Good Morning, Darlings!

Our friend Esther, from NYC, sent me these recipes – did you know you could bake with absinthe? Me, either! But bake you can! These treats are made with Lucid Absinthe, the first legal and legitimate absinthe sold in the United States in 95 years. This my dearies, is the real deal.

Do you remember the night that Chioke made absinthe cocktails for us? And we paired them with the wicked chocolates from Sucre? No, I can’t remember either, but I’m pretty sure it was mad fun!

Here are sweets and matching drinks made with Lucid Absinthe. Just be careful of the green fairies!

Tell us a spooky absinthe tale, Esther!

Halloween Cocktails & Confections Adult Style

To honor October’s National Dessert Month in style and celebrate all things mystifying and spooky for Halloween, how about pairing some delectable treats with some ghoulish cocktails?

Inspired by Halloween and captivating the spirit surrounding the holiday, famed pastry chef Martin Howard has created brand-new desserts that feature Lucid absinthe, launched in 2007 as the first absinthe to be legally available in America.

“Absinthe is such a powerful and flavor-packed ingredient, that can be used in both contemporary cocktails and also in food. Using Lucid absinthe in my desserts really allows the American consumer to discover the rich anise flavor like never before,” says Howard. “For Halloween, absinthe is a natural fit, not only because of the seasonal fall-time herbs (the wormwood, star-anise and fennel), but also there is a quality of excitement and mystery behind absinthe.”

Whether it’s an almond cake trifle or devil’s food cupcakes filled with absinthe-spiked buttercream, Howard provides three fresh ways to spice up your dessert course.

1. The Eyes Have It
A devil’s food cupcake filled with Lucid buttercream, topped with a rich ganache and white chocolate eyes.

And 7th Sin cocktail
Lucid absinthe, lemon lime soda, garnish: lime wedge

2. Lucid Apple Pan Dowdy
Apples, Lucid soaked raisins, brown sugar and cinnamon baked in a casserole dish covered with a flaky pastry crust served with a Lucid whipped cream

And French Pear Cocktail
Lucid absinthe, fresh pear juice, simple syrup, lemon juice

3. Lucid in the Sky with Almonds
A Lucid laced almond cake trifle served up in a martini glass with cherries, caramel and candied almonds. Chocolate almond shooting star.
and Cherry Almond Pop, Lucid absinthe, almond syrup, fresh lime juice, sour cherries, Cremant d’Alsace sparkling wine

French Pear Cocktail

1 oz Lucid® absinthe
2 oz fresh pear juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
1/2 oz lemon juice
Shake all ingredients well in mixing glass with ice. Pour into highball glass and garnish with sliced pear.

Apple Pan Dowdy with Lucid whipped cream
Crust
1 c. Flour
4 TBSP Butter
4 TBSP Shortening
1 tsp. Sugar
½ tsp Salt
¼ c. Cold water
Blend together flour, butter, shortening, sugar and salt with a pastry blender. Add water and mix just until combined. Wrap and chill.

Filling
4 Apples
¼ tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp. Cinnamon
½ c. Sugar
1 TBSP. Flour
2 TBSP. Lucid
Peel, core and slice apples. Place all ingredients into a bowl and toss together with your hands and place into individual baking dishes. Dot with butter if desired. Roll dough into slightly larger rounds than the diameter of the dishes. Egg wash edges and place dough over dish. Egg wash tops and crimp edges. Make a slit in top of each. Bake at 400? for 15 minutes. Turn oven down to 325? and bake for 30 minutes or until apples are soft.

Whip together 1 c. heavy cream, 1 ½ TBSP sugar, ½ tsp vanilla extract and 1TBSP Lucid to medium peaks. Serve on side or pipe into slit in top of crust. Makes 4-6 portions depending on size of dishes.

7th Sin
1 oz Lucid® absinthe
3 oz lemon-lime soda
Mix together in tumbler glass with ice. Garnish with a lime wedge.

The Eyes Have It
¾ c. Water
¾ c. Cocoa powder
¾ c. Butter
2 c. Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 TBSP. Lucid
3 eggs
2 ½ c. Flour
1 tsp. Baking powder
1 tsp. Baking soda
1 c. Buttermilk
In a small pot, bring water to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in cocoa powder. Cover and set aside. In a bowl, cream together butter, sugar, salt, Lucid and vanilla. Add eggs and continue to cream until light and fluffy. Sift dry ingredients and add alternately with buttermilk. Add cocoa-and-water mixture and combine. Scrape bowl well and mix until smooth. Scoop into paper lined cupcake pans filling them 2/3 full. Bake at 350? for 20-25 minutes or until springy to the touch for medium sized cupcakes, 10-15 minutes for mini.

Buttercream filling
4 Egg whites
¾ c. Sugar
1 c. Butter, soft
½ tsp. Vanilla extract
1 TBSP. Lucid
Whisk together egg whites and sugar in a bowl. Place over a double boiler until sugar is melted and mixture is very warm. Remove from heat and whip with electric mixer on high until stiff peaks form. Turn mixer to low and add butter in small pieces. Add vanilla and Lucid and blend until smooth. Add a drop each of green and yellow food color if desired. Place into a pastry bag with a small round tip( 1/8 ”) and pipe into center of cooled cupcakes.

Creamy Chocolate Topping
8 oz. Dark chocolate chips
2 TBSP. Butter
¾ c. Heavy cream
2 TBSP. Sugar
Put chocolate chips and butter in a bowl. In a pot, bring cream and sugar to a boil and pour over chocolate and butter. Stir with a rubber spatula until smooth.

Dip tops of filled cupcakes in chocolate topping and let set. When set. Decorate tops with remaining buttercream.

If you have chocolate topping left over, warm in microwave and add a little Lucid and pour over ice cream for a Chocolate Lucid Sundae!

Yummy!

xoxo, Patti

Today blogging to Kylie Minogue (as the Green Fairy) – The Hills Are Alive