A good punch without getting pie-eyed

Derby glasses and a handmade banner for race day

Years ago I threw an amazing bash in a yurt at the office. I worked in an ad agency, where it was felt that yurts contributed to the feel of creative play, so that's where the parties were staged (and plots were hatched in huddles and whispers).

I always observe Derby Day (many former Louisville residents around the world do the same) and decided the yurt was a good spot for an event. I lugged in a silver punch bowl, handmade banners, fresh red roses and stacks of my parents' collection of Derby glasses. There were Benedictine sandwiches, foodstuffs of every description and of course, that chocolatey nutty pie you're not allowed to call the Derby blank space. See previous post on March 15.

We had mint juleps on hand, but I'll tell you, those adfolks enjoyed the Bourbon Slushie much more. Where I first found this Derby-style concoction I don't know, but people find it less of a head-spinner than the traditional julep of bourbon, sugar syrup and mint sprigs.

For a sure bet on Derby Day, offer the julep, but serve the slushie. And whether you're in a yurt, an RV or lucky enough to have a seat on Millionaire's Row, wear a hat and stand for the singing of "My Old Kentucky Home." Weep if you want to.

I always do.

Bourbon Slushie

1 12-ounce can of frozen orange juice, thawed
1 12-ounce can of frozen lemonade, thawed
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups bourbon such as Jim Beam
2 cups boiling water with 4 teabags steeped in it for 5 minutes (then remove bags)
7 cups boiling water

Mix all ingredients in a plastic gallon container. Place in freezer for 48 hours to make sure it's completely frozen. Scoop out with ice cream scoop or large spoon, place in Derby glasses. If you don't have a large plastic container (or freezer space), pack the slushie in some of thosse plastic cups from the ballpark. Cover with foil.

"B" is for Boston, "B" is for Butter

Herbs de Provence Crackers

My former academy of French culinary training Le Cordon Bleu had a soup drive a week after the capture of Suspect No. 2 to raise funds for Boston. Here was another chance to "pass it forward," as Atlanta's own Gena Berry says (she works with the annual hunger initiative Taste of the NFL). I like her twist on "pay it forward," meaning the good we do is like food on a tray and needs to go around.

I didn't know if the old school would let me in the kitchen (but I wore the cravat just in case). Those herbed crackers I make seemed like they'd go with the soup, so I made some "Bs" and baker shapes and high-tailed it to the school.

It turns out the kitchen was NOT open, and it was clear that the soup drive was well in hand without me. I dropped off the crackers, bought a quart of tortilla soup, hugged it out with the great and powerful pastry chef Joe Jacques, and returned home to ponder "what now" with all that energy that wanted to serve somebody.

Give me butter and I will find something to do. In this case, it was time to check out the Lemon-Lime Basil Shortbread Cookies from Bon Appetit. They're part of a cookie series the magazine did on Cookie Jar Favorites for the Brown Bag Set.

If you make them, and yes, you should, set your oven at 325 and bake for 20 minutes - after you've given the cookie dough a proper chill of about 30 minutes. Those are my tweaks. See the comments section of the link for what others found. All agreed the cookies are delicious and note to self: Double the recipe. When is a yield of 16 cookies EVER enough cookies? Don't be daunted by their apparent green color; they bake off to a normal shortbread style.

I'll use them in tomorrow's ice cream and gelato class.

It was obvious I still had butter, so I wandered into Dorie Greenspan's "Around My French Table." I wanted to practice because I signed up to do the Food Revolution Day and needed to find the recipe I want to make for May 17. It's another opportunity to cook something for somebody; check it out. I'd been curious about Greenspan's "Salted Butter Break-Ups" so started there.

Oh dear me goodness. J'adore, j'adore. The big cookie was so salty, buttery and comforting, I gave it a red poppy in gratitude. My one tweak, and it's purely optional, is to sprinkle a fine quality salt like the Murray Hill pink flakes gently over the top before baking.

And there was still more butter left, so on to Greenspan's Visitandine, a demure white cake with a springy spongy crumb, and since the canning/preserving class I'm teaching needs something to hold the lime curd up, this looked like the path to follow. The cake is now cooling; the house smells like someone's been in the butter and sugar.

I'm not through, but it's time to interview a contest winner with a formula for doughnut muffins. Sounds like more good times with butter to me.

A beautiful recipe like Salted Butter Break-Ups deserves a flower.

And now, a refresher on those herbed crackers.

Homemade Crackers

2 cups buttermilk
1 cup oil
2 and 1/2 tablespoons Herbs de Provence
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon baking soda
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, with more for the counter
Finishing salt such as Fleur de Sel or Salish smoked salt (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the buttermilk and oil, then the Herbs de Provence, salt, baking soda and flour. Mix on low speed until incorporated. The batter should be thick enough to pull off a golf-ball-size dough piece and round it.

On a lightly floured counter top, place a piece of dough (the size of a golf ball) and roll out into an oblong shape, a stroke or two up and down with the rolling pin. Place cracker on baking sheet. Crackers won't spread, so you should get about 4 crackers on a sheet.

