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      Old Fashioned Cocktail

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      An Old Fashioned is a true classic. Made with whiskey, sugar, Angostura bitters, and an orange peel (or cherry) for garnish, it’s a cocktail made for whiskey lovers!

      Photography Credit: Alison Bickel

      What did the trendy cocktail say to the classic cocktail? “I’m glad that you’re Old Fashioned.” And … thank you, folks, that’s all for tonight!
      Even if you know nothing about cocktails, chances are you’ve at least heard of an Old Fashioned. Made with just four ingredients – whiskey, sugar, Angostura bitters, and an optional (but recommended) orange peel or Luxardo cherry garnish – the Old Fashioned is up there with other cocktail greats like the Manhattan, Negroni, and Sazerac.
      It’s super simple to make, too, as is appropriate for a cocktail designed to highlight its main ingredient – whiskey!
      Video! How to Make an Old Fashioned Cocktail

      THE BEST WHISKEY FOR AN OLD FASHIONED
      The best whiskey for an Old Fashioned is … the whiskey you like! Many reputable mixologists and cocktail enthusiasts have opined on whether you should use rye or bourbon, but honestly, you can use either. Which do you prefer? There – that’s your whiskey for an Old Fashioned!
      I like this drink with bourbon. I used Buffalo Trace most recently, but other mid-tier bourbons like Maker’s Mark, Bulleit, or Knob Creek would all be excellent choices.
      SUGAR CUBE OR SIMPLE SYRUP?
      Old Fashioned purists say the proper thing to do is to muddle a sugar cube with the bitters (and either a little club soda or water) in the bottom of the rocks glass. Non-purists, like myself, think that’s nice but the sugar never seems to fully dissolve this way. Either my muddling skills are weak (quite possible), or there might be another way.
      I’m in favor of using simple syrup for an Old Fashioned because it’s easy and convenient. Here’s how to make it.

      IF YOU WANT TO EXPERIMENT, TRY DIFFERENT BITTERS
      Angostura bitters is traditionally used in an Old Fashioned. (Fun fact: Apparently Angostura bitters is kind of like Coca Cola, in that only five people on earth know the recipe, which reportedly consists of over 40 different herbs and spices! That may be true, but I mostly smell nutmeg right off the bat.)
      You can’t go wrong with Angostura bitters, but if you’re making an Old Fashioned in the winter or around the holidays, I recommend using a few dashes of Fee Brothers Old Fashioned Bitters instead. You get way more cinnamon and clove on the nose, like a winter holiday in a bottle.
      MORE WHISKEY COCKTAILS TO ENJOY THIS WINTER: 

      Updated December 23, 2020 : We added a new video to help you make the best old fashioned cocktail ever. Enjoy!

      Old Fashioned Recipe

      Ingredients
      2 ounces bourbon or rye whiskey
      1/4 ounce simple syrup
      2 dashes Angostura bitters
      Orange peel or Luxardo cherry, for garnish (optional)

      Method

      1 Make the drink: Add simple syrup and bitters to a rocks glass. Fill the glass with ice, and stir to combine. (My favorite stirrer for a single cocktail? This cake tester!) Add bourbon or rye and stir for about 30 seconds to chill and dilute. Garnish with orange peel or Luxardo cherry, if desired.

      Hello! All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. Thank you!

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      Cambria Bold
      Cambria Bold is a Senior Editor for Simply Recipes. She has almost a decade’s worth of online editorial experience and know-how, first as the Managing Editor for Apartment Therapy’s green living site Re-Nest (RIP) and later as the Design and Lifestyle Editor for Kitchn. She lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and their two little girls.
      More from Cambria LEGGI TUTTO

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      Easy Buttermilk Waffles

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      Here’s a Classic Buttermilk Waffle Recipe! These waffles are light and crispy on the outside, tender in the middle. No mixer required. Make a batch ahead and freeze for easy breakfasts!

      Featured in 12 Recipes to Use Up Buttermilk and 16 Recipes Kids Can Make for Mother’s Day

      Waffles are a serious business in my breakfast-loving household, and I recently set my sights on the mother of all maple-drenched ambitions: The Classic Buttermilk Waffle. This is such a simple and timeless breakfast that I figured it would be easy-peasy to come up with a good waffle recipe.
      VIDEO! How to Make Buttermilk Waffles

      What is “Classic” Buttermilk Waffle Recipe?
      Do a little digging for buttermilk waffle recipes and you can find all sorts of “classic” recipes that use everything from cornstarch to coconut flour. I’m sure those recipes are great, but I wanted to make real buttermilk waffles. The kind my grandma would have made, with 100% buttermilk and no surprising add-ins or zany substitutions. Just the basics for this waffle recipe, please and thank you.
      Two bags of flour, a few dozen eggs, and several cartons of buttermilk later, and I think I’ve got an easy waffle recipe winner! Crispy on the outside, soft in the middle, and a rich buttery flavor, these buttermilk waffles just beg for jam and syrup.

