Friday, January 27, 2012
Homemade bread is such fun to make, especially when you have the help of a bread machine. I like to let the bread machine do the work for me, so I use the dough cycle a lot. This saves me quite a bit of effort, then I can take the dough out and shape the bread as I want. I make a lot of dinner rolls this way and they are delicious, plus you know the ingredients and there’s none of those extra things you can’t pronounce. I couldn’t wait to take my easy technique to the next level and make Sun-Dried Tomato Rolls! Yep, all in the bread machine, too!
So, how’s it taste?
So good! They were a nice change from regular rolls. I love the orange color with specks of sun-dried tomatoes throughout. The rolls are light and fluffy, just like the regular ones I make, but they have an added tang and slight sweetness from the tomatoes. I ate these with soup to make a hearty meal. A few times I split the rolls in half, toasted them, smeared on some butter, and had a nice little snack. I do love my carbs as much as I love chocolate!
The great thing about these rolls is you can freeze them in a freezer bag and pull out what you need. So make a few batches and have them in your freezer as a quick bread to go with any meal! If you like your rolls to have soft sides, place them closer together on the cookie sheet and bake them until the tops are golden brown.
Sun-Dried Tomato Rolls
Ingredients:
3/4 cup warm milk
2 cups bread flour
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and 1 tbsp. oil reserved
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. bread machine yeast
Directions:
1. Place all ingredients in bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer.
2. Select the Dough/Manual cycle. Do not use the delay cycle.
3. Remove dough from pan; place on lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
4. Lightly grease cookie sheet with shortening or spray with cooking spray. Gently push fist into dough to deflate. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Cover and let rise in warm place 30 to 45 minutes or until almost double.
5. Heat oven to 350°F. Bake 12 to 16 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Serve warm or cooled.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
A few weeks ago was the big game in college football. A few friends of mine got together to watch it and they were serving chili, so I wanted to bring something (besides drinks & Jell-O shots) that would go with chili. I instantly thought of cornbread. Plus, I was dying to use my new scone and cornbread pan. I needed an easy recipe that I could make the day before and yet still taste good the next night. Easy Cheese Cornbread Wedges did the trick! It couldn’t be easier than doctoring a cornbread mix and the result was fantastic.
So, how’s it taste?
Yes, I know it’s a mix and from scratch would probably be just as easy, but go with it. I thought these cornbread wedges turned out pretty well. I like cornbread both ways, sweet and savory. Since I used a mix as the base, this cornbread was more on the sweet side, so if you aren’t a fan of sweet cornbread, don’t make these. I think they were a tad bit too sweet, but the addition of green onions and cheese helped tone it down. They were moist and I liked the hint of onion in each bite. It worked really well with the chili. I used Kerry Gold’s Kilaree cheese instead of cheddar, so the cheese wasn’t very prominent. I think a sharp cheddar would be excellent and help on the sweetness even more.
I loved using the scone & cornbread pan! It made perfect, individual wedges. If you don’t have this pan, you could make the recipe in a cast iron skillet or try a muffin pan.
Easy Cheese Cornbread Wedges
Ingredients:
2 pouches (6.5 oz. each) cornbread & muffin mix (I used Betty Crocker)
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
4 medium green onions, chopped (1/4 cup)
3/4 cup shredded cheddar
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 400°F. Grease a divided scone pan with shortening. Make muffin mixes as directed on pouch, using milk, butter, and eggs. Stir in onions and cheese. Spoon evenly into each wedge of pan.
2. Bake 15 to 17 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from pan to cooling rack.
Monday, January 23, 2012
It’s surprising to me how a simple side dish can have such a wow factor. Yes, this is a dish of onions, and I really like onions, but they don’t usually leave such a lasting impression as Port-Glazed Pearl Onions. Cooking these little beauties in port creates this fantastic glaze. It’s sweet, and thick, and rich, and goes perfectly served over Steakhouse Steaks.
So, how’s it taste?
I could seriously eat an entire bowl of these pearl onions by themselves with a spoon. They are so tender and full of so much flavor. Pearl onions aren’t overly oniony to begin with, so when they simmer in a port-sugar-vinegar concoction, they turn into almost a dessert. I think the vinegar keeps it from being over-the-top syrupy sweet, and the bit of butter at the very end makes it insanely decadent.
