Sugar Plum Punch

Looking for a festive holiday cocktail? How about this Nutcracker-inspired Sugar Plum Fairy Punch! Created by the fine folks at Lounge ON20, this cocktail is an ode to the tart and sweet tastes of the season. It blends cranberry juice with homemade plum rosemary syrup. Top with beautifully sugar-coated black grapes, and you have a cheerful holiday drink.

This punch celebrates the upcoming Nutcracker performance from Pamela Hayes Classical Ballet studio. Lounge ON20 owner Ali Mackani will be dancing in the delightful holiday classic, so his restaurant stirred up this beverage in a nod to the show. If you're interested in seeing The Nutcracker this year, order your tickets soon. The ballet only runs for one weekend: December 17-19!

Sugar Plum Fairy Punch Recipe

Use a Martini Shaker and add the following ingredients except for the Champagne / Sparkling wine.

Add Ice and Shake for 10-15 seconds. Strain in a fluted Champagne glass. Top with Champange / Sparking wine.

Garnish with  Frozen Sugar Coated Black Grapes (seedless)  - Cheers

1 oz. vodka 

1 oz. Plum Wine

1 oz. Rosemary - Plum Simple Syrup

2 oz. White Cranberry Juice

.25 oz. St Germain 

.25 oz. Fresh Lime Juice

Splash of Champagne / Sparkling Wine 

Rosemary - Plum Simple Syrup Recipe

1/2 lb Seedless Black Grapes

8 oz. Sundried Plums

1 sprig of Rosemary

48 oz of Water 

3 cups of Sugar

In a sauce pan add all ingredients and slowly bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cool. Stain mixture. 

Frozen Sugar Coated Black Grapes

Use seedless Black Grapes

Spear two or three grapes onto a toothpick.

Roll in Sugar and place grapes on parchment paper and freeze.

Kid-Friendly Non-alcoholic Version

5 - 6 oz. White Cranberry Juice

1 oz. Rosemary - Plum Simple Syrup

.25 oz Fresh Lime Juice

1 - 2 oz. of Sparkling Apple Cider

Garnish with Frozen Sugar Coated Black Grapes (seedless)

Labels: ballet, holiday cocktail recipe, Pamela Hayes Classical Ballet, Sacramento recipe, seasonal cocktail recipe, Sugar Plum Punch recipe, The Nutcracker

Do you have that one family recipe that you guard with your life? The one that everyone begs you for, but you’re just not willing to give up? Well, this is one such family recipe of mine. My mom made it, my grandma made it, and my great-grandma made it. In fact, this is the recipe that best defines my kitchen memories. I almost named my blog after this recipe. It means that much to me.
This recipe was passed on to me when I first left home. Grandma wrote it on a slip of scrap paper and mailed it to me while I was living in Denmark as an exchange student. I made it for my host families, who immediately begged me for the recipe. It’s a one-of-a kind. It’s the best rhubarb recipe there is, using almost five cups of chopped rhubarb. It has everything a great dessert needs: it’s served warm; it’s covered in a rich sauce; the pinwheel dough is moist and comforting; and it pairs wonderfully with vanilla ice cream. It's tangy, sweet, and like the vegetable that gives it its name, utterly unique.

If I gave you the recipe as my grandma gave it to me, I doubt you’d have much luck. The instructions reflect the hands-on learning that’s associated with a family recipe. For example, she lists all the pinwheel ingredients, and the directions simply state, “Mix in order given. This is the dough.” Yet, I had to call home to ask whether the butter was cut in like scone batter, or blended like cookie batter.

Of course, like everything I do, I have altered her recipe ever so subtly to provide a slightly healthier version of this luscious dessert. I have decreased the amount of sugar, added some extra spice, and added wheat flour. The wheat flour makes a slightly chewier pinwheel, but I think only Grandma will notice.

Lucky, lucky, lucky you! I am not only sharing our family’s most treasured recipe with you, but I have also rewritten it so that you will understand the instructions clearly. When you make this, I only ask that you give my grandma credit!

