Italian Mango Mimosa

Yesterday we achieved a personal goal which I can't discuss, that's why it's PERSONAL!  But, I will say it was reason to celebrate.  We chose to celebrate with a newly concocted drink, called an Italian Mango Mimosa.  In my mind anything having to do with Italy or somewhere tropical like Hawaii, is the place to be.  And, if you can't be there, at least you can bring those flavors into your kitchen.

I made some homemade lemon liqueur a while back and I figured it would go perfect in this.  It did!  If you need to celebrate or just whisk your brain into tropical vacation mode, try this.  It's an adult smoothie with a twist!

Italian Mango Mimosa

1 cup orange juice

1/2 large or 1 small mango, peeled and cut from pit

Place in a blender and puree.  Add about 1 cup of ice and chop/blend.  Add 3/4 - 1 cup of limoncello.  Blend and serve.  Simple, simple, simple!  Garnish with fresh mint sprig or umbrella and be prepared to dream!

Italy?

Who's that gorgeous pool boy?

Or Hawaii?

Homemade Limoncello - A Piece of Italy

I've been wanting to make this for some time now!  There's nothing better than sipping some ice cold limoncello when the weather is pushing the 100 degree mark.  Of course, I wouldn't refuse a nice glass of limoncello in the dead of Winter!  Take a sip, close your eyes, feel the ocean breeze and imagine yourself on the Italian coast!

 I used a fellow blogger's guidelines from her blog, La Buona Cucina, but, as customary for me, I switched it up a bit.  I used vanilla infused vodka, so it's not "real authentic" Italian limoncello, but it sure tastes great!  My next batch (with more variations) will be before Christmas instead of traditional homemade amaretto.

Ingredients:

10 organic lemons (use a vegetable peeler for nice strips)

1 bottle (750 ml) of vodka (I put mostly vanilla vodka and then the rest regular)

about 3 1/2 cups water

about 2 1/2 cups sugar

Put the lemon strips and vodka in a large sealable glass container.  Seal or cover and let it "rest" or steep for 10 to 45 days or longer.  I'm sure longer is better ,but I got anxious to try it!  When your "decided time" is over, mix the sugar and water in a saucepan and let the sugar dissolve.  Cool completely, then pour the mix over the steeped lemon/vodka mixture.  Reseal and let it sit overnight at room temp.  Strain the lemon peels out and transfer your homemade limoncello into decorative bottles.  It can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer (upright).  Molto bene!

Test Kitchen Needed for Limoncello Cake

The search is on for a test kitchen  person who would like to "try" the limoncello cake recipe that did not work very well for me.  I live in some altitude and would like someone at sea level to bake this cake.  The cake had great flavor but the texture was ALL wrong!  Or maybe, I expected too much?!

If you're up to the task, bake it and come back to comment with your results.    Here it is:

Butter and flour a pan (I used a bundt pan)

3 cups flour

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp lemon zest

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2/3 cup milk

3 Tbsp limoncello

1/2 tsp confectioner's sugar (powdered)

1 Tbsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Have your greased and floured pan ready.  Beat the eggs and sugar together in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer.  Add the flour, lemon zest, oil, milk and limoncello and stir with a spoon until combined.  Add the baking powder and confectioner's sugar and stir again until blended well.  Spoon the batter into the pan and bake about 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let the cake cook completely, and place on a serving plate.  Dust with additional powdered sugar or make a glaze of lemon zest, confectioner's sugar, a bit of limoncello and milk or water.  Pour over the cake and serve.

Let me know how yours turns out.

Butterscotch Schnapps Bundt Cake

A few weeks ago I promised to post the recipe for my Butterscotch Schnapps Bundt Cake.  This was actually part of the Valentine's day celebration.   It was a "spin off" of sorts from my Amaretto bundt cake that I've probably made 100 times.  Since I have so much butterscotch liqueur left, I figured it might be interesting to put some in this basic cake.

I learned a few things along the way.  I wanted to use my new baby bundt cake pan and make individual cakes.  I know I need to generously grease and flour the molded pan before.  However, after baking I literally needed to pry them out!  Help!  A failure?  No, just an opportunity to learn.  Remember, I don't claim to be a baker or pastry chef, although a class may be in my future.  I learned that if you immerse the bottom of the pan in hot water after slightly cooling the cake, it should slide easily out of the bundt pan when you invert it onto a serving plate.  In one piece, yet, what a concept!  This was a lesson well learned after the fact, but if you dust the cake with powdered sugar, no one will know! 

Ingredients:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees

1 8 1/4 oz yellow cake mix
1 3 1/2 oz butterscotch instant pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 c canola or vegetable oil
1/2 c cold water
1/2 c butterscotch schnapps
1/2 c chopped pecans
1/2 c butterscotch chips (optional)  If you omit the chips, use 1/2 c more nuts

Combine all ingredients listed, folding the chips and nuts at the end.  Generously grease bundt pan, flour (shaking off the excess) and pour batter into the pan.  Hint: I would use a standard size bundt pan next time.  Bake for approximately an hour.  Cool and invert onto a plate, keeping in mind you may have to immerse in hot water to remove it!  All in all, it was very tasty, but Amaretto still rules!  Maybe it's the memories attached to it that makes it better.

Salute! Cheers! Homemade Amaretto

Get out the glasses and throw away the still! This is a recipe worth trying just for the fun of it. I'll begin my annual Christmas baking this week. Included in this year's lineup will be a ricotta quick break, cannoli pie, perhaps a pumpkin ginger bar, toffee, cookies and homemade amaretto! Can someone come over and eat this stuff?!!

While most of these recipes are tried and true, it was my first try making homemade amaretto, that wonderful sweet Italian liqueur. I've always wanted to make it from scratch. (The waiting is the hardest part.) A few years ago I made Kahlua and Irish cream for Christmas gifts and they were much appreciated. Whatever you have left over can go into the all time "most hits" blog about my amaretto cake. It goes well over ice cream and easily into a cup of hot chocolate or coffee, too!

Amaretto

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

3 T water

1 3/4 c vodka

2 T almond extract

2 T vanilla extract

Mix the sugars and water together and bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes. Cool. ( I need to mention a glitch. I let it cool for too long and it turned to a brick consistency. If that happens, reheat to liquefy again. Learn from my mistake!) Add the vodka, and extracts and mix until smooth. Pour into a decorative bottle, seal and place it in a dark pantry or shelf for at least a week. I almost forgot it was there! ALMOST! Makes about 3-4 cups of amber goodness. Salute!