Bourbon Toffee Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Leave a Comment / Cookies, Cookies and Bars, Uncategorized

Bourbon lovers, rejoice! There’s a new recipe on deck today, just in time for the Kentucky Derby. For those of you who may be thinking- “I don’t think I like bourbon! I don’t watch the derby!” – take a breather. The good news is that you don’t have to love whiskey or horses to love these sweet and salty bourbon toffee chocolate chunk cookies- they’re that good. Hear me out for a moment while I tell you about them and then you can decide for yourself.

Bourbon in Cookies?

A Kentucky girl at heart, I will forever try to lace as many of my treats with the liquid I adore. I, for one, LOVE bourbon. The taste of caramel undertones, the faint scent of vanilla and honey, even the warmth in my chest after each taste- I adore it all. But in baked goods, the flavor is more subtle. Bourbon in baked goods is like background vocals in a really good song; you may never even notice it until you start looking for it, only then realizing how much those notes contributed in the first place. Adding bourbon to treats like these cookies gives a subtle cozy flavor that is hard to put your finger on, but I can promise it makes all the difference.

Why Pretzels and Toffee?

If you don’t know already, sweet and salty is my jam. It’s the primary reason I add salt to my graham cracker crust and balance sweet pies (like this brown butter chess pie!) with a finish of flaked salt. Even my favorite cookies, salted chocolate chip cookies, have an extra shake of salt in them. Salty cuts the sweetness and pronounces other flavors in the cookies so your palate isn’t overwhelmed with just sugar. I mean, we love sugar, alright? But balance, y’all, balance. The toffee chunks here add a richer sweetness while the pretzels lend texture and salt. All in all, these are well-rounded cookies.

Bourbon Toffee Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Making these cookies is pretty straight forward. We start with unsalted butter, brown sugar, and sugar. I use a higher ratio of brown sugar to sugar, both for flavor and textural purposes. Brown sugar lends a more flavorful sweetness as well as chew. Next, we stir in eggs, vanilla extract, and bourbon. I use good quality bourbon, but certainly not top shelf. I’ll let you make that call. Finally, we toss in the flour, leavening, and loads of mix-ins. Here, I used roughly chopped pretzels, chocolate chunks, and toffee bits. I prefer the toffee bits without chocolate, but that’s 100% up to you. Toss them all in and scoop large rounds of dough on prepared pans. The cookies bake about 10 minutes until the edges are set and the insides still look gooey- that’s how you know they’re good!

More Bourbon Bakes for the Derby

If you fall into the camp of people who are eagerly awaiting the big hats and mint juleps in the best couple of minutes in sports, I have loads of other bourbon desserts for you to try. Check out my favorites below and let me know what you think! Happy Monday and Happy Baking, y’all!

Brown Butter Bourbon Chess Pie
Derby Pie Cookies
Bourbon Brown Butter Snickerdoodles
Derby Pie Bars
Bourbon Bundt Cake
Bourbon Caramel Cake

Bourbon Toffee Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Print Recipe

These Bourbon Toffee Chocolate Chunk Cookies are loaded with pretzels, sweet and salty flavor, and are perfect for bourbon lovers!

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 20
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 24
Category: Dessert

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup sugar
1–1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons bourbon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2–3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup mini pretzel twists, slightly crushed, plus more for cookie tops if desired
¾ cup toffee bits
3 tablespoons flaked sea salt, if desired

Instructions

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until smooth and fluffed, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, bourbon, and vanilla extract and stir on medium until smooth. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring on low until combined. Add the chocolate, pretzel pieces, and toffee. Stir allow the dough to rest. I like to go ahead and scoop out large cookie scoops (3 tablespoon sized) balls of dough and refrigerate them covered for about 45 minutes. If you’d prefer, cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough in one bowl for at least 2 hours.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and space out the 3 tablespoon-sized mound of dough at least 2” apart on a sheet pan. You will bake these in batches. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until the edges are barely set and the insides still looks slightly underdone. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with the flaked salt, if desired. Enjoy once cooled slightly.

Brown Butter Bourbon Chess Pie

Chess Pie

So what is a chess pie? Similar to a custard pie, chess pies bake up with eggs, sugar, cornmeal, milk, and vinegar. Sounds weird? Yeah, I kinda agree. But somehow, it totally works. Some add lemon, others add cocoa powder, and some just choose a simple buttermilk filling; all are delicious, if you ask me.

Chess pies are wildly popular here in the South and usually find a home in old timey recipe boxes and cookbooks. Usually made with a buttery pastry pie crust, chess pies have gooey centers that are somewhat reminiscent of gooey butter cake bars, and today’s pie is no exception. If you’re salivating, let me tell you about this bourbon situation.

Brown Butter Bourbon Chess Pie

Brown butter is king on this blog. If you’re unfamiliar with how to brown butter, please check out my in-depth tutorial here! It’s the perfect underlying flavor for this pie’s other components which include bourbon and brown sugar. For the bourbon, I like to use a high quality spirit that I enjoy sipping on, because the flavor really comes out. Rule number one: Bottom barrel whiskeys need not apply here.

