. I’m making some ham and Swiss on rye for a thing this weekend.
@mindysan - I love that idea of a set of drink spices for a gift. Going to yoink.
Could I suggest, just for the look and as a present it needs to look good, that cinnamon bark looks great. The rolled up kind looks good too and possibly works better. Cinnamon, clove, cardamom, nutmeg, star anise, citrus really are the smells of Christmas. Like Christmas pudding it’s due to saving the stuff for ages from when they were fresh and has a huge hint of maritime cuisine in the spices as well as the citrus.
If you are looking for some slight point of difference I would think the green herbs that are the epitome of Christmas are rosemary (sparingly as it’s overpowering but it could add an astringent, Greek, flavour to a wine based beverage), bay (fresh, those brown things in herb jars are useless), thyme obviously, and if you are daring winter savoury which is like oregano but kind of hot. Must see if mine has survived under the ice outside.
There is rye whiskey, and also rye bourbon. Bourbon must be 51% corn, and usually has more than that, but the rest of the grain bill varies. Barley is usually up to 10%, and the remainder is usually wheat and/or rye.