Cinnamon Bread

Pan Coating
½ cup (3 ½ ounces) sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Bread
3 ¾ cups (18 ¾ ounces) all-purpose flour
3 cups (21 ounces) sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
1 ¾ cups milk
1 ⅓ cups vegetable oil
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Pan Prep
Brush two  8 1/2" by 4 1/2" metal loaf pans with some vegetable oil or spray with "Pam". Add 1-2 tablespoons of sugar cinnamon coating to pans, and tilt-tap around till coated. I turn this upside down to have excess drop out. The oil kind of beaded up on my non-stick pans, so might have better luck with non-non-stick pans. Also, don't sweat the sides getting perfectly coated. There is plenty of sweetness in these.

Making the Bread

1. Preheat oven to 325 with rack in middle position. Whisk flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. 
2. In a second bowl, beat the eggs, then whisk in the milk, oil, and vanilla (not balsamic vinegar as I did once). 
3. Stir the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and stir until combined. It will be a bit lumpy. 
4. Divide the batter between the two pans (about two pounds of batter per pan). Sprinkle remaining sugar-cinnamon coating over the top. Do this carefully. You may not need all the remaining sugar-cinnamon.
5. Bake for about 65-70  minutes until a toothpick comes out cleanly. Let pans cool for 1 hour in their pans on a wire rack. If baking in 4-inch mini loaf pans, about an hour seemed to work. 
6. Run a knife around the edge of pans and tile out loaves. 

Thoughts: This was very well received at work. I plan to try using mini-loaf pans for individual gifts. Pictures coming with next batch. I got this from Cooks Country. Planning a few changes after making once more. 

Alexander Cocktail

Though more frequently made with brandy, one can make an Alexander with gin. Concocted sometime before 1917, this drink has some history. Of the two, gin or brandy, I personally prefer gin. I also substitute half-and-half for the cream mostly. It is a perfect holiday drink pretty much everyone will enjoy.  However you make your Alexander I'm sure it will be great.
Music for making: The Christmas Song by Mel Torme and Judy Garland

Ingredients
2 oz London dry gin
1 oz white creme de cacao
1 oz half-and-half (or cream if you prefer)
Freshly grated nutmeg for garnish

Shake all wet ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with nutmeg.

The Vesperado Cocktail

Continuing with the Fresno infused gin idea, I thought modifying the Versper with a little heat was worth a try. I'm pleased with the results. I just Googled "Verspado" today and there were no cocktail entries with that name, so you heard it here first. I began writing a description of how this tastes, but I started sounding like Guy Fieri. Killed that idea. Suffice it to say, "That's not half-bad."
Music for making this one: Desperado performed by Linda Ronstadt.

Ingredients
1/2 to 3/4 oz Fresno infused gin
2 3/4 oz Beefeater gin
1 oz vodka
1/2 oz Cocchi Americano Aperitivo
Lemon peel, for garnish

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice. Stir, stir, and stir some more.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Express lemon peel into the drink, and garnish with it.
This is probably enough for two people. Sharing is caring!

The Hot and Briny Cocktail or The Dusty Fresno

Wanting to kick up my martini a notch, I thought a little heat might be desirable. Came up with this after sampling a Cobra Verde at LOLO in Hudson, WI.  This might also be called a Dusty Fresno since rather than dirty, we're adding a scant 1/4 oz olive brine. HUGE thanks to Rich for the sign and Keri for getting me to post this.
Music for making this: Son of a Preacher Man by Dusty Springfield

Ingredients
1 3/4 oz Beefeater gin
1/4 oz Fresno pepper infused gin* (see below)
1/4 oz olive brine or to taste (varies by olives used)

Add all ingredients to mixing glass. Stir, stir, and stir some more.
Strain it a chilled martini glass. Garnish with 2-3 olives.

*Fresno pepper gin
Add 2-3 slices of Fresno pepper to a small mason jar. Seeds and ribs removed.
Add about 6 oz of Beefeater gin.
Let sit overnight, remove peppers and leave in jar or transfer to a stoppered bottle.

Texas Chipotle-Cinnamon Spiced Pecans

Another great recipe from The Homesick Texan Cookbook. These are great, super easy, and most folks like 'em. I usually add a couple of pinches of kosher salt to the spice mix, then add  a little more if need be.
Music for making: Excitable Boy by Warren Zevon

Ingredients
4 tbsp unsalted butter
4 cups raw pecan halves
1 tbsp brown sugar (maybe a titch more)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp chipotle powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
Salt, to taste


Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat.
While the butter is melting and the oven is preheating, mix up the brown sugar, cinnamon, chipotle power, and cumin.
Once the butter is melted, add the pecans and stir to coat. Add the spice mixture 1/3's stirring to coat completely.
Pour pecans out onto parchment lined baking sheet. Spread into an even later (it will be tight fit, but do your best).
Bake for 15 minutes or so until they are dark in color and fragrant. Taste while warm and salt as needed. Allow to cool.

Sous Vide Egg Bites

I was having trouble maintaining loft in my egg cups baked in muffin tins or silicone cups, so I thought I'd give my sous vide rig a run at it. I am very pleased with the results. I can recommend this recipe after one go. Looking forward to future mods on this recipe.

Ingredients
12 eggs
1 c grated gruyere (or other grated cheese)
1/2 c cream cheese
1/2 tsp salt
6 slices cooked bacon, cut in half (see my recipe for baked bacon)
Spray on oil like PAM (optional)

Extra Equipment: 6 4oz canning jars with 2-part screw-on lids, sous vide setup.

Set your sous vide cooker to 172 F. (Tip: Start with very hot water from your tap.) I needed to stack my jars two high, so I filled the container about 50% above the height of one jar. Maybe a bit more. The displaced water was enough to cover the second tier.

Spray the jars with PAM to aid in releasing egg bites after cooking. Alternatively, you could probably brush some of the bacon fat around inside. Just sayin'.  Place a 1/2 bacon slice into each jar on its side. It will be bent into a "V" so it will stand up.

Into a blender add the eggs, grated cheese, cream cheese, and salt. Blend for about 30 seconds or until well combined.  Distribute the mixture evenly into the 12 jars. Secure the lids fingertip tight. You don't want water seeping in, but you also want expanding air to release.

Once water reaches 172 F, lower the jars into the bath. I used tongs to lower them gently. Cook at 172 F for one (1) hour. You will see air bubbles escape as they warm up.

Remove after one hour and set on a towel on counter. Unscrew lids. These can be eaten from inside the jar or removed and set on a plate. I removed them and refrigerated for later. Warmed up wonderfully after 30 seconds in a microwave.

   

I wound up only filling 10 of them. I wanted to fill a bit more to have less air in each jar thinking they might float. I think my fears were unfounded.