Happy Thirsty Thursday!!!

Another creepy and fun cocktail to serve up your guests - the Bleeding Heart Martini. A cocktail with a staked pickled beet that "bleeds" from a wound caused by a cocktail spear.

 Bleeding Heart Martini

SERVINGS 4

INGREDIENTS

2 ounces dry vermouth
8 ounces premium gin
Ice cubes
4 Pickled Baby Beets, each placed on a cocktail skewer
DIRECTIONS

Chill 4 martini glasses in the freezer or fill with ice water and let sit until frosty, about 5 minutes (pour out water). 

Add the vermouth, dividing evenly; swirl to coat the glasses, then pour out. 

Add gin to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously until chilled; divide among chilled glasses.

 Garnish each with a skewered pickled baby beet, and serve immediately.

It's Tasty Tuesday!

Incorporate Bon Temps bloody carnage into your True Blood party. 

Freak out your friends with these bloody morsels!

Blood Splatter Cookies

COOKIES

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened ( no substitutes)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
For cookies; in a large bowl combine butter with sugar, eggs, vanilla and almond extract; beat using an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy.
In another bowl combine the flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually stir into the butter mixture until well blended.Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.
Set oven to 400°F.
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (do not grease cookie sheets use parchment paper only).
On a very lightly floured surface roll out the dough into about 1/4-inch thickness.
Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters.
Place cookies 2-inches apart on cookie sheet.
Bake 4-6 minutes.
Remove cookies to wire racks to cool completely before icing.

Royal Icing

Ingredients
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tbsp. meringue powder
5 tbsp. water

Directions
Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the sheen has disappeared and the icing has a matte appearance (about 7-10 minutes). Transfer the contents of the mixing bowl to an air-tight container. This will be the stiffest consistency of the icing, and at this point it is still too stiff to use for decorating. Add water a very small amount at a time and stir by hand until fully incorporated. Continue until the icing has reached a consistency appropriate for piping. (Remember, if you are having any difficulty piping, it is still too thick. Add a little more liquid and try again.) Using a pastry bag, pipe around the edges of each cookie. Let stand so the icing will set. Make sure to keep the leftover icing covered at all times when not in use so that it does not begin to harden.

Once all the cookies have been edged, transfer some of the remaining icing to a separate air-tight container. Thin out by incorporating a small amount of water at a time, until the icing drips off the spoon easily when lifted and then smooths in with that still in the bowl. If you go too far and the icing is too thin, add more sifted powdered sugar to thicken it again. Once the icing has reached the desired consistency, transfer it to a squeeze bottle (or a plastic bag with a hole in one corner), and flood the area surrounded by the piping on each cookie. If it does not completely spread to the edges, use a toothpick to help it along. Allow to set.

Tint some of the leftover icing dark red. Thin it to a consistency that splatters well.
Lay cookies on a work surface covered in wax paper, parchment or foil.
Splatter away using a clean paintbrush or the tines of a fork, until the cookies look as gross as you like. Let dry. 

Happy Thirsty Thursday!!!

Here is a truly fun drink to serve up your guests! Take a "stab" at these frightful cocktails!

I FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN STAKED 

1 part Vodka

2 Parts Blood Orange Italian Soda (Whole Foods Brand)

Splash of Cointreau

Poured over Ice

Use Sugar Cane Stalks carved into ‘Stake’ points for stirring.

Raspberries for Garnish…’Stab’ them with the stakes to create more pops of red color in the glass.

It's Tasty Tuesday!

Serve up some bloody goodness with a Blood Fondue Bar!

Blood Fondue Bar

Source: Halloween Block Party 2010 on HGTV. Recipe by Kenneth Wingard; HGTV. http://kennethwingard.blogspot.com/2010/10/blood-fondue-recipe.html

Ingredients:

12 oz white chocolate chips

1 cup heavy cream

4 tbl butter

Red food coloring 

Strawberries

Sponge Cake (cut into cubes)

Pretzels

Purple Grapes, seedless

Directions:

Combine the heavy cream and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. When warm, add the chocolate chips, stirring constantly until smooth. Add food coloring several drops at a time until fondue becomes blood red. Transfer to a serving bowl. Arrange strawberries, sponge cake, grapes and pretzels in serving dishes with toothpicks or bamboo spears. Enjoy!

Happy Thirsty Thursday!!!

As True Blood Season 6 approaches, most of us are questioning what is going to happen with Billith?

Billith, the out of control Bill Compton-Lillith hybrid looks to reek havoc on our little town of Bon Temps and it's citizens. 

What exactly is it about Lillith's blood that brought the darkest side of Bill Compton to life? Our Thirsty Thursday drink is an ode to Billith - "The Dark Side of Billith"

The Dark Side of Billith

INGREDIENTS

Ice cubes

1 cup apple-flavored brandy

1/2 cup pomegranate juice

2 to 3 drops blue food color

1/3 cup grenadine syrup

6 maraschino cherries, if desired

DIRECTIONS

Fill 1-quart pitcher halfway with ice. Add brandy, pomegranate juice and food color; stir.

Pour grenadine evenly into 6 champagne flutes. Carefully pour brandy mixture into each glass, straining out ice and pouring slowly down side of glass so mixture floats on top of grenadine layer. 

Garnish with cherries.

 Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings

It's Tasty Tuesday!

This week we decided to do a little dish to celebrate the return of Sarah Newlin to True Blood. The last time we saw Sarah, she was trying to give Jason her banana pudding. Sarah doesn't just whip out her pudding for anybody! Yeah right! 

Share Sarah's pudding with your party guests. Sarah's pudding is a little slice of heaven! We'll get the whipped cream!

Sarah Newlin's Little Slice of Heaven Banana Pudding

Ingredients
For pudding:
1½ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon baking powder
2 cups whole milk
4 large eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
6-8 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced
1 12 oz. box of vanilla wafers
For whipped topping (optional):
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar



Instructions
In a double boiler, whisk together the sugar, flour, salt and baking powder.
Mix in the milk, beaten eggs, and vanilla. Combine well and cook, stirring occasionally over medium-high heat until thick, about 10-15 minutes. Let pudding cool.
In a casserole dish, or individual dessert dishes, starting with wafers on the bottom, repeat layers of wafers, bananas and pudding until all ingredients are used.
If desired top with whipped cream.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Adapted from Hospitality Southern Style, by Carole Radford.

Makes 12 servings. 

Prep time 20 minutes.

 Cook time 15 minutes.

 Total time 35 minutes.

Happy Thirsty Thursday!!!

This week's drink celebrates our favorite sexy viking vampire sheriff - Eric Northman! 

Eric Northman’s O Negative Cocktail

2 grams xanthan gum

For alginate bath:

5 grams sodium alginate

1 quart bottled water

For red wine syrup:

1 bottle red wine

½ cup sugar

Zest of 1 blood orange

3 ounces blood orange juice

For garnish:

1 gram silver dust

3 small blood orange wedges

For sphere, mix first four ingredients in a blender for 1 minute. With blender going, add xanthan gum. Set aside for 24 hours, or until bubbles are gone.

For alginate bath, mix sodium alginate and bottled water in a blender. Set aside for four hours, or until bubbles are gone.

For red wine syrup, mix all ingredients in a stainless-steel pot and heat until thick and syrupy.

Drop 1 tablespoon of sphere mixture into the alginate bath for 30 seconds (it should sink to the bottom). Slightly agitate mix; sphere should be taking shape. Using a slotted spoon, move to a plain water bath to stop the chemical reaction.

To serve, place a pool of syrup on plate and top with a sphere; garnish with silver and orange wedges.

Makes 1.