If you can find red pearl onions, they work even better in this dish to show off the port color. I could only find white and they work just as well, but you don’t get as much of the pretty red color.
Port-Glazed Pearl Onions
Ingredients:
2 cups pearl onions, peeled
1 1/2 cups tawny port
1 tbsp. sugar
1 cup low-sodium beef stock
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
coarse salt & freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan, bring onions and port to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce to a thin syrup, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
2. Add sugar and cook until dissolved, about 1 minute. Add stock and vinegar and simmer (do not boil) until reduced and thickened, and the onions are tender, about 10 minutes. Add butter, stirring until melted. Season with salt and pepper.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
I’m getting so good at taking the ugliest pictures of food that I almost don’t want to learn how to do it right. Ok, that’s not true in the least, but it makes me feel better when I post gems like what you see below. Meat is a hard subject to make look pretty for the camera, so I gave up before I got started, but Steakhouse Steaks are too damn good to not have a home on my blog. I was introduced to making awesome filets years ago from an ex-boyfriend and then finally decided to cook them myself after seeing Ina Garten make them on her Food Network show. They are fantastic and rival any you’d find at a nice steakhouse.
So, how’s it taste?
There’s just no better way to eat a steak, especially a nice filet. The ex-boyfriend sure could cook (he made killer chicken salad, too) and he’s the first person who told me about Char Crust. It’s a dry rub and it comes in several varieties and it’s the bee’s knees. For the steaks, it’s best to use the Roasted Garlic Peppercorn variety. The secret of the rub is the bit of sugar in it. I don’t know the science behind it, but it makes all the difference. So if you want to mix your own dry rub, just make sure there’s some sugar involved. The next secret to great steaks is a cast iron skillet. Don’t make this recipe without it. Go out and buy yourself a Lodge if you don’t own one.
When I pick out a filet, I like them thick…around 2 inches. You won’t find it cut that way at chain grocery stores, so you may have to get your butcher to cut them special for you. Searing the steaks on all sides in a really hot skillet seals in all those glorious juices and the Char Crust gives a huge boost of flavor over using only salt and pepper. What’s nice about the Char Crust is it doesn’t steal the show from the filet. It really does form a thin crust that’s slightly crunchy and leaves the inside tender and amazingly juicy. The pat of butter takes it a touch over the top with a hint of richness. You’ll be really impatient when you smell the filet cooking, but it’s important to let it rest before you cut into it. You don’t want all those juices leaving too early!
In my next post, I’ll give you a recipe for the world’s best onions to serve on top of this steak. It’s a meal you’ll think about constantly from the first bite!
Steakhouse Steaks
Ingredients:
2 (10 oz.) filet mignon
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
Roasted Garlic Peppercorn Char Crust
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Heat a large, well-seasoned cast iron skillet over high heat until very hot, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel and brush with vegetable oil. Pour some Char Crust on a plate and roll the steaks in the mixture, pressing lightly to evenly coat all sides. You won't use the entire pack of Char Crust, so pour a little on the plate at a time. You'll need to throw away what's leftover on the plate since it's touched raw meat.
3. Add the steaks to the skillet and sear evenly on all sides for about 2 minutes per side, for a total of 10 minutes. Use tongs to help you turn and hold the steaks.
4. Top each steak with a tablespoon of butter and place the skillet in the oven. Cook the steaks until they reach 125F for rare, 130F for medium-rare, or 140F for medium on an instant-read thermometer. (To test the steaks, insert the thermometer sideways to be sure you're actually testing the middle of the steak.)
5. Move the steaks to a serving platter, cover tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Tomorrow is National Coffee Break Day, although with my mean iced coffee addiction, I celebrate every day! I like to drink coffee hot or iced and I like to cook and bake with it. One of my all-time favorite desserts is tiramisu. A few months back, I hosted a dinner party and served Easy Tiramisu. It was easy enough, but I used coffee that was way too dark and bitter, and it made for quite an embarrassing finish to dinner. I was thrilled when the nice folks at Starbucks sent me a package of their new lighter Blonde Roast in the Veranda Blend. Did I brew a cup of coffee? Nope. I immediately thought of my tiramisu oops and made another one using the Blonde Roast VIA packet!