How to Make Bourbon Chess Pie

To make this bourbon chess pie, we start with a perfect pie crust. I opt for my all-time favorite recipe which you can find here. Once par-baked, the filling ingredients come together: brown butter, sugar, cornmeal, milk, eggs, and bourbon. The mixtures stirs together until smooth and then is poured into the crust. The pie bakes for about 45 minutes or until the center of the pie barely wiggles. Allow the whole thing to cool completely prior to serving.

I’d recommend serving this pie with a cup of coffee or at least a glass of water- it is RICH. Like most Southern desserts, this bourbon chess pie will definitely satisfy a hungry sweet tooth. If you get a chance to make it, let me know what you think! In the meantime, happy Thursday and happy baking!

If you like this recipe for Brown Butter Bourbon Chess Pie you should try:

Bourbon Pecan Granola
Salted Maple Pie
Bourbon Brown Butter Snickerdoodles
Bourbon Bundt Cake
Chocolate Chess Pie

Brown Butter Bourbon Chess Pie

Print Recipe

This brown butter bourbon chess pie is a gooey, sweet and salty pie with warm hints of whiskey.

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 30
Cook Time: 60
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield: 9 Servings
Category: Dessert

Ingredients

For the crust:

1–3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespons chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into pieces
6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
5 tablespoons (approximately) ice water
1 large egg whisked with 1 teaspoon water

For the pie:

½ cup unsalted butter, cubed
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup milk
2 tablespoons quality bourbon
1 white tablespoon vinegar
4 large eggs, beaten

Instructions

To prepare the crust:

Whiz the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor to combine (Note: you can also do this by hand with a pastry cutter!) Pulse in the shortening and butter, just until evenly dispersed in pea-sized clumps. Begin adding ice water 2 tablespoons at a time until moist clumps begin to form. Remove dough from food processor, form it into a flat round disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour prior to use.
When you’re ready to bake the pie, roll the dough out on a well-floured surface into a 1/8-1/4” circle about an inch larger than your pie plate on all sides. Roll the dough loosely back onto the rolling pin and lift it into the pie dish. Gently fit the dough into the pie plate and trim off any excess dough leaving a 1” border around the edge of the dish. Fold the lip of the dough under so that it extends just over the edge of the pie plate and crimp the edges as you prefer. Prick a few holes in the bottom of the dough with a fork and place the whole pan into the freezer to chill briefly, about 15 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
When the oven is preheated, remove the pie plate from the freezer and line the insides of it with a piece of parchment paper. Use either pie weights or dry beans/rice to weigh down the dough and bake for about 20 minutes. Low the oven temp to 350 degrees and set the pie aside to cool while you prepare your filling.

To prepare the filling:

In a saucepan over medium heat, begin browning the butter. Slowly melt the butter, stirring regularly. The butter will begin to fizz and foam- stir constantly and do not let the butter burn. You’ll notice amber flecks showing up on the bottom of your pan- keep stirring until you notice a nutty aroma and the butter mixture is mostly golden. Remove from heat to a separate bowl immediately, being sure to scrape any of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Set it aside.
In a large bowl, stir to combine the sugar, brown sugar, cornmeal flour, and salt. Add the eggs, milk, bourbon, and vinegar, whisking to combine. Stir in the eggs thoroughly and finally add in the butter. Pour the mixture into your par-baked pie shell. Bake in the 350 degree oven for about 45-50 minutes or until the edges are well set and the innermost circle of pie is still just a bit jiggly. Allow to cool completely prior to slicing. Serve slices with a sprinkle of flaked fleur de sel.

Kentucky Coffee (and a coffee chat!)

5 Comments / Food and Drink

Kentucky Coffee by Wood and Spoon blog. This is a sweetened bourbon coffee topped with whipped cream and served warm as an after dinner beverage. Homemade whipped cream sweetens the coffee and added liquor provides an extra kick to the morning drink. Recipe found on thewoodandspoon.com

Just before the new year, I was chatting with a friend who told me it was time to start writing on this site again. Sure, we’ve been exchanging recipes and small talk and quick hellos here and there, but as of late, there’s been fewer words and in-depth sharing. To be completely honest, 2020 wore me out, and between family, other work projects, and even just managing my own heart and peace of mind amidst the ongoing political and social turmoil, there wasn’t a whole lot leftover to share here. I just needed a bit of a reprieve. But the truth is, our stories matter; the offerings we expose to one another can encourage, soothe, nurture, and excite the people we share them with. As much as I needed a break last year, I want to share transparently with you guys even more. So today’s the day. I think it’s time we catch up.

A Coffee Chat

Let’s coffee chat. Are you guys at all interested in the enneagram? I’ve long been a fan of personality tests, even those silly ones on Facebook that tell you, like, what Disney Princess or “Friends” character you are, but the enneagram is the first test that pinned me right on the nose. As a type 3 wing 2, I love to set goals, love to achieve, and love to seek praise, accolades, admiration, and so on. I like efficiency and checking things off my list, and my personality tends to thrive when there’s a finish end in site- all good things… right?

