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Cocktail

Cucumber Mint Gimlet

one and a half slices cucumber mint cocktail recipe
OneandahalfSlices food blog recipes One and a half Slices Virginia eat local

Cucumber Mint Gimlet

one and a half slices cucumber mint cocktail recipe

With this cocktail, I officially declare it summer. This beautifully crisp invention came from a friend of mine after two bottles of Prosecco worth of Aperol Spritz and my vehement proclamation: “will you please do something with this cucumber?!” Little did I know the ‘something’ would become one of the highlights of the evening. The cucumber mint gimlet is crisp, vibrant, cool, and everything a summer cocktail should be. It also paired perfectly with our Mediterranean-themed meal which included homemade tzatziki sauce. 

what you need

2 inch slice of peeled cucumber, halved and sliced

handful of fresh mint

1 teaspoon of honey

juice of 1 lime

2oz gin (my preferred gin is The Botanist though Hendricks would also probably do well)

how to make it

Muddle cucumber, mint, honey, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker.

Shake vigorously for 20 seconds.

Strain into a glass over a large ice cube and garnish with a sprig of mint.

one and a half slices mint recipe cocktail gin
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Sweet

Tiramisu

oneandahalfslices tiramisu recipe authentic dessert recipe
one and a half slices local simple recipes food

Traditional Tiramisu

oneandahalfslices tiramisu recipe authentic dessert recipe

❤

Valentine’s Day is almost upon us and for those looking for an authentic, elegant dessert, you might want to give this one a try. Last year I developed an interest in tiramisu and started trying it out at restaurants. The best are light and fluffy, with spongy lady fingers, a hint but not an overwhelming touch of liquor, and extremely silky, light cream. There are so many different components to the tiramisu flavor profile I thought surely it would be difficult to make. Not so! It is actually pretty simple. Authentic tiramisu does have raw eggs, though, which I consume readily in mom’s eggnog – doesn’t bother me. But many Americans make tiramisu with whipped cream or other substitutes. This recipe uses the egg. Just rinse the outsides well in steaming hot water and there shouldn’t be an issue. Also, the fresher the eggs, the better. You can make this in virtually any container. The recipe is intended for one large tiramisu but I made mine in several tiny glass Tupperware containers for easy storage and gifting.  

❤

what you need

2 cups Mascarpone

24-36 lady finger biscuits (I chose to buy mine at Whole Foods instead of make from scratch)

1 cup strong brewed coffee or espresso

1/3 cup Cognac or liquor of choice 

3 egg yolks

3 eggs whites

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

Cocoa powder for dusting

oneandahalfslices tiramisu recipe valentine's day

how to make it

Note: You’re going to want to make your tiramisu one day before you need it and let it sit in the fridge overnight

Combine coffee (room temperature) and Cognac in a bowl and set aside. You are welcome to sprinkle in some cinnamon if desired.

Separate the egg whites and egg yolks into two separate mixing bowls. Add 3 tablespoons of sugar to each and beat with a hand mixer on high. The egg yolks should become lighter yellow and shiny. The egg whites should froth up, then become shiny, and finally form stiff peaks.

Add the Mascarpone to the egg yolks and beat until thoroughly combined. Then, using a spatula, fold the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture until a silky cream forms. 

Retrieve your tiramisu vessel. You’re going to want to dip each lady finger, one at a time, one side at a time, in the coffee mixture. You should not spend more than 1-2 seconds on each side. Then place the lady fingers along the bottom of the container. 

Layer with some of the cream until all the lady fingers are covered. Then dip and add another layer of lady fingers. You can do this as many times as desired depending on how tall you want your tiramisu to be. I usually end up with lady fingers – cream – lady fingers – cream, and that’s it. 

To complete, dust with cocoa powder and situated in the fridge for at least 12 hours. Tiramisu gets better the longer it sits, so leave it alone until you’re ready for it.

❤
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Cocktail

Manhattan

manhattan whiskey bourbon cocktail recipe one and a half slices
OneandahalfSlices food blog recipes One and a half Slices Virginia eat local

Perfect Manhattan

While we have been on a bit of an Old Fashioned kick recently, early endeavors to capitalize on my love of whisky always led me to the Manhattan. Still the drink I’ll usually order out, I’ve perfected the ability to make one at home (and my mother has contributed a variation on the theme with her signature French Manhattan!). If you’re looking for a perfect way to end your week, start your weekend, or deal with an idle Tuesday, try my Perfect Manhattan recipe. And if you’re a Northern Virginian-er, I highly recommend trying Clarity’s signature Manhattan selection in Vienna, VA for a top notch libation.  Note that I like my Manhattans on the sweeter side, juxtaposed with the drier, rye-based Manhattan garnished with a lemon or orange twist, not a cherry. 🍋🍊🍒🥃 

what you need

🥃2 parts (2oz) bourbon of choice (I like Woodford Reserve, Angel’s Envy, or Breckenridge, though Michter’s is also a good option).

🍷3/4 parts sweet, red vermouth. (I prefer Dolin Rouge).

🌿2 dashes bitters. (Bitters are part of what give your cocktail character. For a standard, sweet, herbaceous Manhattan, stick to Agostura Aromatic Bitters. To deepen the flavor, I will turn to Scrappy’s or Angostura’s Cocoa Bitters, or Fee Brothers Black Walnut Bitters [careful, these are strong!]. The final standby, to liven your cocktail up a bit, are Peychaud’s Bitters which add a distinctly bright citrus quality).

🧊1 large ice cube.

🍒1 cocktail cherry. (see notes below on cocktail cherry options) 

how to make it

Place one large ice cube (I have 2″ cube trays) or two small ice cubes (1″) in your cocktail glass. 

In separate glass, pour in the bourbon, vermouth, and bitters. Stir gently. Do not shake. 

Pour cocktail over the ice cube into the cocktail glass. Garnish with 1-2 cocktail cherries on a toothpick. 

🍒Special notes on cocktail cherries. There can be a lot of kerfuffle around cocktail cherries. Suffice it to say that the standard, radioactively pink maraschino cherry has never been my thing. Originally, maraschino cherries were simply Italian Marasca cherries macerated and preserved in sugar and some form of alcohol along the Croatian coastline. Today, the bastardized maraschino cherry that sits atop a Dairy Queen Sunday is a prime example of what the United States is capable of doing to foreign delicacies by sprinkling them with a little mass production.

🍒

So which cherries are suitable for a cocktail as elegant as a Manhattan? The answer is the same for vermouth… and the same for bitters… the Italian ones. Some of my favorites are Fabbri Amarena cherries, which are small, sour cherries that are delivered to you in an ornate white and blue vessel. The sweetest and arguably most authentic are the Luxardo marasca cherries. These will always have a place in my fridge. Finally, a viable option, and the ones that are most like regular American cherries if the candied cherry thing turns you off, are the Jack Rudy Bourbon Cocktail Cherries, made with Oregon cherries and Kentucky bourbon.🍒
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