Saturday, May 1, 2010

SUGAR SHACK AT THE TRACK ~ AT THE RACES AT THE BIJOU = Kentucky Derby Day Delights!

Good DerbyDay, KatieMae!
  
 I've found a few goodies for AT THE BIJOU's celebration of Run for the Roses. Here's my favoritest recipe for Sugar's Juleps and a Mint Julep Bourbon Cake I'm going to try that looks scrumptious!!! Love you, Gal! Let's drink hearty to friendships and fun before all our betting action goes for a run!
   ~Hugs all around and then some, Shoogs


~ SUGAR’s Mint Julep ~

"Pluck the mint gently from its bed, just as the dew of the evening is about to form upon it ... Prepare the simple syrup and measure out a half-tumbler of whiskey. Pour the whiskey into a well-frosted silver cup, throw the other ingredients away and drink the whiskey."
From Henry Watterson of The Louisville Courier-Journal
 
LUSCIOUS INGREDIENTS ~
5 fresh mint leaves, plus a few mint sprigs, for garnish
1 teaspoon SUGAR or a little more if you like
Shaved ice
2 1/2 ounces bourbon whiskey~ I like Jack Daniels.

SO GOSH DARN EASY DIRECTIONS ~
Place mint leaves, sugar and a splash of water into a silver julep cup or a 12-ounce Tom Collins glass. Muddle (Don’t you just love that word?)the mint, sugar, and water together with the tip of the handle of a wooden (must be wooden) spoon. Fill the silver or not glass with shaved ice, add the best part ~ Jack Daniels (and take a swig too), and stir until combined. Garnish with a few (or a lot) sprigs of fresh mint.

Kentucky Derby

Mint Julep Bourbon Cake

With all of the elements of a Southern mint julep cocktail, this cake is perfect for Kentucky Derby Day. The rich pound cake has a white chocolate ganache frosting with a light mint flavor to complement the bourbon butter sauce infused in the cake. Don't wait for Kentucky Derby Day to make this cake.  
Even without the bourbon butter sauce and/or creme de menthe frosting, the cake will shine with a simple dusting of powdered sugar. For a sheet cake, shorten the cooking time to 35 to 40 minutes.   

Luscious Ingredients ~

  • Cake:
  • 3 cups cake flour
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup butter
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 eggs
  • .
  • Bourbon Butter Sauce:
  • 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 2 teaspoons Bourbon whiskey
  • .
  • Mint Frosting:
  • 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) white chocolate chips
  • 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
  • 1 teaspoon white creme de menthe liqueur or 1/2 tsp mint extract (see Note)

Preparation:  Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan.

Scrumptious Cake:
Whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl. Make a well in the center.

In a separate smaller bowl, combine buttermilk, butter, vanilla extract, and eggs.

Add wet ingredients to flour mixture. Beat at low speed for 1 minute, then increase to medium speed for 3 more minutes. Pour into prepared pan and smooth evenly around bundt center.

Bake for 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Ten minutes before cake is done, prepare Bourbon Butter Sauce.
 
Bourbon Butter Sauce:
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, 1/3 cup butter, and 3 tablespoons water. Stir until melted and combined. Do not boil. Remove from heat, continuing to stir for 2 minutes. Then stir in Bourbon.
 
When cake is done and still warm from the oven, use a skewer to poke holes around the top of the cake. Pour Bourbon Butter Sauce evenly over the top of the cake. Let cake cool to room temperature in the pan before removing.
 
Mint Frosting:

Melt chocolate chips with sweetened condensed milk in heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until chips are melted. Remove from heat and stir in creme de menthe liqueur (or mint extract). Let cool for 10 minutes, then spread evenly over the cooled cake. Garnish with fresh mint leaves. Chill to set chocolate ganache. Take cake out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before cutting to serve.  
Yield: 12 to 18 servings, depending on slice cut
Note: You may substitute green creme de menthe for the white, however the color may not be appealing. Just add a drop or two of green food coloring.

Mmmmmm Mmmmmm
 NO ONE BRINGS GOOD EATS
AT THE RACES 
AT THE BIJOU
  LIKE SWEET SUGAR DOES. 
  
TAKE IT FROM ME ~ 
I'VE GOT HORSE SENSE. 

7 comments:

Harry said...

That is some mighty sweet looking cake you have there Sugar! I just cracked the seal on a bottle of Old Grandad for the first round of Mint Juleps!

Harry said...

Looks like there is an awful lot of leftover cake. These folks don't know what they're missing. Slice me off another slab Sugar!

Kate Pilarcik ~ absolutely said...

Well pour some bourbon and let me put on a good robust pot of coffee ... I'll kick'back with the two of you for eating cake and savouring racetime and lifetime memories ... Ahhh, the good*life.

~ Absolutely*Kate

Harry said...

That sounds just fine!

Kate Pilarcik ~ absolutely said...

Fine? It sounds delicious ... or, since Shoogs prepared the spread -- scrumptious ... and the laughs around all who join us at such a tabletime of tantalizing fun*fun*fun til someone absconds our T'bird away ... will just spark the world all the more.

~ Subtly said, that Kate, absolutely

Wendy said...

Yous guys make me smile real big! Apparently I've been out cruisin' in the T-bird and fun fun funnin' around...hope you aren't still waitin' on the that slab of cake, Har!

Kate Pilarcik ~ absolutely said...

I was waitin. Weren't you waitin' Har? And Har - why'd you go change all the alphabetizing Shoogs had done to her spicy cabinet. Geeeez is she gonna cut you a thin slice.