Except at some point last year, I stopped thriving. Life came to a halt and I wasn’t able to move at a pace that felt purposeful. Although those first couple months of quarantine empowered me to take on the new tasks of “homeschooling” kids, cleaning out my house, and even working towards new work goals, as time went on, those efforts became tiresome and I began to feel like I was flailing under my self-imposed, incessant need to move forward. Can anyone else here relate?

I’m not sure exactly when it happened, but somewhere along the way I knew I had to get comfortable with my own discomfort. My identity wasn’t tied to my ability to achieve, and my worth wasn’t diminished just because my capacity for work was temporarily overwhelmed. Those months of last year that I spent feeling tired and defeated ended up being huge moments of growth, because they forced me to disconnect my value as a women, mother, friend, and wife from my own efforts. They forced me to slow down, become comfortable with my flaws, and receive love from the people around me even when I didn’t feel like I had much to offer in return. Honestly, it felt really good just to look at the little piles of chaos in my life and know I didn’t have to make them all perfect immediately; I had value even if I didn’t get it all right the first time.

The Good News

So I guess this is a message of encouragement. Wherever you find yourself today, know that your worth isn’t tied to your abilities, your social standing, or your appearance. You’re not a failure if you have to do less, say no, or take time to take care of yourself; it’s okay if there are areas of your life where you’re still very much so a work in progress. Whether you’re starting over, feeling behind, or even just suffering from an extreme case of poor self-confidence, know that there is grace for you to be exactly who you are in the season, and you have at least one friend (raises hand!) in that fresh start boat with you. 2021 may not be easier than 2020, but it is an opportunity to embrace new hope, resolve, and dreams. If you’re like, “Yes, I need that today,” I hope you’ll take this opportunity to move forward towards them.

Kentucky Coffee

I’ll keep the rest short today. This Kentucky coffee was inspired by a Mayan coffee I had this time last year in Mexico. The drink was warm and boozy, made slightly sweet with thick clouds of freshly whipped cream on top. I tracked down the Mayan liquor and began making them at home as an after-dinner treat. This rendition, a Kentucky coffee, features high-quality bourbon and a smidge of maple syrup for added sweetness. The homemade whipped cream is all the same and absolutely steals the show. Don’t skimp on the whip, okay?

If you find yourself in need of a coffee chat of your own, I hope you’ll make one (or two! or three! or four!) of these Kentucky coffee drinks at home to share with a friend. I hope you all have a terrific week. Happy baking!

If you like this Kentucky Coffee you should try:

Sweet Tea Old Fashioned
Sweet Tea Hot Toddy
Bourbon Bundt Cake
Bourbon Brown Butter Snickerdoodles
Coffee Donuts: Two Ways

Kentucky Coffee

Print Recipe

This Kentucky coffee, made boozy with quality bourbon, is slightly sweetened with maple syrup and homemade whipped cream and served warm in a mug!

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 5
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1
Category: Beverage

Ingredients

¼ cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon sugar or powdered sugar
10 ounces strong brewed coffee
1–1/2 ounces bourbon
¼ ounce maple syrup

Instructions

In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk the cream until frothy and slightly thickened. Add the sugar and continue whipping until medium peaks form. Set aside.
To a coffee mug, add the coffee, bourbon, and maple syrup and stir. Top with dollops of whipped cream and serve. You can add more coffee for a less-strong beverage.

Bourbon Brown Butter Snickerdoodles

28 Comments / Cookies and Bars

I don’t know about your taste buds, but these bourbon brown butter snickerdoodles might be my favorite recipe to transition from November to December. All November long, we indulged in pies and tarts and warm, nutty flavors, but with December upon us, it’s time to hop to Christmas. We need gingerbread and peppermint and cocoa, but most of all, we need COOKIES. So, without further ado, bourbon brown butter snickerdoodles.

Growing up, snickerdoodles were my fave. All the kids at the mall would go for the chocolate chip cookies or the big iced slices of cookie cake, but me? I just wanted a snickerdoodles. Now, as an adult, I still love a snickerdoodle from time to time, but moreso than that, I love brown butter and bourbon. Those two flavors make for a warm and comforting combination that, honestly, I’m kinda shocked hasn’t made it’s way into a cookie on this site until now. These are FABULOUS, and I can’t wait to tell you how to make them.

We start with the butter. Browning butter is a skill in and of itself, but luckily, I made a tutorial on how to do it well! Brown a cup of butter on the stove and allow it to cool. Add in the brown sugar, sugar, and eggs, followed by the bourbon and vanilla extract. Next, we toss in the dry ingredients and roll rounds of dough into little cookie balls! Easy peasy.

These bourbon brown butter snickerdoodles are a great options for the adult cookie lovers. Give them a try and let me know what you think! I’d love to hear all about the great treats you plan on making this year, so shoot me an email if you have any terrific ideas. Happy Friday and Happy Baking!

If you like these bourbon brown butter snickerdoodles you should try:

Brown Butter Bourbon Madeleines with Dark Chocolate Ganache and Pecans
Bourbon Caramel Cake
Brown Butter Muscovado Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Bourbon Bundt Cake
Brown Butter Blondies

Bourbon Brown Butter Snickerdoodles

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★★★★★

4.9 from 7 reviews

Bourbon brown butter snickerdoodles are chewy brown sugar cookies scented with bourbon and rolled in cinnamon sugar!

