Tales of a Foodie - Boozy Baking

I used to run a business called South in the City - Southern baked goods with a city flair. You might ask, what exactly does it mean to give a dessert a city flair? One of the ways I do this is to add a little something to my desserts that everyone in the city loves - LIQUOR! I was recently gifted a cookbook called The Boozy Baker which inspired me to share some of my favorite boozy dessert recipes. And don't worry, non-drinkers...for some of the recipes, the alcohol content cooks down or away in the heat. Here are 3 of my favorites:

Amaretto Pound Cake

*this yummy cake gets gooey pieces in the middle from poking holes in the cake and pouring an Amaretto glaze over the cake. After bringing the glaze to a boil, about 75% of the alcohol will remain. Mmmmm....

3 sticks of butter, softened

1 8oz package of cream cheese, softened

3 cups of sugar

6 eggs

1 tsp of almond extract

3 cups of flour

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream butter and cream cheese together until light and fluffy; about 3 min. Add sugar to the creamed mixture, one cup at a time. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each one. Add almond extract and mix until batter is fluffy. Add flour to mixture, blending between each cup. Pour batter into a Bundt pan, and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

For the glaze:

1 stick of butter

1 cup of sugar

1/4 cup Amaretto liqueur

1/4 cup evaporated milk

Bring all ingredients to a boil, stirring constantly. As soon as you begin to see tiny bubbles in the mixture, remove from heat. After the cake has completely cooled, invert onto a serving plate. With a butter knife, poke holes into the cake. Pour hot glaze over the cake. Let sit for about an hour before serving.

Southern Buttermilk Pie

*Nothing says "Southern Comfort" like adding a bit of it to this deliciously easy pie! After baking, this pie will retain about 25% of the alcohol content.

1 1/3 cups sugar

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup Bisquick

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla

3 Tbs Southern Comfort

3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a pie pan with cooking spray. Combine sugar, buttermilk, Bisquick, butter, vanilla, Southern Comfort and eggs in a blender and process until smooth. Pour into pie plate and bake till brown and still slightly jiggly in the middle; about 30-40 min. Let cool 10 min before slicing. Serve with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

Cabernet Granita

*this is a perfect dessert to beat the summer heat, but be careful; it retains the full amount of alcohol used!

1/2 cup of water

1/2 cup of sugar

3/4 cup Cabernet Sauvignon (*or your favorite full-bodied red)

3/4 cup white grape juice

1/3 cup lemon juice

red grapes and mint for garnish

Combine the water, sugar, and wine in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes; cool. Add the grape juice and lemon juice. Cover and chill for 1 hour. Pour into divided ice cube tray. Freeze until solid (about 4 hours). Place cubes, one at a time, in a food processor. Process until slushy. Serve in sherbet dishes garnished with grapes and mint. Serves 2-3 people.

I hope you enjoy these boozy baked goods as much as I do! Cheers!