      Easy Waffle Recipe? Depends on Method
      This is an easy waffle recipe. But even with just buttermilk, flour, eggs, and melted butter as the main ingredients, there are a surprising number of ways to put these buttermilk waffles together. Seems as if there are a half dozen ways of how to make waffles. Who knew? How hard or how easy your waffle recipe is, depends largely on whether you beat eggs, separate eggs, and so forth.
      After much deliberation, I decided to try the following waffle recipe tests:
      One-Bowl Method: Mix the dry ingredients, make a well in the center for the liquids, then stir everything together. Why? So easy you can make them while still half-asleep.
      Two-Bowl Method: Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the liquid ingredients in another, then stir the wet into the dry. Why? This way, the liquid ingredients get thoroughly mixed before going into the dry, giving you a more uniform consistency throughout. This is also the method used by the majority of buttermilk waffle recipes that I found.
      Separate the Eggs: Same as the two-bowl method, but separate the yolks and whites. The yolks get mixed with the liquids, and then the liquids go into the dry ingredients. Finally, the unbeaten egg white is folded into the batter. Why? I first discovered this unusual method in a pancake recipe on The Kitchn. It turned out to be a brilliant trick and less fussy than beating egg whites, so I thought I’d give it a try here.
      Beat the Egg Whites: Same as above, except beat the egg whites in a mixer until they hold soft peaks before folding them into the batter. Why? Many a waffle recipe swear up and down that this makes loftier, lighter, fluffier waffles or pancakes.
      And the Winner is…
      The results were really surprising. All the buttermilk waffles emerged from the waffle iron with a nicely golden crust and tender interior – no complaints there. The only problem was that the batches were also nearly identical.
      I had expected to see some significant differences between the buttermilk waffles, and I had particularly high hopes for the waffles made with beaten egg whites. But truthfully, I had a hard time telling the batches apart. Take a look for yourself!

      Left to right: one-bowl, two-bowl, separated eggs, beaten egg white

      How to Make The Best Waffles: My Conclusion
      If you want to get nit-picky about it, the one-bowl method made perfectly fine waffles, but they had an ever-so-slightly denser and less even texture than the other methods. Both egg white versions, beaten and unbeaten, had an ever-so-slightly lighter texture, but personally, I didn’t feel like it was worth the effort. If I’m going to pull out the mixer and fuss with egg whites, I’d better be getting some extra-super-duper-lofty waffles for my trouble.
      For me, I’m sticking with the two-bowl method for my buttermilk waffle recipe. This is the Goldilocks option: the perfect compromise of ease versus effort. You end up using two bowls, but the results are worth the extra clean-up.

      Love Crispy Waffles?!
      I did have one lingering problem with my buttermilk waffles: the crispy factor. Straight out of the waffle iron, the waffles had a golden, lightly crispy exterior that I loved, but this quickly faded as the waffles cooled.
      The solution is to toast the waffles in the oven for a few minutes — something I discovered while trying to keep a batch warm before serving. This cooks off some extra moisture, giving you a crunchy outer shell that stays crisp even once the waffles cool. Five to ten minutes at 250°F will do the trick; much longer and they start to get tough and dry.
      If you want extra-extra crispy waffles, replace half of the buttermilk with whole or 2% milk. I tried this swap in one final test batch, and even though it breaks my 100% buttermilk rule, by golly it makes some crispy waffles.

      How to Serve Waffles to a Crowd
      The oven trick also neatly solves the problem of serving your whole family at once. Transfer each batch of waffles to the oven as they’re ready, let them get crispy, and then serve. You can even make these buttermilk waffles a day or two ahead and crisp them in the oven (or a toaster!) just before serving.
      Storing & Freezing Waffles
      Waffles are a great make-ahead breakfast!
      Refrigerator waffles: Store prepared waffles in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
      Frozen waffles: Freeze waffles in a ziptop freezer bag with all the air pressed out for up to a month. (For longer storage, wrap stacks of waffles in aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn and then place in freezer bags)
      Reheating instructions: Refrigerated or frozen, reheat waffles individually in the toaster. Frozen waffles will likely need a few extra minutes to become toasty.
      More Classic Breakfast Ideas!

