Sh*t just got interesting…
Last week, I decided to make my first Boozy Baklava. Using bourbon in one and raspberry wine in the other, I was ready to jump in and get cooking!
I had to prepare ahead of time for the drunken cherry chocolate baklava by soaking dried cherries in Raspberry Wine. Theoretically, in my head, all the flavors should play nice together. Layering the extracted drunken and plump cherries from the wine in the chocolate walnut filling, I soon realized that the cherries should have been put on the bottom layer. Since they were close to the top, the cherries created a more bumpy top as the baklava cooked. Not exactly what I had had in mind.
After I took it out of the oven, I poured the regular syrup over it to soak, but then added an extra special touch: a drizzling of Raspberry Wine reduction. Boozy baklava number 1 is a success!
The Bourbon baklava was a fail. I put bourbon in the filling, but couldn’t taste it. Added bourbon to the syrup-still nothing. Boozy Baklava number 2 didn’t taste bad, just didn’t taste like it had any bourbon in it.
I am trying to step beyond the traditional route of cafes and elevate baklava even more as it is paired with liqueurs and cordials at bars and restaurants. We brought our first round of drunken baklava’s when we met with the owner of Whiskey Street bar last week. He liked the idea, but needs to discuss it further with his partner. It looks like a start of a successful adventure!