Lightly sprinkle crackers with finishing salt, bake 9-10 minutes. Flip crackers over, finish baking about 9-10 minutes more.

Crackers last several days in an airtight container, room temp.

A Boston Cream Pie, With Thanks

My Boston Cream Pie looks nothing like Martha Stewart's Boston Cream Pie. That is as it should be.

Mine is the first one I've ever made, and there were no food stylists nor photographers with good lighting present. I did it to give it away. And it was very good.

Last week like everyone else, I had such a deep sense of anguish over events surrounding the Boston Marathon and the news cycle was taking me down, pigtail spiraling downward way down. There had to be a way to stop that momentum (and unplug from CNN).

All I could think of was, make something, bake it and take it somewhere to tell somebody thanks for responding when help is needed. My creative spirit Jeanne Ambrose of Taste of Home magazine had done this wonderful thing where she baked something and gave it to local firefighters - for no reason. I liked that idea so I stole it. I decided to make a Boston Cream Pie and find the fire station in my neighborhood and waltz in there, hand over the pie and say thanks.

I challenged Jeanne to do the same in Milwaukee, and we set about to make our cakes. She wrote about hers eloquently on her site Heartbreak Recovery Kitchen, which is dedicated to the idea that recipes help us mend and move on. She also explained why a Boston Cream Pie is a cake and not a pie.

As it turned out, we both needed a few days to bring all three parts - cake, filling and icing - together. Friday morning (the day Suspect No. 2 was captured) I finally finished. My friend Trish drove me to Fire Station No. 20 in North Dallas. I wanted a box to carry the cake; she had a FedEx box in her trunk, so we flattened that and covered it in foil.

It was a windy day and, while walking to the side entrance of the fire station, I thought for a moment the wind would take the cake before I could get it in the door. The door was locked, but the station captain saw me coming and opened up.

"On behalf of a grateful city I would like to say thanks for your service, and here's a Boston Cream Pie, please refrigerate it if you're not going to eat it right away," I burbled. "At this moment the very same thing is happening in Milwaukee as we encourage everyone to get out and say thanks." End of speech.

Six burly firefighters appeared. All shook my hand, and they have very strong grips. I darted away, feeling a tremendous surge of spirit like I'd just rung their doorbell and then run away before they could catch me. It was a carefree feeling of joy for having tried something thankful - and what a day that Friday turned out to be.

Here's how I made a Boston Cream Pie.

For the cake:

I followed Martha Stewart's recipe.

For the pudding in between the layers:

I made Creme Patisserie - Pastry Cream

Milk                   16 ounces
Sugar                 2 ounces
Egg yolks          1.5 ounces
Eggs                  2 whole eggs
Cornstarch        1.25 ounces
Sugar                2 ounces
Butter               1 ounce
Vanilla extract  1/2 tablespoon

1. Line a shallow baking sheet with plastic wrap, set aside.
2. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, dissolve first sugar into the milk and bring to a simmer. In a separate stainless steel bowl, whisk together the eggs yolks and whole eggs. Sift the cornstarch and sugar into the eggs. Whisk until smooth.
3. Temper the egg mixture by slowly beating the hot milk into the eggs in a slow stream while whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the stove and bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula. The mixture will noticeably thicken.
4. Cook the mixture for 1-2 minutes to ensure you've cooked out the cornstarch. Remove from heat, add butter and vanilla and mix until incorporated.
5. Pour mixture into a shallow pan, cover with plastic directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill thoroughly before using, which could take a few hours.

For the chocolate topping:

Chocolate Glacage

Heavy whipping cream      11 ounces
granulated sugar                 13 ounces
corn syrup                           3.5 ounces
water                                   6.25 ounces, divided use
cocoa powder                      5.25 ounces
powdered gelatin                2 packages of Knox Gelatin

1. Heat cream, sugar, corn syrup and 3.90 ounces of water to 216 degrees.
2. In a separate bowl, soften the gelatin in remaining water (2.35 ounces), set aside.
3. Add cocoa powder to cream mixture; bring to boil. This will create chunks of cocoa.
4. Remove mixture from heat and allow to cool to 140 or below, then add softened gelatin.
5. Mix with an immersion blender, then strain through a china cap or chinois into a clean bowl.
6. Place plastic wrap directly on surface, cool slightly and pour over cake.

For the logo design:

I used white fondant for the Boston "B" and tinted more fondant with red food coloring to get the remainder of the BoSox logo. The letter is placed on a circle of fondant tinted blue, painted with egg white and sprinkled with blue sanding sugar for added sparkle. The blue circle is sitting atop a cake board circle so it doesn't sink down through the glacage.

Firefighters, police officers and first responders everywhere, thank you for going, seeing and doing what is at times the unimaginable and unthinkable.

We are grateful.

Now in memory of the events in West, Texas, I believe a batch of kolaches are in order. West was originally home to a large Czech community, and they made wonderful kolaches.

More to come.