      Updated December 23, 2020 : We added a video to this post to help you make the best waffles ever. Enjoy!

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      Easy Panna Cotta

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      Panna cotta is such an easy and elegant make-ahead dessert for any special occasion, from Christmas dinner to the Fourth of July! Serve with a quick fruit sauce and summer berries. Continue reading “Easy Panna Cotta” » LEGGI TUTTO

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      Toasted Sesame Peanut Butter Balls

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      Toasted sesame seeds and ancho chile powder give this classic holiday candy a new twist. Tradition dictates that I make some kind of peanut butter and chocolate confection each year for Christmas. Sometimes it's Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Fudge, other times it's Buckeyes. This year I came across a new recipe that intrigued me with its simple ingredients and complex flavors. It incorporates benne seeds – a southern strain of sesame seeds – and ancho chile powder into a well-known classic candy.The benne seed is an heirloom variety derived from the same plant as modern-day sesame seeds. They are scarce, but can be procured at specialty markets. Since sesame seeds are their relative and more widely available (although flavor-wise, benne is more nuanced) I decided to use them in this recipe. It gave this candy a whole new personality!Continued, click to read more… LEGGI TUTTO

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      Classic Shortbread Cookies

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      Take your cookie plate to a new level with these buttery, crisp, and utterly delicious classic shortbread cookies! Easy to share, but we won’t blame you for keeping them all to yourself.

      Shortbread is a celebration of simplicity—a combination of butter, sugar, and flour that adds up to so much more.
      Shortbread was one of the first baking projects I ever tackled—at a friend’s house in 4th grade under the intense supervision of her mother. I don’t remember much about the cookies but I do remember thinking they were pretty basic. I mean where were the chocolate chips?
      Video! How to Make Shortbread Cookies

      What is Shortbread?
      The “short” part of shortbread refers to the lack of gluten development in this cookie. Liquid activates gluten, but because there’s no liquid in the recipe (and a lot of fat), the gluten doesn’t have a chance to develop into long strands of protein that, in turn, give other baked goods their chewy texture.
      Since the gluten is kept “short,” we get a tender, crumbly cookie that melts in the mouth.

      The Best Butter for Shortbread
      A note on butter—you can make delicious shortbread using whatever butter you normally buy, but if you enjoy the flavor of butter, I would suggest using a premium European-style butter. My personal favorite is Kerrygold.
      European butters tend to be denser (aka more fat, less water) than the usual supermarket butter, and make a richly colored and flavored shortbread. I’ve tested this recipe using both types with excellent results!
      My only note for European-style butter is to either be sure to find unsalted butter or reduce the salt in the recipe if using salted butter.

      Don’t Overwork the Dough!
      Even though we’re using a short dough, it’s possible to overwork the dough, causing the cookies to become tough. The best way to avoid a tough cookie is to not handle the dough too much.
      A food processor makes quick work of combining the ingredients and prevents me from overworking the dough.
      When I make cutout cookies, I try to cut as many cookies as I can the first time, so I only regather the scraps and reroll the dough once.
      Swaps & Substitutions for Shortbread
      Shortbread’s simplicity lends it to endless adaptations:
      You can pretty much shape it any way. Roll it into a log and slice, roll out and either cut into a grid or stamp out with cookie cutters, press it into a round cake pan and score into wedges before baking, or if you’re fancy and have cookie molds you can press the dough into those for an intricate design.
      You can also flavor shortbread with all sorts of ingredients, from tea leaves, matcha, dried fruit powders, nuts, and chocolate.
      I personally love a nutty shortbread—walnut is my favorite! I love the slight bitterness of the walnuts with the sweet, buttery shortbread. Whenever I add nuts or even chocolate, I grind (or grate) it fairly small. In the case of a nutty shortbread, I aim for the flavor to be a part of the dough, as opposed to a mix-in. I also find large chunks disrupt the shape of cut-outs.

      How to Store Shortbread Cookies
      Shortbread is a great cookie-jar cookie, in that it keeps well at room temperature for several days. I live in the desert, so I keep them in a container to prevent them from drying out—however, when I lived in Michigan and Oregon, the humidity was the enemy. There, I found that storing cookies in a lidded container with a silica gel packet (I just save these from other food packages) keeps the humidity at bay.
      These cookies also freeze well, and I freeze them in a freezer bag that I have pressed as much air out of as possible. They will keep for a month or more, but honestly, we never have them around that long.
      Love a Good Cookie? Give These A try!