Grandma Betty’s Famous Rhubarb Pinwheels
4 cups water
3 cups organic sugar
1 cup diced rhubarb (1/2-inch pieces)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoons organic sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
½ cup cold butter
1 scant cup buttermilk
3 ½ cups diced rhubarb (½-inch pieces)
1/3 scant cup sugar
1 teaspoon each ground cinnamon and ginger

Farmers' Market Fare: whole wheat flour, butter
Fresh from My Garden: rhubarb
Local California Ingredients: buttermilk
Non-local Supermarket Ingredients: sugar, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.


Bake in a 450 degree oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. When your taste buds become giddy with joy, yell, “Thanks, Grandma Betty!”

Makes about 16-19 pinwheels.

Labels: family recipe, farmers market recipe, grandma's recipe, rhubarb, rhubarb dessert, rhubarb pinwheel, rhubarb pinwheel recipe, rhubarb recipe, Sacramento recipe, seasonal recipe

Welcome to my favorite breakfast. I love waffles. I love how they fill the whole house with their unmistakable aroma. I love how pretty they look stacked on a plate. I love how easy they are to make (I read the paper while I wait for each one). I especially love how many flavors you can create from them.
My most recent favorite: pumpkin waffles loaded with spice and topped with fluffy, sweet vanilla whipped cream. Just thinking about them makes me want to run to my kitchen and start making a batch.

They taste so delicately sweet, so light, and so luscious that you’ll want to feel guilty. But you can’t. This bliss is made with “Super Food” pumpkin, healthy whole grains, and lots of joyful spices to make your heart happy.

Made with fresh ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves, these spicy waffles will beckon you to settle in for a while. Savor the morning, and the flavors, as you linger with family or friends. Sit back. Close your eyes. And wait for heaven to blanket you in soft, splendid bites of perhaps the best. waffles. ever!

Pumpkin Waffles with Vanilla Whipped Cream

Ingredients:
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup oat bran
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup pumpkin puree
4 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon spiced rum
¼ cup canola oil

Vanilla Whipped Cream
1 cup organic heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Additional ingredients:
Grade B organic maple syrup

Farmers’ Market Fare: Walnuts, eggs
Local California ingredients: buttermilk, cream
Non-local supermarket ingredients: flours, oat bran, sugar, spices, salt, baking powder and soda, pumpkin puree (unless you can your own), vanilla extract, rum, maple syrup

Preheat waffle iron. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place a large, metal bowl in the freezer (to be used later to make vanilla whipped cream).

In a large bowl, combine the flour and the following 11 dry ingredients (ending with baking soda). Stir with a whisk to combine. Form a well in the center and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, eggs, buttermilk, vanilla extract, rum, and canola oil with a whisk.

Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture. Stir with the whisk until combined. The batter will be thick.

Lightly spray your waffle iron with nonstick spray. Pour about 2/3 cup of the waffle batter onto the waffle iron. Close the lid and cook the waffle according to the instructions in your waffle iron. When each waffle has baked until golden, place it directly on the oven rack in a single layer in your preheated oven.

Remove metal bowl from freezer. Pour heavy whipping cream into the bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream on medium speed for about 1 minute, or until soft peaks begin to form. Add the vanilla extract and sugar. Resume beating on medium speed until firm peaks form.

When all the waffles are ready, serve them with a dollop of whipped cream on top and maple syrup on the side. Try not to die from over-enjoyment.

If you have leftover waffles, take them out of the oven and allow them to cool on a wire rack in a single layer. (If you stack them, they’ll turn soggy.) Store in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also store leftover whipped cream in a jar in the fridge for later use.

Makes about 9 fluffy waffles.

Labels: breakfast, California ingredients, farmers market ingredients, pumpkin waffle recipe, pumpkin waffles, Sacramento recipe, vanilla whipped cream, waffle recipe, waffles, whipped cream recipe