I recently received a press release from Michtner’s Whiskey. They produce single barrel rye, very small batch bourbon,single barrel bourbon, and unblended American whiskey. While I don’t drink whiskey, the recipes intrigued me.
So if you are looking for some last minute recipes for your Christmas Eve or Christmas Day meals, here are a few straight from the Michter’skitchen.
Patsy’s Bourbon Balls
Pair with Michter’s US*1 Bourbon.
1 cup chopped pecans
6 tbsp. Michter’s US*1 Bourbon
½ stick butter
3¾ cups confectioners’ sugar
16 oz. dark chocolate chips
Soak pecans in Michter’s US*1 Bourbon in an airtightcontainer for four days. Flip after the first two days to fully coat thepecans. The pecans should absorb all of the Michter’s US*1 Bourbon. Mix butter,sugar, and pecans. Roll into 1-inch balls and refrigerate overnight. Pour darkchocolate chips into microwave-safe bowl and microwave for about 2½ minutes.Remove chocolate every minute and stir. Dip refrigerated balls into the melteddark chocolate. Place the chocolate-covered bourbon balls in an airtightcontainer and place in freezer until set (just a few minutes). Store in a coolplace.
Joe’s Rye-Glazed Ham
Pair with Michter’s US*1 Rye.
1 cup honey
½ cup molasses
½ cup Michter’s US*1 Rye
¼ cup orange juice
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 ham half, about 6 to 8 pounds, fully cooked
Combine the honey and molasses and heat them in a bowl inthe microwave, or in a saucepan on the stovetop. Stir in Michter’s US*1 Rye,orange juice, and mustard. Remove all but about ¼ inch of fat from the ham andplace in a roasting pan. Bake the ham at 325°F for about 1½ hours, or until ameat thermometer reaches 140°F (about 10 minutes per pound). Baste the hamoccasionally with the honey-rye mixture. Transfer drippings to a saucepan andadd remaining honey-rye mixture; bring to a boil. Slice ham and serve with theglaze.
Vincent’s Bread Pudding with American Whiskey Sauce Pairwith Michter’s US*1 American Whiskey.
1 loaf French bread, at least a day old, cut into 1-inchsquares (about 6–7 cups)
1 qt. milk
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups sugar
2 tbsp. vanilla
1 cup raisins (soaked overnight in ¼ cup Michter’s US*1American Whiskey) ¼ tsp. allspice ¼–½ tsp. cinnamon
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
Place the bread into a large mixing bowl and pour themilk over the bread. Press bread with hands until well mixed and all the milkis absorbed. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and spicestogether. Gently stir into the bread mixture. Fold the raisins into themixture. Pour the butter into the bottom of a 9”x13” baking pan and coat thebottom and the sides of the pan well with the butter. Pour the bread mix intothe baking pan and bake at 350°F for 35–45 minutes, until set. The pudding isdone when the edges start getting a bit brown and pull away from the edge ofthe pan. The pudding can also be cooked in individual ramekins. Serve withMichter’s US*1 American Whiskey sauce (recipe below) on the side; pour on totaste.
Michter’s US*1 American Whiskey Sauce
½ cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup Michter’s US*1 American Whiskey
In a saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Whisk inthe sugar and egg. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixturethickens. (Do not allow to simmer, or it may curdle.) Whisk in Michter’s US*1American Whiskey to taste. Remove from heat. Whisk before serving. The sauceshould be soft, creamy, and smooth.