Author: Kate Wood, cookie base adapted from Ambitious Kitchen
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 15
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 24
Category: Dessert

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, chopped
1–1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons bourbon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2–1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2½ teaspoon cinnamon, divided
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Place a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the butter. Stir regularly to allow the butter to melt evenly. The butter will melt, bubble, foam, and finally begin to brown after about 5 minutes. Continue stirring all along until the butter mixture turns a golden amber color and smells nutty and fragrant. Scrape the contents of the pan into a large bowl and place in the fridge to cool for 20 minutes.
Once about room temperature, stir in the brown sugar and ½ cup sugar. Add in the egg, yolk, bourbon, and vanilla, and stir to combine. Add in the flour, cornstarch, cream of tartar, baking soda, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and salt and stir on low just until combined. Use a medium cookie scoop or spoon to portion out 2 tablespoon-sized rounds of dough and roll in hands quickly to smooth. The dough is dry. Combine the remaining ¼ cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a small bowl and toss each dough ball in the mixture. Place on a covered pan in the fridge to chill for about 30 minutes.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper. Place dough balls 2” apart on the try and bake for 11-12 minutes or until the tops are cracked. Remove from oven to cool completely before enjoying.

Bourbon Bundt Cake

43 Comments / Cakes

When I turned 21, I was determined to be a badass. The youngest of my friends, I had watched the majority of them ripen to adulthood and opt for sugary martinis and syrupy cordials on their special days. Cosmopolitans, amaretto sours, and assorted varieties of fruit-flavored wines were usually on the list of go-to beverages, but me… well, I wanted the fill bigger britches. I wanted the stuff that grown men drank, the kind of booze that put hair on you chest. I opted for bourbon.

Let’s just say I had no idea what I was getting myself into. My Kentucky roots tricked me into believing that all the exposure to bluegrass and horse-speckled hills would somehow prepare my palate for the smooth (but not subtle) punch of a bourbon cocktail, but I could not have been more wrong.

On my 21st birthday, armed with my parent’s credit card and a friend to hold my hair back (kidding), we saddled up to a table at a local Birmingham whiskey bar, and I ordered a glass of Woodford Reserve over ice. The waitress suggested I try their bacon-infused variety (obviously, because it was 2008), and I delightfully agreed. For the next hour I put on a brave face and grimaced through microscopic sips of what I assumed was some kind of smoky rubbing alcohol. It was terrible, and I watched longingly as my friends enjoyed chilled glasses of Riesling and cranberry vodkas. I was not ready for the bourbon.

Bourbon Bundt Cake

Now, I sing a different tune about bourbon now. I love the flavor it adds to cocktails and baked goods alike and opt for its comforting warm flavors over just about any other libation. Here, in this bourbon bundt cake, the Kentucky-bred booze flavors a moist, one-bowl cake with flavors of fall and a subtle little kick reminiscent of what that 21-year old Kate was probably expecting from her birthday beverage. This cake is perfect for the season, fits in with any breakfast or brunch menu, and is still enough of a treat to enjoy at dessert. Consider this is your catch-all cake for the next few months. If you’re interested in hearing more about it, let’s dive in.

Making the Cake

This bourbon bundt cake is made with my favorite (you guessed it!) Kerrygold butter. In pound cakes and other simple bundts, I prefer to opt for their high-fat, ultra-flavorful unsalted butter. Kerrygold butter keeps this cake moist with a subtle richness that other butters simply can’t offer. To the softened butter, I add sugar and brown sugar which gets whipped together until light and fluffy. Eggs and vanilla come next before the dry ingredients are alternated in with the buttermilk and bourbon. The batter bakes up in a prepared bundt pan until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Allow the bourbon bundt cake to cool slightly in the pan and then invert onto a cooling rack or serving dish. Once cool, whip up the simple glaze of bourbon, powdered sugar, and cream, and pour the thickened mixture all over the cake. I love collecting the run-off glaze in the center of the cake and spooning any extra glaze back on top for a second dose of sweet. This bourbon bundt cake is simple but such a crowd pleaser.

I hope you’ll give this bourbon bundt cake a try this week! Next week we’re celebrating my birthday (!!!) with TWO special recipes that I can’t wait to share. In the meantime, many thanks to Kerrygold for sponsoring this post and for making this an awesome cake! Happy baking!

If you like this bourbon bundt cake you should try:

Brown Butter Bourbon Madeleines

Derby Hand Pies

Brown Sugar Apple Bundt Cake

Maple Apple Cake

Bourbon Bundt Cake

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 10 reviews

This bourbon bundt cake is lightly scented with booze and is topped with a powdered sugar glaze. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert!