So, how’s it taste?
Whoo hoo! Hello tasty, delicious, not-at-all bitter tiramisu! I’ll admit I was a little nervous making batch #2 because Starbucks coffee has always been way too dark for me, even the medium roasts. I expected their Blonde Roast would still be too much. I’m happy to report that there’s finally a coffee for me at Starbucks. The Blonde Roast was just enough coffee flavor to make Easy Tiramisu a hit. I didn’t want the coffee to compete with the insanely decadent mascarpone filling, it needed to compliment it. It’s not too sweet and has a subtle hint of the brandy. Paired with delicate ladyfingers in coffee and a light dusting of chocolate, it’s heaven. It took me minutes to put this dessert together and the hardest part was waiting on it to set in the fridge. I halved the recipe to make a smaller one and it worked great. The full recipe serves four, but it’s really big servings, so you could probably get six total.
To make sure I wasn’t crazy in liking the new Blonde Roast, I brewed some for a nice cup of coffee. Again, I’ll admit, I was nervous I’d hate the cup of coffee and only really liked it in dessert. As it was brewing, it smelled awesome. It smelled like coffee that I would want to drink. I enjoyed it…a lot. I couldn’t believe this was from Starbucks.
Disclosure: Starbucks sent me free samples of their new Blonde Roast Veranda Blend coffee, but I was not compensated for this post. All opinions expressed here are solely my own.
Starbucks wants you to enjoy their new Blonde Roast Veranda Blend, too! TWO lucky winners will each receive a Starbucks mug, sample bags of Blonde Roast Veranda Blend, and a pack of VIA Ready Brew Veranda Blend. You can make this Easy Tiramisu or try these Espresso Caramel Bars! Once you try the new Blonde Roast, share your experience on twitter using the hashtag #StarbucksBlonde.
To enter: All you need to do is comment on this post and tell me how you take your coffee. Black, with cream and sugar, in a dessert…? This giveaway is only open to U.S. residents.
Optional entries: For up to two additional entries, do one or both of the following and leave a separate comment telling me you did so.
1. Follow @sohowsittaste on Twitter and tweet the following: “I can’t wait to try the new @Starbucks Blonde Roast! Win a cool mug and samples from @sohowsittaste! http://bit.ly/zj8jo5 #StarbucksBlonde”
2. Like So, How’s It Taste? on Facebook and include your first name and last name initial in the comment so I can verify.
I’ll randomly select the winner on Wednesday, January 25th at noon Central. Please make sure you enter a valid email address as an alternate winner will be chosen if I don’t hear from you within 24 hours. Good luck!
Congratulations to Jamie (comment #43) and Aubrey (comment #5)!
You’ll both enjoy Starbucks Blonde Roast in a snazzy mug very soon!
Winners chosen using Random.org
Thanks to everyone who entered!
Easy Tiramisu
Ingredients:
1 Starbucks VIA Ready Brew Veranda Blend packet
1 cup boiling water
2/3 cup mascarpone cheese
2/3 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp. brandy
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup sugar
12 store-bought ladyfingers (about 6 oz.)
1 oz. semisweet chocolate, shaved or grated
Directions:
1. Mix the Starbucks VIA packet and boiling water until dissolved. Refrigerate until cool.
2. With an electric mixer, whisk together the mascarpone, heavy cream, brandy, vanilla, and sugar until soft peaks form.
3. Place the ladyfingers in an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch glass loaf pan so they fit snugly, trimming the ends if necessary to fit. Pour the Starbucks VIA in a shallow bowl. Briefly dip the ladyfingers in the coffee, one at a time, coating both sides. Do not fully submerge or you'll soak up too much of the coffee.
4. Line the bottom of the pan with half the ladyfingers. Spoon half the mascarpone mixture on top. Layer with the remaining ladyfingers and the mascarpone mixture. Smooth the top with a spatula. Sprinkle with chocolate.