      Updated December 22, 2020 : We added a video to help you make the best shortbread cookies ever! No changes to the original recipe. Enjoy! LEGGI TUTTO

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      Black Bottom Eggnog Pie

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      Make spirits bright with a slice of eggnog pie! A layer of rich chocolate covers the pecan cookie crust for a delicious twist on this quintessential holiday flavor.  

      Eggnog is a mainstay of the season and I miss it when the holidays are over. Come January, it slowly disappears from the dairy case, not to return until Santa does next year. We’ve been relishing this treat nightly with gingersnaps around a cozy fire. It’s like our own tiny celebration of the season. 

      This pie offers a different way to celebrate with eggnog  – a sliceable version wrapped in a pecan cookie crust. It’s rich with a bottom stripe of chocolate and lots of whipped cream on top.

      Nearly a whole package of Keebler Pecan Sandies and a little melted butter make the crust for this pie. It’s a simple foundation that gets a quick bake. Chocolate chips are scattered across the bottom of the hot crust and melt quickly for the ‘black bottom’.

      This recipe doesn’t use commercial eggnog as an ingredient, it’s a scratch-made affair that deserves plenty of whipped cream and freshly grated nutmeg on top, just like any good glass of eggnog should be enjoyed.

      A hefty dose of bourbon in this pie keeps with tradition, but if you’re serving this to kiddos or have other considerations, replace the bourbon with an equal amount of whole milk.

      [click to print]
      Black Bottom Eggnog Pie
      Yields one 9-inch pie2 cups (200 grams) ground pecan shortbread cookie crumbs
      1/4 cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, melted
      1/2 cup (85 grams) semi-sweet chocolate morsels
      2 1/4 cups (532 ml) heavy whipping cream
      1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated sugar
      1/2 cup (120 ml) bourbon
      1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
      1 envelope unflavored gelatin
      1/4 cup (60 ml) cold water
      6 egg yolks, lightly beaten
      1 tablespoon unsalted butter
      3/4 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped to stiff peaks
      3 whole pecan shortbread cookies
      More freshly ground nutmeg for garnishPreheat oven to 350°F.
      Stir together cookie crumbs and melted butter in a mixing bowl; press firmly into the bottom of a 9″ deep-dish pie plate. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove crust from the oven and immediately sprinkle chocolate morsels onto warm crust. Let stand 5 minutes or until morsels melt; carefully spread melted chocolate over the bottom of the crust with a spatula. Set aside to cool completely.In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together whipping cream, sugar, bourbon and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg. Stirring constantly, heat the mixture until it steams but do not boil.Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in a small bowl and let stand 1 minute.Whisk egg yolks lightly to break them up in a separate medium bowl. Gradually whisk 1/4 of the warm cream mixture into the bowl of egg yolks. Add the yolk mixture to remaining warm cream mixture in the pan, whisking constantly. Stir in the bloomed gelatin. Cook at a simmer 3 to 5 minutes, whisking constantly, until the gelatin is melted and the custard reaches 160°F on an instant read thermometer.Remove from heat, and stir in 1 tablespoon of butter until it melts. Cool custard filling to room temperature, about 25 minutes. Pour the filling into the crust. Chill pie in the refrigerator at least 4 hours or until firm.Transfer whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with an open star tip and pipe a thick rope of whipped cream around the outside edge of the pie. Crumble the 3 whole pecan shortbread cookies and sprinkle on top of the pie; sprinkle on ground nutmeg for garnish.Use a sharp knife and gentle pressure to slice pie, as the chocolate layer in the crust will harden as the pie chills in the refrigerator. This pie can be stored in the refrigerator up to one week.Note: 1/2 cup whole milk can be swapped in for the bourbon in this recipe.
      link Black Bottom Eggnog Pie By Heather Baird Published: Tuesday, December 22, 2020Tuesday, December 22, 2020Black Bottom Eggnog Pie Recipe LEGGI TUTTO

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      Classic Stuffed Mushrooms

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      These classic stuffed mushrooms are loaded with shallots, garlic, walnuts, breadcrumbs, and chopped mushroom stems. Sprinkle with Parmesan, pop them in the oven, and you’ve got a great appetizer for the holidays.