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 70
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Yield: 9
Category: Cake

Ingredients

For the cake:

1 cup (230 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1–1/4 cup sugar (250 gm)
¾ cup (150 gm) brown sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (240 gm) buttermilk, at room temperature
¼ cup (60 gm) good quality bourbon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2–3/4 cups (385 gm) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

For the glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons bourbon
¼ cup heavy whipping cream, plus more as needed

Instructions

To prepare the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar together on medium speed for 4 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the eggs one at a time. Scrape the sides of the bowl and stir in any unincorporated egg. In a separate bowl combine the buttermilk, bourbon, and vanilla extract. In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Add half of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and stir just until barely combined on low speed. Add half of the liquid ingredients and stir to combine. Repeat this process to incorporate the remaining dry and wet ingredients. Fold the batter together using a rubber spatula to ensure everything is well incorporated.
Lightly grease and flour a bundt pan and spoon the batter into the pan. Bake in the preheated oven until the cake has risen and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 45- 50 minutes. Allow to cool for 20 minutes in the pan, then invert the cake on to a cooling rack to cool completely.

To prepare the glaze:

Whisk together the powdered sugar, bourbon, and ¼ cup of heavy whipping cream. Add additional cream 1 teaspoon at a time until your glaze is the desired consistency. Add additional powdered sugar to thicken as needed. Spoon the glaze over top of the cake and enjoy!

Sweet Tea Old Fashioned

This sweet tea old fashioned requires very few ingredients, but because of this, we want to opt for the highest quality possible. We first start with a peel of orange and a few dashes of bitters. Muddle the two together in an old fashioned glass until the oils in fruit are released. Next we add 2 ounces of high-quality Kentucky bourbon and a hefty pour of chilled Red Diamond Sweet Tea. Finish it off with an extra-large ice cube and enjoy. Seriously, it’s that simple.

Sweet tea is a staple here in the South, and it’s no secret that my go-to fave is from a locally founded company, Red Diamond. Made simply with tea leaves, water, and sugar, Red Diamond Sweet Tea is free of preservatives and concentrates and has that perfect classic flavor that every glass of good Southern sweet tea should. The combination of bourbon and sweet tea makes for an old fashioned that is slightly sweeter and more drinkable than the classic cocktail. Because there are so few ingredients and very uncomplicated preparation involved, this is a great cocktail to batch for a group of friends.

I hope you’ll give this sweet tea old fashioned a try sometime this fall! Be sure to pick up a gallon of Red Diamond Sweet Tea and give a toast on my behalf. Have a great weekend and happy fall y’all!

If you like this sweet tea old fashioned you should try:

Bourbon Ginger Sweet Tea

Warm Apple Tea

Sweet Tea Hot Toddy

Pinot Margaritas

Sweet Tea Old Fashioned

Print Recipe

This sweet tea old fashioned is a Southern spin on the classic bourbon cocktail!

Author: Kate
Prep Time: 2
Total Time: 2 minutes
Yield: 1
Category: Cocktail

Ingredients

Orange peel
2 dashes orange bitters
2 ounces bourbon
6 ounces chilled sweet tea

Instructions

Muddle the strip of orange peel and bitters together in an old fashioned glass until the orange peel has released some oils. You’ll notice a strong orange scent in the glass. Add the bourbon and sweet tea. Add a large ice cube and enjoy!

Bourbon Ginger Sweet Tea

This is a seriously simple cocktail to throw together. Kentucky bourbon, lime juice, and ginger beer are combined with sweet tea and poured over a tall glass of ice to make a cocktail that is kind of a mash-up of a bourbon mule and sweet tea. Because no shaking or blending is needed, this also happens to be a great cocktail to batch for a crowd and share on the last of this season.

Making the Drinks

To make a really good bourbon ginger sweet tea we need really good ingredients. Sweet tea is a staple here in the South, and it’s no secret that my go-to fave is from a locally founded company, Red Diamond. Made simply with tea leaves, water, and sugar, Red Diamond Sweet Tea is free of preservatives and concentrates and has that perfect classic flavor that every glass of good Southern sweet tea should. To the tea we add fresh lime juice, quality Kentucky bourbon, and just a smidge of ginger beer. The lime juice and ginger beer balance out the boozy sweetness of the bourbon and sweet tea, and all together these ingredients make up a cocktail that is seriously easy to drink. Pace yourselves, people.

If you’d like to batch this bourbon ginger sweet tea for a crowd, pull out your calculators and get computing! I recommend stirring the ingredients together just before serving and allowing guests to pour their own over glasses of ice. If you want to make these ahead, just leave out the ice and the ginger beer until just before serving to keep the cocktail slightly fizzy and to prevent it from getting watered down. Serve each tea in a tall glass and garnish with a lime wedge if you’re feeling extra fancy.

If you are doing all you can to soak in these last days of summer, give this drink a try. It’s seriously refreshing and makes for a great treat to sip on day or night. Many thanks to Red Diamond for sponsoring this post and to you all for supporting brands that make Wood & Spoon possible. If you give the recipe a try, let me know what you think in the comments section below! Happy Monday!

If you like this recipe you should check out:

Warm Apple Tea

Sweet Tea Hot Toddy

Pinot Margaritas

Grapefruit Moscow Mules

Bourbon Ginger Sweet Tea

Print Recipe

This bourbon ginger sweet tea is a refreshing summertime and Southern take on a bourbon mule!

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 3
Total Time: 3 minutes
Yield: 1
Category: Drink

Ingredients

1–1/2 ounces bourbon
½ ounce lime juice
5 ounces ready to drink sweet tea
2 ounces ginger beer

Instructions

Combine all of the ingredients in a large glass filled with ice. Add an additional ounce of ginger beer if desired. Enjoy!