5. Cover the dish and refrigerate until set, at least one hour or up to overnight.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Welcome to the newest category on my blog, the Oops! category. It’s not the first time I’ve had an oops in the kitchen and it certainly won’t be the last. But sometimes those oops turn into lessons learned, so instead of leaving them off the blog, I thought it was time to share my disasters with you. Plus it makes for a pretty good chuckle! I couldn’t wait to make Braised Ribs, Stout, and Potato Pot Pie. Start it in the morning and it’ll be ready just in time for lunch. No sides to worry about, just a small salad and rolls to round out the meal. What could have been easier? Stay tuned…
So, how’s it taste?
The picture above, although truly horrid, isn’t showing how fugly this dish turned out. Let’s start from the beginning. This was supposed to be Christmas lunch, so no pressure, you know. The oops! started when I was grocery shopping. The original recipe calls for short ribs and they could not be found anywhere in the booming metropolis of Clarksville, Tennessee. After having a meltdown in Kroger (and let me tell you this only child is still really good at them), I settled on country-style ribs. Fast-forward to the next day. Everything went fine preparing the filling. The house smelled fantastic and I was starting to realize that the change in meat wasn’t going to be a problem. Braising in Guinness is pure genius. I don’t drink the stuff, but paired with onions and rosemary, it’s fantastic.
Those damn potatoes. First, I don’t know what Martha was thinking calling for 6 potatoes. There’s no way all those slices of potatoes would fit on top of this dish. So I stopped at three and that was plenty. Forgetting that potatoes start to turn brown the second they’re peeled, I prepped my potatoes way too far in advance. I peeled and sliced them when the filling still had 30 minutes to cook. Big mistake. Sitting on the counter, they turned darker and darker. Was I worried? No. “Oh, they’ll be fine when they cook and get crispy and golden on top.” Um, yeah, it doesn’t work that way. Browning potatoes get purple and keep turning darker and darker until they’re almost black when you cook them. And they taste like ass, like fishy ass. But thanks, mom, for eating it anyway. 
She’s the best.
I scraped my fishy, black potatoes off and found the filling underneath was to die for. Country-style ribs or short ribs, Guinness is the way to go. The meat was tender, full of flavor and I liked the two kinds of onions. Both are on the sweet side, but not so much so that it ruins the meat. After cooking that long, the yellow onion sort of dissolves into the filling and the cipollinis keep their shape, but are soft and delicious. Imagine how tasty the whole thing would’ve been had I not screwed up the potato topping!
I made sandwiches with the leftover filling and it knocked my socks off! Three lessons learned: #1 potatoes brown quickly when peeled, so prep them right before you need them or submerge in water; #2 Guinness as your braising liquid is the best thing since sliced bread; #3 meltdowns over meat selections in Clarksville aren’t really necessary, and it scares small children.
Braised Ribs, Stout, and Potato Pot Pie
Ingredients:
Filling
4 lbs. country-style ribs (or boneless short ribs)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. oil
1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 (12 oz.) bottles stout (preferably Guinness), room temperature
2 rosemary sprigs
1 lb. cipollini onions, peeled
Topping
3 medium baking potatoes
olive oil for brushing
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300F. Season ribs with salt and pepper. Dredge ribs in flour, coating all sides. Transfer to a large plate. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the ribs on all sides. Transfer to a large plate.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion to Dutch oven and cook until golden, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Return meat to Dutch oven. Add Guinness and rosemary. Bring to a simmer. Cover and transfer to oven. Bake for 2 1/2 hours.
3. Remove Dutch oven from oven. Add cipollini onions. Braise until meat is tender and onions are cooked through, about 30 minutes. Shred meat using two forks and discard bones. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer filling to a 12-inch (8-cup) gratin dish.
4. Raise the oven temperature to 375F. For the topping, peel the potatoes and very thinly slice (preferably on a mandoline). Arrange potatoes over meat to form tight concentric circles, working around the edge and overlapping each potato by three-quarters. Brush with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until topping is golden and filling is bubbling, about 45 minutes to an hour.
Friday, January 13, 2012
I am a sucker for a runny egg. I absolutely love them. When I flipped through the November issue of Food Network magazine, I instantly stopped on the page for Eggs and Beans on Toast. Then I wiped the drool off my face. Their version is a bit different since their recipe calls for baking the eggs, but I didn’t want to bake four eggs in advance, so I chose to fry mine. This way, I could make most of the recipe and store it in the fridge and all I had to do was fry an egg for the leftovers.