      Photography Credit: Sally Vargas

      A good stuffed mushroom recipe should be in every home cook’s collection. They’re easy to make, they’re great for parties, and the variations are endless!
      Video! How to Make Stuffed Mushrooms

      The Best Mushrooms for Stuffing
      Simple regular button mushrooms or the brown creminis are perfect for stuffing. Look for mushrooms with dry caps and gills (the feathery part underneath). Avoid mushrooms that seem slimy or have sunken brown spots.
      To prep for stuffing, scrub the mushrooms well, then just snap out the stems. They’ll come out easily; no need to use a knife.
      Ingredients for stuffed mushrooms
      This stuffed mushroom recipe is a classic. It is what you usually think of when you think of stuffed mushrooms—walnuts, herbs, garlic, chopped mushroom stems, breadcrumbs, and grated Parmesan.
      There is a reason everyone loves this combination. These stuffed mushrooms are hard to stop eating!

      The Best Way to Make Stuffed Mushrooms
      To make these stuffed mushrooms, first separate the stems from the mushroom caps, and chop them. Cook the chopped mushroom stems in butter with some shallots, garlic, and walnuts. Process with herbs and breadcrumbs and stuff the mushroom caps with that mixture.
      Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake until the cheese starts to brown and the mushroom caps release some of their water.
      Make Ahead Tips for Stuffed Mushrooms
      You can prepare the filling and stuff the mushrooms (without baking them) for up to 24 hours ahead. Just cover and refrigerate them, and then cook them right before serving. Once cooked, stuffed mushrooms do not hold up well for long periods.

      Suggestions and Substitutions for Stuffed Mushrooms
      Looking for more stuffed mushroom ideas? We’ve received many suggestions for variations on this recipe from readers over the years. Here are a few favorites:
      Sausage, cream cheese, chopped stems, Parmesan and garlic powder
      Duck or goose pâté (fois gras) topped with a small piece of bacon
      Cream cheese, spinach, and bacon
      Creamy chicken and white wine with a touch of garlic and tarragon
      Crab meat, cream cheese, and shredded Parmesan
      Onion, green pepper, pepperoni, garlic, the mushroom stems, parsley, oregano, a few Ritz Crackers
      Do you have a favorite stuffed mushroom recipe? If so, please tell us about it in the comments.
      More Ways to Love Mushrooms

      Updated December 21, 2020 : We added a new video to help you make the best stuffed mushrooms ever. Enjoy!

      Classic Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe

      The recipe can easily be scaled up—doubled or tripled.
      You can use either cremini or regular button mushrooms. Scrub the mushrooms well first, then just snap out the stems. They’ll come out easily, no need to use a knife.
      For parties, make the stuffing and have the mushrooms cleaned and stems removed ahead of time. But don’t cook them until you want to serve: Once cooked, stuffed mushrooms do not hold up well for long periods. Bake some, serve and repeat.

      Ingredients
      18 to 24 button or cremini mushrooms, scrubbed clean, stems separated from the caps, stems finely chopped
      1 tablespoon butter
      2 small shallots, minced, about 2 tablespoons
      1 large garlic clove, minced
      2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
      Salt
      2 tablespoons chopped parsley
      1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence or dried thyme
      2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
      2 tablespoons sherry or chicken stock
      2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
      2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

      Method

      1 Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
      2 Make filling: Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the chopped mushroom stems and the shallots for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and walnuts and sprinkle with salt. Stir well and sauté 2 more minutes.
      Turn off the heat and add the parsley, herbes de Provence and breadcrumbs. Pour the sherry into a food processor, then the rest of the stuffing. Pulse several times to get a fine mixture, almost a paste.

      3 Stuff mushroom caps: Toss the mushroom caps with olive oil. Fill each mushroom with the stuffing, and place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese over each mushroom.

      4 Bake: Bake for 10 to 20 minutes at 375°F (190°C), or until the cheese browns a little and a little water starts to pool at the base of each mushroom. Allow to cool for 5 minutes or so before serving.

      Hello! All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. Thank you!

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      Elise Bauer
      Elise Bauer is the founder of Simply Recipes. Elise launched Simply Recipes in 2003 as a way to keep track of her family’s recipes, and along the way grew it into one of the most popular cooking websites in the world. Elise is dedicated to helping home cooks be successful in the kitchen. Elise is a graduate of Stanford University, and lives in Sacramento, California.
      More from Elise LEGGI TUTTO