Derby Hand Pies

3 Comments / Pies and Tarts

Today’s post will be short and sweet. I am knee-deep in nesting mode (hello chalk paint! hello oxyclean! hello rearranging the furniture!), and have set aside this week to prep my kiddos’ rooms as much as possible prior to baby girl arriving. Yes, we’re only 31 weeks into this pregnancy, but when the urge to nest hits, Mama Bird can’t back down, okay? Today we’re talking about these mini derby hand pies just in time for the Kentucky derby. It’s my favorite sporting event of the year, and once you get a taste of this chocolate and bourbon goodness it might end up being yours too.

Brett and I were married on my grandparent’s Kentucky farm the week before the Derby. I keep memories of the day tucked in the corners of my brain like well-loved photographs that I get to revisit over and over again. The ceremony, party, and events leading up to both were far from perfect, but it felt cozy and personal and will forever hold a warm and fuzzy place in my heart.

Derby Hand Pies

These derby hand pies remind me of that day. Loaded with chopped nuts and rich chocolate, these bourbon-spiked bars contain all the essence of classic derby pie flavors in each and every bite along with an extra-thick shortbread crust that is really so delicious. Derby pie is the quintessential Kentucky Derby dessert, and those rich flavors always make me think of the bluegrass state and our wedding day.

If you’ve hung around this blog long enough, you probably recall the derby pie bars and derby pie cookies I made in the past. These derby hand pies are another take on the classic race day dessert, and they are a cute and sassy way to level-up just a regular old pie. I love anything that can be served in mini or individual servings, and if you’re planning a Derby Day party (or to celebrate our anniversary?) these would be a fun and cheeky treat to consider serving.

Making the Hand Pies

To make them, we start with a pie dough. My favorite flaky pie crust comes together quickly and can be made in advance. Allow the dough to chill for a few hours or overnight and make the filling in the meantime. Just like a pecan pie, brown sugar, corn syrup, nuts, and more simmer on the stove until thick and goopy. We let the filling cool completely so that it stays scoopable and doesn’t squish out the sides of the pie dough.

Roll out your dough as thin as your dare and cut out rounds of dough. Stuff as much filling in between two circles of two as you can and then crimp the edges with a floured fork. After a quick brush of an egg wash, these derby hand pies bake up golden and flaky. To finish them off, we make a simple ganache to spoon on top of each pie and sprinkle with toasted pecans. Delicious, y’all.

I hope you consider cheers-ing to these derby hand pies this weekend. Be sure to check out a few of my other bourbon favorites below to meet all of your baking needs for the weekend’s festivities. Happy Tuesday and Happy Baking!

If you like these derby hand pies you should make:

Derby Pie Cookies

Derby Pie Bars

Bourbon Truffles

Brown Butter Bourbon Madeleines

Brown Sugar Apple Bundt Cake

Derby Hand Pies

Print Recipe

These derby hand pies are miniature versions of the classic Kentucky Derby dessert! Give these tiny pies with bourbon, chocolate, and nuts a shot!

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 35
Cook Time: 35
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 14
Category: Dessert

Ingredients

For the pastry:

1–3/4 cups (210 gm) of all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1–1/2 teaspoon sugar
6 tablespoons (85 gm) butter
1/3 cup (70 gm) shortening
5 tablespoons (approximately) of ice water

For the filling:

1 cup (200 gm) sugar
2/3 cup (200 gm) corn syrup
1/3 cup (40 gm) unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1–1/2 cups (170 gm) pecans, finely chopped
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons bourbon

For the hand pies:

1 large egg
¼ cup (60 gm) heavy whipping cream
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
Extra pecans, if desired

Instructions

To prepare the pastry:

Combine flour, salt and sugar in a medium sized bowl.
Cut in the butter and shortening with a pastry cutter or the back of a fork until it is the consistency of a course meal with small, pea-sized chunks of butter throughout. Add water, 1-2 tablespoons at a time, tossing gently until pastry comes together in moist clumps. Pat the dough into a round, flat disk. Wrap with Saran wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

To prepare the filling:

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, butter, and eggs. Stir in the pecans, salt, and bourbon. Bring to a boil over medium heat and then reduce the heat to low and keep at a simmer for 10 minutes. Once thickened, remove from heat and pour into a separate bowl and allow to chill in the fridge until barely scoopable.

To prepare the hand pies:

Allow the dough to sit out about 5-10 minutes to allow it to become rollable. On a floured surface using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to just shy of 1/8”. Make sure to keep your surface under the dough floured so it doesn’t stick! Cut out 2-1/2” rounds of dough using a biscuit cutter or a sharp knife and rim of a glass. Place the rounds on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Whisk the egg in a small bowl with a teaspoon of water and using a pastry brush or basting brush to brush a thin layer of egg wash around the perimeter of the dough on half of the circles. Spoon 2-2-1/2 teaspoons of the cooled filling into the center of these dough pieces and top each with a round of dough that doesn’t have the egg wash. Use the floured prongs of a fork to crimp the edges and arrange them on the baking sheet 1-1/2” apart. Repeat this process with any remaining dough by re-rolling and cutting and filling. Place the prepared pies in the freezer for at least 3 hours to chill.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 and brush a thin layer of the remaining egg wash on the top of the pies. Vent the top by pricking a fork into the top of each and bake until bronzed, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven to cool while you prepare the topping.
Gently heat the heavy whipping cream on the stove or in the microwave until just barely bubbling. Pour the cream over top of the chocolate in a small bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap for 5 minutes. Whisk the melted mixture together to combine and allow it to sit out about 10 minutes until it becomes a thickened mixture that won’t spill over the edges of the pies. Spread a small round of the ganache on top of each cooled pie and top with additional chopped pecans, if desired.

