Sparkling Nectarine & Honey Cocktail

This simple sparkling drink is a very light and refreshing end of summer cocktail. It can easily be diluted with club soda or seltzer, to taste.

The recipe was adapted from drinkoftheweek.com. I used a white nectarine and lemon seltzer instead of club soda. The original recipe also suggests using plums, peaches, cherries, or apricots instead of nectarines.

Yield: One drink

• 1 1/2 oz vodka
• 1 oz honey syrup (half honey, half warm water)(I used Italian Melata di Bosca honey)
• 1/2 oz lemon juice
• 1/2 nectarine, sliced, plus more for garnish
• club soda or lemon seltzer
• fresh mint, for garnish, optional

1. Muddle the nectarine slices in the honey syrup.
2. Add the vodka and lemon juice and stir.
3. Top with ice and club soda or seltzer.
4. Garnish with nectarine slices and/or mint, as desired.

Carrot-Cake Thumbprint Cookies

My friend had the most beautiful Easter party yesterday. She served an exorbitant amount of delicious food and everyone gobbled it up. Her spread included asparagus-cream soup, tomato-goat cheese tarts, grilled lamb chops, baked ham, mustard chicken salad, leek-bacon-gruyere quiche, green salad, arugula-fennel-dill salad, fruit salad, penne a la vodka, and more. That doesn’t even include dessert! 🙂 She also had an egg hunt and goodie bags for all of the kids- AND party favors. Amazing!

I brought one of my favorite appetizers, Leek and Gruyere Tart with Prosciutto, and these flavor-packed cookies to contribute. My kids made Peep kebabs too. 🙂 (Some peeps ended up being roasted over a fire!)

This recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart Living. I rolled the dough in chopped raw pecans and used cream cheese instead of goat cheese in the filling. Using a large cookie scoop to ration the dough made the precise 18 cookies. They had a great consistency- chewy on the inside with a crunch from the pecans on the outside. Loved them.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen

• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted, plus 1/2 stick, room temperature, for frosting
• 1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 3/4 cup packed finely grated carrots (from about 3)
• 1/4 cup golden raisins, chopped
• 3/4 cup raw pecans, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons apricot jam

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, brown and granulated sugars, and yolk.
3. In another bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, and salt.
4. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture to combine.
5. Mix in oats, carrots, and raisins.
6. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
7. Using a large cookie scoop, ration 18 scoops of dough. Roll the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls; roll balls in pecans to coat.
8. Space 2 inches apart on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets.
9. Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven; press an indentation into center of each cookie with the end of a wooden spoon.
10. Bake until golden brown on bottoms, 10 to 12 minutes more. Re-press indentation into each cookie, as needed. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool.
11. In a bowl, beat remaining 1/2 stick butter and confectioners’ sugar on medium until smooth.
12. Beat in cream cheese until just combined. Swirl in jam.
13. Place filling in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe filling into the center of each cookie with cream cheese mixture.
14. Chill until ready to serve.

One Year Ago:

• Easter Babka 

Two Years Ago:

• Orange Chiffon Easter Bunny Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
• Vanilla Bean Macarons

Three Years Ago:

• Easter Carrot Cake
• Apple-Spice Layer Cake