SHORELINES

Whiskey-Pecan Milk Cowboy Russian is recipe hails from Chris Castro of e Kitchen at Commonplace Books in Oklahoma City. His spin on a White Russian swaps whiskey for the usual vodka, homemade coffee liqueur for the Kahlua, and uses the distinctively nutty "milk" from freshly ground locally grown pecans in place of dairy. It's boldly flavored and dangerously drinkable. 1 ounce bourbon 1 ounce coffee liqueur (recipe below) 2 ounces pecan milk (recipe below) Orange zest Freshly grated nutmeg Fill a shaker tin three-quarters full of ice. Add the bourbon, coffee liqueur and pecan milk. Shake vigorously until light and frothy, strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Finely grate a bit of orange zest and nutmeg on top with a microplane grater. Serves 1. HOMEMADE COFFEE LIQUEUR ½ vanilla bean 2 cups whiskey 1 cup quality whole coffee beans, cracked 4 cacao nibs 1 orange peel strip 1 cup simple syrup 1. Slice the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape seeds into a clean jar. Add the whiskey and coffee beans. Cover, shake and set aside in a cool, dark place for 24 hours. Shake from time to time. 2. Aer 24 hours, add the cacao nibs and orange peel to the jar. Cover, shake and return to the cool, dark place for 24 hours more. 3. Strain the mixture through a coffee filter. Stir in the simple syrup. Store in the refrigerator up to 6 months. Makes 3 cups. PECAN MILK 1 cup raw pecans, soaked 30 minutes and drained 4 cups water 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon maple syrup ¼ teaspoon Himalayan salt 1. Combine the soaked pecans, water, vanilla extract, maple syrup and salt in a high-speed blender. Blend on high for 2 to 3 minutes until creamy. 2. Refrigerate 1 hour until the liquid separates from the solids. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean quart-sized jar. Discard solids. 3. Refrigerate for up to 1 week. Shake well before serving. Makes 1 quart. Maple-Pecan Sandwich Cookies wh Bacon is is a rich and buttery partner for Chris Castro's alt-milk whiskey punch that he makes using pecans from the state's abundant pecan groves. Bacon complements bourbon's smokiness, while maple tempers the sweet, caramel-y burn. 1 cup salted butter, soened ½ cup sugar ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt ¾ cup cornstarch 2 cups all-purpose flour ½ cup finely chopped pecans 1 cup maple frosting with bacon (recipe follows) 1. Center racks in the oven and preheat to 350°F. 2. Combine the butter, sugar and salt in mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Whisk together the cornstarch, flour and chopped pecans. Add the dry ingredients 1/4 cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl if needed, until dough is smooth. 3. Halve the dough and roll each portion between two sheets of parchment paper into a 10-inch circle, about ¼ inch thick. Transfer the rounds to the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up. Cut the chilled dough with a 2-inch round cookie cutter. Bake, in batches, for 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until the cookies are golden brown at the edges. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool completely. 4. Spread the flat sides of half of the cookies with a heaping tablespoon of the frosting and top with the flat side of another cookie. Makes 18. MAPLE FROSTING WITH BACON 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar ½ cup evaporated milk ½ cup unsalted butter ¼ cup maple syrup 3 cups confectioners' sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 slices crisp-cooked bacon, very finely chopped Combine the brown sugar, evaporated milk, butter and maple syrup in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-low and boil for 5 minutes more. Remove from the heat and stir in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract. Let the frosting cool in the saucepan for 10 minutes. Transfer the frosting to a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and spreadable, 2 to 3 minutes. Fold in the finely chopped bacon. Makes 2 cups. 16 | 2019 Vol: 4

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