Sweet Tea Hot Toddy

4 Comments / Food and Drink

Here in the South, we’re serious about a few things. I’ve talked about this a few times, but as I settle into life as a Southerner, I become more and more aware of what we’re all about here.

Mind Your Manners

For starters, kindness and manners matter. If you’re not calling your Mama “Ma’am,” you might as well be sticking your tongue out at her. We hold the door open for others, gentlemen stand when ladies arrive, and we always, always, ALWAYS say the blessing before a meal. End of story.

Football > Everything

Second, we love football. SEC is everything and the fall ballgame schedule reigns supreme. If you’re not into football, you’re just not in [Slowly raises hand and backs away].

God Bless This Meal

And finally, we take pride in our food. Almost everyone has a favorite fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, or pecan pie recipe. Each family has a secret marinade or sauce, an heirloom cookie recipe, or method by which they prefer to season their greens. Southern food is rooted in years of tradition, history, and tried and true flavors that have been perfected over time. It’s not something we take lightly.

Take for instance sweet tea. It’s a staple here, and there’s not a soul who hasn’t enjoyed a cold glass on a hot day. When I first moved to the Deep South, I grew to appreciate a perfectly sweetened glass of tea, and now that I’ve experienced great tea, it’s almost painful to drink bad tea.

Sweet Tea Hot Toddy

This sweet tea hot toddy is a nod to all that is good in the South. Smooth bourbon, local honey, and incredibly delicious sweet tea combine to make a toasty beverage that will make even a Northerner talk with a drawl. This is a beverage you’ll want to cozy up to all winter long.

One of my favorite things about this sweet tea hot toddy is how simple it is. Instead of brewing my own tea, I lean on an Alabama-born made product, Red Diamond Ready-to-Drink Sweet Tea, for the perfect balance of sweet and tea. Their sweet tea is one that even the most discerning of Southerners would trust, and because it safely heats to warm temperature, it is the perfect add-in for this sweet tea hot toddy. Plus, it’s brewed from actual tea leaves with no shortcuts- just sugar, tea, and water.

Making the Tea

To make this sweet tea hot toddy, we start by warming our tea. Allow a lemon slice, honey, and a cinnamon stick to mull in the hot liquid for a minute or two before adding in the bourbon. Give it a taste. If your taste buds are anything like mine, you’ll be ready to guzzle a glass (or four), but feel free to add more tea or lemon depending on your preferences. If you’re interested in serving a crowd, brew up a big batch and allow guests to ladle mugs straight off of the stove. This sweet tea hot toddy is a great fall beverage that will set the mood for your upcoming holiday parties and gatherings.

Many thanks to Red Diamond Coffee & Tea for sponsoring this post, and thank YOU for supporting brands that make this site possible. I hope you’ll pick up some Red Diamond sweet tea and give this sweet tea hot toddy a shot (or two)! Happy drinking, y’all!

This post is sponsored by Red Diamond. All opinions expressed are my own.

If you like this sweet tea hot toddy you should check out:

Pinot Ritas

Brown Butter Bourbon Madeleines

Derby Pie Cookies

Homemade Chocolates

Sparkling Margaritas

Sweet Tea Hot Toddy

Print Recipe

This sweet tea hot toddy is sweetened with honey and ready made sweet tea. Bourbon is added for a boozy and flavorful finish.

Author: Kate
Prep Time: 5
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1
Category: Beverage

Ingredients

3/4 cup (170 gm) Sweet Tea (I use Red Diamond)
1 cinnamon stick
1 lemon slice (1/4” thick)
1 teaspoon honey (optional)
1–1/2 ounces bourbon

Instructions

In a small saucepan on the stove, heat your sweet tea until hot. Bring barely to a boil and carefully pour into a mug. Add the cinnamon stick, lemon slice, and honey, and allow the mixture to cool for five minutes. Stir in the bourbon and enjoy!

Brown Butter Bourbon Madeleines with Dark Chocolate Ganache and Pecans

37 Comments / Cookies and Bars, Uncategorized

It’s no surprise that I like desserts.

I like cakes with buttery icing and cookies that leave your fingers gooey with chocolate. I’m partial to golden-crusted pies with sweet, bubbling insides. I like drippy ice cream cones, eating dough off the beaters, and pastries that leave flakes all over the kitchen, but there’s still one thing that’s sweeter than all of the treats in the world.