So, how’s it taste?
I savored every bite. I’m thinking about going to the store and getting the ingredients to make this again as I type. This is going to be a meal I make several times in my kitchen. It’s super quick and easy and the leftovers taste as if you just made it. The beans have so much flavor. Tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, honey mustard, and Worcestershire. Sounds a little odd, but it’s phenomenal. Tangy, savory, slightly sweet, it appeals to every taste. Crunchy toast, creamy beans, runny egg, and topped with a burst of fresh flavor from the tomato salad. It’s nothing fancy, but there’s so much going on in every bite. It’s great for a quick dinner or a hearty breakfast or just because you want really really good food quickly! Yep, I’m heading to the grocery store very soon.
Eggs and Beans on Toast
Ingredients:
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 tbsp. tomato paste
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp. honey mustard
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup water
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 (15 oz.) cans navy beans (1 undrained, 1 drained & rinsed)
4 thick slices crusty bread, toasted
4 large eggs
4 tbsp. butter
Directions:
1. Toss the tomatoes, parsley, 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring one more minute. Stir in the vinegar, honey mustard, Worcestershire sauce, water, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer, then add the beans, plus the liquid from one of the cans. Cook until beans are soft, about 5 minutes.
3. Heat butter in another skillet on medium heat. Take one egg, crack it on the side of the pan and carefully slide it into the pan. Do the same with the remaining eggs. Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Fry the eggs until the egg whites have solidified and set, but the yolks remain runny. (Or you can fry one if you want a single serving and save the beans and tomato salad in the fridge for later.)
4. Divide the toasted bread among plates. Top each with beans, one egg, and the tomato salad.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
In an effort to clear out my pantry, I’ve been making a lot of goodies using ingredients leftover from the holidays. Instead of going into the kitchen, snacking on an Oreo, and little by little demolishing the entire package, I found a recipe for Oreo Muffins. Muffins are a favorite for me for breakfast. I like that I can freeze them and grab one out of the freezer and it’s almost completely thawed by the time I get to work to enjoy it. These muffins are excellent with a cup of coffee and they’ll use the last of those Oreos tempting you in the kitchen.
So, how’s it taste?
They aren’t the prettiest things to come out of my oven, but they are packed with Oreo flavor. Oreos are one of my favorite cookies to turn into a sweet treat. I baked mine for about a minute too long, so be sure you set your timer to the lowest time and check them often. Even though they were slightly overcooked, I really liked them. Cookies and cream flavor with a crunchy topping. I liked the tiny bursts of chocolate from the chips, too. The muffin is so good, you could even skip the topping. The topping is delicious, but makes the muffin messy as it’s a bit on the crumbly and greasy side.
Oreo Muffins
Ingredients:
Muffins
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/3 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 egg
16 Oreos, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
Cookie Crumb Topping
5 Oreos, finely chopped
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. butter, softened
Directions:
1. Mix flour, sugar, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Cut in butter until it resembles coarse crumbs.
2. Combine milk and eggs in a small bowl. Stir into flour mixture. Gently stir in chopped cookies and chocolate chips. Do not overmix. Spoon batter into 12 greased or lined muffin cups.
3. For the topping, mix the cookies, flour, and sugar. Blend in the butter until crumbly. Sprinkle topping on filled muffin cups.
4. Bake at 400F for 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and serve warm.
Monday, January 9, 2012
The day is finally here! At 7:30 p.m. tonight I’ll be watching kick off for the BCS National Championship game. To say that I’m excited and nervous would be an understatement. I’ve already shared with you a few recipes for Alabama-themed libations (Bama Bombs, Rammer Jammer Jell-O Hammers, and The Van Tiffin), but I’ve saved the best for last. The Yellow Hammer is what I’ll be sipping on tonight. It’s sweet and tangy, with mostly a pineapple flavor. It’s the kind of drink that reminds you of punch and just like The Van Tiffin, it goes down way too easily.
So, how’s it taste?
