old fashioned – Francois et Moi

How to Make: Wild Cherry Bark Vanilla Bitters

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 13:09:19 +0000

We recently discovered a cocktail at Heyday in Minneapolis that knocked our socks off and was the catalyst for our interest in experimenting with home brew bitters. The cocktail was an ‘old fashioned’ type mixed up with wild cherry bark vanilla bitters, a bit of cane sugar and a garnish of orange zest. Oh so delizioso. Check back on Friday, as I’ll be sharing our take on that killer Heyday cocktail! If you’re not super familiar with bitters, they’re considered to be the ‘salt and pepper’ of cocktails, adding complexity and that ‘je ne sais quoi.’ There are a billion different theories on what proportions make the best bitters (a matter of taste and preference, I guess), so after alot of research, we landed on the recipe and procedure below. Cherry bark vanilla bitters calls for super high proof bourbon, rye and a whole bunch of herbs that you’ve probably never heard of! The warmth of the cinnamon, cardamom and star anise make cherry bark bitters the perfect accompaniment to winter cocktails. I can’t wait to hand these out at the Holidays! Ingredients: We purchased most of our herbs at Mountain Rose Herbs. 8 oz dried cherries 3 c 101 proof bourbon (divided in two 1-1/2 […]

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Homemade: Bit O’Honey

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Thu, 24 Apr 2014 13:05:08 +0000

Ever since my father-in-law began bee keeping at their farm 3 years ago (and producing honey by the gallons), Ken’s family has been trying new recipes like crazy to find ways to incorporate their honey surplus. Over Easter, Ken’s Grandma Ruth made a homemade batch of Bit O’Honey candies and brought them to the farm for everyone to try. They were so delicious, chewy like taffy, creamy and sweet (and relatively sinless as sweets go!) Lucky for us Grandma Ruth was willing to share her recipe. Hope you enjoy! Ingredients: 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter 1/2 cup honey 1/2 cup powdered milk parchment paper 1. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. Place peanut butter and honey in a microwave safe bowl and heat in the microwave at 20 second intervals, stirring in between intervals. 3., Once the peanut butter and honey are combined, stir in powdered milk, and heat for 10 more seconds. 4. Press mixture onto prepared baking sheet, and let cool. 5. When cool, cut into 1/2″ to 1″ pieces, and wrap with parchment cut into 2″ x 3″ rectangles.

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Brandied Cherries

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Thu, 26 Dec 2013 17:28:50 +0000

I think it’s safe to say I’ve fallen under the AMC Mad Men spell over the past 6 seasons. I find the 60’s agency antics, the sexual politics, the glamorous fashion, and the intricate story lines cleverly infused with historical events pure genius and incredibly fascinating. However, though I’ve been a Mad Men fan for quite some time, I’m now only beginning to understand the allure of Don Draper’s signature cocktail, The Old-Fashioned. Rye whiskey has never been my spirit of choice, but my interest was peaked a few weeks ago when we were out for our monthly dinner club. My friend, Matt, ordered an old-fashioned, and to my surprise I liked it! The warmth of the rye, the aroma of the orange peel and the sweetness of the muddled cherry made for a delicious combination. We got to chatting with our server and he mentioned how easy it is to make brandied cherries at home, so naturally I wanted to try to make them. To my surprise, you really can’t go wrong with these–if you can measure ingredients, you got this! A fun addition your old-fashioned cocktail, they’ll help channel the inner mad men and women in all of […]

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