In my world, it’s seeing little eyes peer over the edge of the counter. It’s the little hands that paw at the back of my apron, begging for a handful of marshmallows or chocolate chips. It’s kissing pairs of cinnamon sugar coated lips and the look of joyful surprise on those faces when they come home to the smell of fresh baked cookies or loaves of bread.

Just like with anything else we might partake in, the food we make in our kitchens is only as special as the people we’re sharing it with. So if you needed a reminder today to bake something on behalf of your neighbor or your boyfriend or your Nana who lives 300 miles away, this is it. Bake for other people- it tastes better that way.

Brown Butter Bourbon Madeleines

These little brown butter bourbon madeleines are the cutest. They’re rich and satisfying despite being only a bite or two, and every single morsel is loaded with flavor- first butter and then bourbon, followed by rich chocolate and pecans. These treats are entirely decadent to enjoy, plus just look at them. They’re adorable. Who wouldn’t want to dive into these?

Truthfully, I’ve not made a ton of madeleines before these brown butter bourbon madeleines. I only invested in a pan (this one!) about a year ago and have since dabbled with recipes and how-to’s that I’ve found on the internet. My first few attempts were good, but what made me settle on these brown butter bourbon madeleines is that every single flavor here is elevated in a really special way. Madeleines are already known for their buttery flavor, and here, the brown butter is the star. We add bourbon for a subtle warmth and caramel flavor, and then we dip the whole thing in a bourbon ganache that is ultra boozy and screams “CHOCOLATE!” Pecans seemed like a natural fit here too, so I thought, “Why not?”

Making the Madeleines

If you’ve never made madeleines before, here’s a few ins and outs you’ll want to take note of:

First, a madeleine pan is kinda essential, but not a deal breaker. Yes, I hear you, you don’t want another random pan that only suits one purpose. I get it. Feel free to try this exact recipe in a mini muffin tin. You’ll miss out on the pretty shell shape, but I’ve tried it and they still make for a yummy treat.

Second, resting your batter here serves a purpose but we can work around it. Allowing the batter to chill in the fridge for a few hours helps to ensure your madeleines puff and rise to create that signature hump in the middle (click here for more on that), but you can totally skip that too if you’d prefer. They’ll still puff up some. Third: madeleines are loaded with butter and are best eaten the day they’re prepared. They’ll still taste delicious on day two, but they’re really meant to be enjoyed nearly fresh from the oven. Not that they’d stick around that long anyways.

If you’re a little unsure on browning butter, don’t worry- I’ve got you covered with a tutorial here. Not sure about ganache? Got you covered on that too. The ganache on these brown butter bourbon madeleines isn’t 100% necessary, but I think that added element contributes loads of flavor and makes these little guys over the top. If you’d rather keep them plain Jane, a simple sprinkle of confectioner’s sugar would do nicely too. Your choice.

Give these brown butter bourbon madeleines a try and let me know what you think! Have a great Tuesday and cheers to you!

If you like these brown butter bourbon madeleines you should try:

Derby Pie Cookies

Pecan Toffee Blondies

Derby Pie Bars

Candied Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Brown Butter Blondies: Two Ways

Brown Butter Bourbon Madeleines with Dark Chocolate Ganache and Pecans

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 4 reviews

These brown butter bourbon madeleines are rich and buttery with a dark chocolate bourbon ganache and a sprinkle of toasted pecans.

Author: Kate
Prep Time: 30
Cook Time: 20
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 18
Category: Dessert

Ingredients

For the madeleines:

7 tablespoons (100 gm) unsalted butter, plus more for buttering the pan
2 large eggs
1/3 cup (70 gm) sugar
1–1/2 tablespoons bourbon
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup (70 gm) all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt

For the topping:

½ cup (120 gm) heavy whipping cream
4 ounces chopped dark chocolate (I use 60-70% cocoa baking bars)
1 tablespoon bourbon
½ cup (55 gm) finely chopped toasted pecans

Instructions

To make the madeleines:

Place the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and brown it. Allow the butter to melt completely and the continue cooking, stirring the whole time, until golden flecks appear at the bottom of the pan and the mixture begins to smell warm and nutty. Do not burn the butter. Remove the mixture from heat and pour immediately into a small bowl.
In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar until pale and slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Add the bourbon and vanilla extract and stir to combine. Add the flour and salt and fold to combine. Add the browned butter and fold the mixture just until combined. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge to chill for 2 hours or overnight.
When ready to make, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and melt 2 tablespoons of butter to liberally grease a madeleine pan. Spoon 1 tablespoons of batter into each madeleine pan and then bake in the preheated oven for about 13 minutes, or until the tops are puffed and the edges and bottom of each madeleine is golden. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool while you make your ganache.

To finish your madeleines:

Warm the heavy whipping cream over the stove or in the microwave just until it’s about to boil. Remove from heat and then pour over the dark chocolate in a medium-sized bowl. Allow it to rest for 3-4 minutes. Whisk the warm cream and chocolate together until smooth. If small chunks of chocolate remain, place back in the microwave for 20 second increments until it is smooth. Stir in the bourbon.
Dip each madeleine in the ganache and then sprinkle with/dip in pecans. Set the madeleines aside on a sheet of parchment or wax paper to set. Madeleines are best eaten the day they are prepared but can be saved overnight if needed.