Tag: almond extract

Christmas Punch

I love games; board games, card games, trivia, you name it. So, I always try to have a game for my family to play on Christmas Eve, and this year is no exception. But I am still determining what that game will be! We’ve played them all, and I am drawing a blank! Suggestions appreciated!

We have checked one thing off our list. We have decided what our meal will be. That’s a huge one around here. We all consider ourselves authorities on the matter and have very strong opinions. We have agreed upon appetizers. I’m so excited because I pushed for this one! One of my favorite things to do is make a meal of appetizers. No matter if I am dining out, camping, or at home.

This year I plan to make this fabulous Christmas Punch. I’m not a huge punch fan, but I have combined a few different recipes to come up with one that my entire family loves, including me! We had it with our charcuterie board on Thanksgiving and loved it.

It’s not a set-in-stone recipe but a guide. Tasting it occasionally while making it is my number one tip. For a beautifully festive look, garnish each serving glass with an orange slice, fresh cranberries, and a sprig of fresh rosemary.

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Christmas Punch

Course Beverages
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 1 (64-ounce) Ocean Spray Cran-Pomegranate juice
  • 1 (12-ounce) Lemonade frozen concentrated
  • 1 cup Ocean Spray Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice
  • 1 cup good quality orange juice
  • Juice of 4-6 limes to taste
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract or more to taste
  • Sprite
  • Fresh cranberries washed and dried for serving
  • Orange slices for serving
  • Ice

Instructions

  • In a gallon jug, mix the Cran-Pomegranate juice, lemonade concentrate, Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice, orange juice, lime juice and almond extract. Taste and adjust flavors as you like.
  • My serving method is, to add an orange slice to the side of a glass. Add ice to the glass and top with a few cranberries. Add fruit juice mixture to fill the glass about 3/4 full. Finish filling the glass with Sprite. Top with a rosemary sprig and serve.

Notes

*Almond extract can overpower a recipe quickly, add it a little at a time until you get the flavor you prefer.  
*If you would rather serve from a punch bowl,  pour the fruit juice mixture into a punch bowl, add Sprite, to taste, and fresh fruit.  Serve over ice.  If left for too long the Sprite could go flat.  
*Ginger Ale can be used in place of Sprite.
*If you prefer, you can always sweeten it slightly by adding sugar to the fruit juice mixture.   

Amaretto Pound Cake

Pound cakes are my jam! I absolutely love to have one at the house. I think it’s just homey to have a pound cake in a beautiful cake plate on the kitchen counter. Aside from that and more importantly, they are fantastic for breakfast, snacks, or dessert. Greg even loves them toasted with butter.

There is one little secret you should know about me, though. Do not ever believe me if I ever tell you that a particular pound cake recipe is my favorite because they are like best friends. I can not have just one favorite! So, with that said, here is another FAVORITE pound cake!

This Amaretto Pound Cake recipe is terrific! It is from my VeryVera Cookbook. I lived in Augusta for five years, and I know that Vera knows pound cakes. If you follow Vera’s directions, your cake will be delicious! This cake is tender and moist, and it’s delicious for days…if it lasts that long!

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Amaretto Pound Cake

Course Dessert
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 3 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup heavy cream room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
  • 1/3 cup amaretto liqueur
  • 3 cups cake flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 large eggs room temperature
  • Floured baking spray
  • GLAZE
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/4 tablespoons water

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325℉.
  • Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 20 minutes, until light and fluffy.
  • While the butter and sugar are creaming, measure out the remaining ingredients for the cake.
  • In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the cream, almond extract, and amaretto.
  • In another bowl, whisk together the cake flour and salt.
  • Once the butter and sugar have finished creaming, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
  • With the mixer on low-speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  • Let the mixture beat on low speed for 5 minutes.
  • With the mixer still on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and the cream mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until well blended.
  • Scrape the bowl and incorporate any unmixed batter if necessary.
  • Prepare a large 12-cup Bundt pan with floured baking spray.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan until it is about 1 to 1 1/2 inches from the top. Tap the pan on the counter to ensure there are no air bubbles. (If there is remaining batter, us it to make muffins.
  • Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Insert a wooden skewer into the cake, and if there is no cake on the skewer, it's done.
  • While the cake is in the oven, prepare the glaze.
  • Remove the cake from the oven. Allow the cake to cool in the pan, on a wire rack, for 15 minutes or until cool enough to handle with pot holders. Place the wire rack on top of the cake pan and flip the pan over. Gently lift the pan, being careful not to remove any of the outside crust.
  • Using a pastry brush, generously douse the curved top of the cake with glaze. The cake should appear shiny with the glaze but not saturated.
  • Glaze Instructions:
  • Melt the butter and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
  • Add the water and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the mixture is smooth and not grainy.
  • Remove from the heat and stir in the amaretto until well blended.

Skillet Almond Shortbread

skillet-almond-shortbread-11

 

 

I love shortbread. I can’t pass it up when I’m in Panera or any other place with shortbread. I’ll choose it over chocolate any day. It reminds me of the old-fashioned tea cakes that my mama and grandmother use to make.

I recently tried this Trisha Yearwood recipe for Skillet Almond Shortbread and was hooked from the first bite! The almond extract and almonds make a delicious addition to the shortbread! It’s so simple to prepare, no mixer needed. Whisk the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in the other bowl. Combine the two and pour into the skillet. It’s just that easy. The most difficult thing about this recipe is waiting for the shortbread to cool!

Skillet Almond Shortbread
 
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Ingredients
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 1½ c. plus 2 tbsp. sugar
  • ¾ c. (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 lg. eggs
  • 1½ c. all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. almond extract
  • ½ c. sliced almonds with skins
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with aluminum foil and spray the foil with cooking spray, set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, stir 1½ c. sugar into the melted butter. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the extract, mix and set aside.
  3. Sift the flour and salt into a small bowl. Stir the flour mixture into the wet mixture a little at a time. When mixed well, pour the batter into the prepared skillet. Top with sliced almonds and sprinkle with full 2 tbsp. of sugar. Bake until slightly brown on top, about 35 minutes. Cool the shortbread in the skillet. When cool, use the foil to life the shortbread from the skillet; remove the foil before serving.