Vanilla – Francois et Moi

A Bourbon Manhattan with Cherry Bark Vanilla Bitters

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Fri, 19 Sep 2014 12:48:07 +0000

Cheers to Friday! I’m excited to share our take on a killer cocktail we had at Heyday in Minneapolis recently. It turns out, this bad boy is more of a bourbon manhattan (rather than an old fashioned as I originally thought) as it incorporates sweet vermouth. Po-tay-toe, po-tah-toe–bottom line is it’s delicious! And we throw in a bit of our freshly brewed cherry bark vanilla bitters for a warm, autumnal (cinnamon, cherry, vanilla) flavor complexity, perfect for the fall and winter months. Learn how to make cherry bark vanilla bitters here! Though I’m sure our recipe is different than the coveted Heyday recipe, it comes close in flavor and overall satisfaction! I hope you enjoy. Let’s raise a glass to the weekend. TGIF! Measurements for One Cocktail: 2 oz (or two shot glassfuls) good bourbon. We use Bulleit. 1 oz (or one shot glassful) of sweet vermouth. 1/2 teaspoon of sugar 1 full dropper (or two half dropperfuls) of cherry bark vanilla bitters (or to taste) fresh orange peel/zest ice Place sugar, bitters and sweet vermouth in a tumbler. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Add bourbon, and give it another stir. Add ice. We like the large 2″ cubes from William Sonoma (Larger cubes melt slower and won’t water your […]

The post A Bourbon Manhattan with Cherry Bark Vanilla Bitters appeared first on 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 […]

The post How to Make: Wild Cherry Bark Vanilla Bitters appeared first on Francois et Moi.

Handmade Gift Round-up

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Fri, 20 Dec 2013 13:41:40 +0000

You may have noticed that I made an extra effort to make a lot of gifts, rather than buy them, this year. ‘Why,’ might you ask? Simply put; I just really enjoy the process. Everything from the ideation to the construction, I love the design challenges and the satisfaction of having something tangible to show for my time. It makes it all the more rewarding too, knowing that the recipient can actually use or enjoy the end result–and I made it! Knowing that I wanted to make gifts this year, I came up with a strategy, a schedule of sorts, mid-way through October as to when and how I could make them, so that I wouldn’t be overwhelmed and overloaded with my hands thrown up in the air at the eleventh hour. I did my best to stick to the schedule, and it helped me keep my eye on the prize throughout the fall. In case you missed a post, or are just finding Francois et Moi, below is a collection of the gifts I made this year… From left to right, top to bottom: a. Indigo Tea Towels, b. Lavender Sachets, c. Salted Bourbon Caramels, d. Vanilla Extract, e. Paperwhite […]

The post Handmade Gift Round-up appeared first on Francois et Moi.

Aged Vanilla

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 13:58:31 +0000

Remember way back in October when I began brewing vanilla extract for Christmas gifts? If not, you can check it out here! Two months later, the vanilla is richly potent, and it’s time to get the bottles ready for gifting. This year I’m doing things a bit differently. Instead of sticky labels, I’m adding hang tags with the initial brew date marked on them, and I also plan to leave the vanilla beans in the bottles (rather than straining out the beans and seeds), so the extract can be topped off with more vodka as it’s depleted, thus becoming a bottomless bottle of vanilla extract. Imagine never having to buy vanilla extract ever again. It’s a crazy thought! Materials List: Bottles of Brewed Vanilla Extract Hole-punched Hang Tags like these. Snowflake Punch Red Pen Bakers Twine Scissors Step 1. Fold the hang tags in roughly 1/2, leaving the hole punched end slightly longer. Step 2. Center the snowflake punch on the opposite end from hole punch, and punch the tag! Step 3. Hand write “Vanilla Extract” along with the date that you began brewing on the inside of the tag. Step 4. Thread the tag with baker’s twine, and tie onto […]

The post Aged Vanilla appeared first on Francois et Moi.

Homemade Vanilla Extract

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 12:43:41 +0000

It’s hard to believe the Holidays are just around the corner, and it’s already time to start brewing up another batch of vanilla extract for Christmas gifts. Ina Garten’s The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook first introduced me to homemade vanilla extract using simply vanilla beans and vodka several years ago, and I hadn’t actually tried it for myself until last year when I was researching homemade Christmas gifts and decided to seize the day. The process is simple and involves very few ingredients. The only trick is that you need to start a few months before Holiday festivities begin. There’s no procrastinating with this gift! I followed the Vanilla Extract Tutorial from Alexandra’s Kitchen precisely last year, right down to the bottles and labels she suggests in her post. This year I am using different bottles (and will also be using different labels), but am still following her awesome, detailed recipe. In a few months after the extract has had time to mature, I’ll top each off with a bit of Kahlua liqueur and adhere a label to each bottle before giving to family and friends. If you prefer, you can remove the beans and strain out the seeds, but I prefer to leave […]

The post Homemade Vanilla Extract appeared first on Francois et Moi.