Friday..err Monday Happy Hour: Coquito aka Puerto Rican Eggnog

I've been remiss about keeping up with this blog this year :( and I've made so many delicious things! One of my favorite part of the holidays is hanging out with the bees when they make coquito (the bees are a group of girls in Orlando). I got a recipe from one of the gals at my new job (YES! new job in Tampa!) and decided to make some to share at Christmas this year. It's pretty simple... here goes:

Coquito

• 2 egg yolks, beaten
• 12 ounce can evaporated milk
• 14 ounce can cream of coconut (you can usually find this with the mixers in the supermarket)
• 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup white rum (okay, I used a whole cup)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Start by cooking the egg yolks & evaporated milk over a double boiler until it reaches 160 on a candy thermometer or it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

In a blender, combine the rest of the ingredients. 

When the egg mixture is cooked, add it to the blender and blend for 30 seconds. I left the little middle lid off and covered with a towel just in case it tried to explode like that one time at BTW's (cleaning gazpacho off blinds is NOT fun, FYI). 

Then I cleaned out two wine bottles and poured the mixture into both. It made a LOT! Almost two full wine bottles! 

Then, just let cool and sit overnight and you're ready to share with all your alcoholic friends and family! I should've made fancy labels but it's almost Christmas and ain't nobody got time for that! 

Hope you have a great holiday :)
xoxo,
janie from scratch

Hamburger Cupcakes

Happy Summer Yall!! This month has been such a whirl wind. I got home from Europe, and then it was Mother's Day. I made my favorite thing ever for my godmother, mom and friend for dinner that day -- Jerk Chicken with Jalapeno-Mint Glaze & Mango Salsa. THEN came birthday season... Within 1 week, I have the bf's, my friends Juan's & Brett's AND my birthday. And then was Memorial Day Weekend, so I am ready for some R&R this week by the pool! My mom is leaving on Monday for Maine until October, so hopefully we can have some QT this week too :)

I saw these ADORABLE cupcakes a few years ago on Bakerella's website (sidenote: she has the cutest ideas EVER) and made them for a 4th of July Party two years ago and they were a big hit. I got asked to make dessert for a Memorial Day Pool Party...which was SO EPIC, BTW:

Token Janie-face

So I whipped up these cute hamburger cupcakes again. They are adorable and so easy.

First, make a set of yellow boxed cupcake mix. I always use mixes for this recipe. For the cupcakes, I underfill the cupcakes a little - closer to half-full then 2/3 like the box says. Let cool, then take the papers off. I also sprinkle white sesame seeds to the top while they are cooling to make them look more like hamburger buns (if you forget, you can rub the tops with a little water to help them stick).

Then, mix up a brownie mix, and bake in a 13x9-ish sized pan. If you bake them in a smaller pan, they will turn out too fat to look like hamburger patties. While they are still warm, use a cookie cutter or empty can to cut out the patties. I've used an empty Campbell's soup can and also a small mason jar. Then let finish cooling.

Get a can of frosting, and dye half red (for ketchup) and half yellow (for mustard). For the lettuce, I shake sweetened coconut in a ziplock bag with a few drops of green food coloring.

To assemble, cut the cupcakes in half. I cut them close to the top little ledge. Put the cut-out brownie on the "bottom bun" with some "lettuce" and then squeeze some "ketchup & mustard" on the edges and top with the "top bun." This makes about 16 "burgers" so if you need more, make an extra batch!

 I had some leftover frosting and coconut so I put them in ramekins on the side if anyone wanted extra.

How cute are those?!?! And truly so easy and impressive for a summer BBQ or picnic. 

Hope everyone is having a great start to the summer! It's hot as blazes here in Florida, so summer has definitely arrived :)

xoxo,

Janie from Scratch

Homemade Almond Joys

Last week, my friend Becky posted a link to homemade Almond Joy bars. They looked too easy to not make, so I whipped them up on Friday. If you like coconut, you'll love these. They are SO yummy and super simple. And won't take you all day to make, like some candy!

Almond Joy Bars
7 oz sweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup egg whites (about 3 extra large eggs)
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
whole roasted almonds (unsalted)
4 ounces good quality chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons butter

Start by mixing the coconut, sugar, flour and salt in a saucepan.

In another bowl, measure out the egg whites and honey. Whip them with a whisk until they are foamy.

Then add the egg mixture to the coconut mixture in the pan. Mix well with a spatula.

Turn the heat on medium, and cook for about 10 minutes. You have to be very vigilant and stir continuously or else the bottom will burn. After about 10 minutes, you'll notice that the mixture has turned beige.

Add in the vanilla. Then, remove from the heat, and let sit until the mix has cooled a bit. You should be able to handle it without it burning your hands. Take spoonfuls of the coconut mixture and form into little bars. It's really up to you how big to make them. I tried to make mine about the size of real Almond Joy bars. The mixture is super sticky, so to help me out, I sprayed my hands with some Pam to make it easier to form the bars. I also lined my baking pan with parchment paper to help to prevent sticking. I got about 15 bars, the recipe says you'll get 18, so it really depends on how big you make the bars as to how many you'll get.

Press two or three almonds into each bar. Or just skip this if you just want mounds.

Bake the bars 20-25 minutes at 350F until they are browned. Let cool completely.

Over a double-boiler, melt chocolate and butter.

Dip each bar into the chocolate, and return to a parchment paper lined baking sheet to let the chocolate set up. You can put them in the fridge if you want to hurry the process, or just eat them with soft chocolate--nothing wrong with that!

Hope you enjoy these super simple tasty treats :)