It tastes more like pineapple juice than anything else. There’s a slight citrusy hint of orange, and coconut from the Malibu rum. It’s on the sweet side, but not sickeningly sweet or thick and syrupy. It’s a good drink for the beach with the tropical flavors. Even with all that liquor, you can’t taste any of it. I’m not kidding when I say it goes down way too easily, so drink with caution!
It’s pretty similar to the original served at Gallettes in Tuscaloosa, although I have no idea what their recipe is, except for the pineapple juice. I couldn’t find the true recipe anywhere, so I took bits and pieces and adjusted it myself for taste. (Tough job, I know.) Of course you can adjust the amount of alcohol to your liking. The recipe below is for a huge drink, about 20 ounces. The math is obnoxious, so remember 1 tablespoon equals 1/2 ounce and you’ll be set. I plan on making a pitcher for my friends tonight and I’ll be enjoying mine out of my official Yellow Hammer cup. Roll Tide Roll!
Yellow Hammer
Ingredients:
3 oz. vodka
2 oz. Malibu rum
1/2 oz. dark rum - not 151
10 1/2 oz. pineapple juice
3 1/2 oz. orange juice
Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients and serve over ice.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Yesterday I introduced you to Bama Bombs. Innocent-looking cherries soaked in vodka. Pop one in your mouth and you’ll understand the name. Luckily I have two more recipes to share with you that use the Bama Bomb and tame it just a bit. First up is Rammer Jammer Jell-O Hammers! Cherry Jell-O shots with a Bama Bomb inside. The name comes from the Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer cheer usually heard in the closing minutes after an Alabama win. There’s also The Van Tiffin. Van Tiffin was Alabama’s kicker from 1983-1986 and known for “the kick” in the 1985 game against Auburn. The drink is made with the cherry juice from a Bama Bomb and Sprite…so it’s Sprite with a kick!
So, how’s it taste?
Now that you’ve had a bit of Alabama football history, on to the fun. For the Jell-O shots, I used vanilla vodka. I really like the flavor of cherry and vanilla and I made the Bama Bombs with vanilla vodka as well. I chose to use 3/4 cup of alcohol because the bombs have such a kick. You could increase it to 1 cup but I think they would be too strong. The bombs are much easier to tolerate surrounded in a Jell-O shot. They’re sweet with just a slight alcoholic aftertaste. Not as powerful as a Bama Bomb by itself, but really tasty. I made my shots with stemmed and stemless cherries. I was thinking the ones with stems would come out when you pulled the stem. Nope, it just pulls out the cherry, but it does make for a cuter presentation.
The Van Tiffin is addictive. I only made one when I was prepping for this post because I want to save some for my friends on Monday. Talk about having some willpower! The cherry and vanilla vodka mixed with Sprite is awesome. I used 1 1/2 ounces of the cherry juice, so your recipe may vary with the alcohol level depending on how you make your Bama Bombs. The alcohol in this drink comes from your Bama Bomb juice, so if it’s too weak, add more juice or add a bit more vodka to the drink. Adding more juice will make your drink sweeter and more syrupy. This is one of those drinks where you won’t realize how much you’re drinking because it’s that good…dangerously good. I garnished my drink with two Bama Bombs on a toothpick, but you could also put a few in the drink. You can also easily serve a non-alcoholic version using cherry juice and cherries that haven’t been soaking in alcohol.
Roll Tide Roll!
Rammer Jammer Jell-O Hammers & The Van Tiffin
Ingredients:
Rammer Jammer Jell-O Hammers
1 (3 oz.) package cherry Jell-O
1 cup boiling water
3/4 cup vodka or vanilla vodka
1/4 cup cold water
cherries from Bama Bombs
The Van Tiffin (recipe for one drink)
1 1/2 oz. cherry juice from Bama Bombs
Sprite
Directions:
1. For the Jell-O shots, add boiling water to gelatin mix and stir 2 minutes until completely dissolved.
2. Stir in vodka and cold water.
3. Place one Bama Bomb cherry into each shot cup. Add the gelatin mixture. Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. Store in the refrigerator.
4. For The Van Tiffin, fill a glass 1/2 way with ice. Add 1 1/2 oz. of cherry juice from Bama Bomb. Fill the rest of the glass with Sprite.
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