There’s no better way to celebrate the holiday season than with this delicious punch recipe. It’s packed with warming spices, sweet apple cider, cream, and ginger ale. This delicious and festive apple cider punch is perfect for a fall holiday party or any other occasion that calls for a spiced cider!

Party punches are pretty easy to make and very hard to mess up. Just toss a bunch of tasty drinks together and mix in a few things to put it all over the top. But if you’re wanting a drink that perfectly fits the season and mood, then look no further than the recipe below.

Unlike my Thanksgiving punch recipe, this one does not come from family tradition. Just a fun, new punch that I wanted to create because I love apple cider and all of the typical seasonal spices.

This festive cinnamon ginger apple cider punch is the perfect thing to serve to friends and family. It’s light and refreshing with a hint of spice. Here’s how to make a delicious drink perfect for Thanksgiving, holiday parties, Christmas, or just because.

The Apple Cider of It All

It’s the season for apples! And so, now is the time to make use of fresh, delicious apple cider. I absolutely love apple cider and can hardly get enough of it during the apple season.

And that’s really the inspiration behind this recipe. I really just needed an excuse to drink more apple cider. So, why not make an apple cider punch?

What’s the big difference between regular old apple juice and seasonal apple cider anyways?

The difference between apple juice and apple cider all comes down to the processing. Both start with pressing apples, but apple juice is then filtered and pasteurized for better shelf stability. Juice may also have preservatives or sugar added as well. Cider is unfiltered and unpasteurized.

This is why cider is typically only made available during the apple harvest season. It just doesn’t last as long and will relatively quickly ferment into apple cider vinegar or alcoholic cider. The sediment at the bottom of apple cider is a result of the lack of filtering but just needs a quick shake before serving.

This punch is a wonderful way to serve the traditional drink.

Apple Cider Punch Ingredients

As I said above, making a batch of apple cider punch isn’t difficult. All you need to do is mix together the ingredients in a large punch bowl or beverage server (at least 2 gallons…).

The idea behind apple cider punch is pretty simple. It’s a smooth, lightly carbonated spiced apple drink that’s meant to be enjoyed as a sipping beverage. It has a light sweetness, a little tartness, and a nice, crisp finish.

Though cider is also frequently served warm, I wanted a cold beverage for this punch. For a warmer fall drink, try my decadent homemade hot chocolate.

First and foremost, start with apple cider.

Find apple cider in stores from mid-September through November. Or, better yet, find a local orchard that sells fresh cider. If you can’t find it anywhere, then you can substitute apple juice if you really need to. It’ll just be a little less flavorful.

The other main ingredient in this punch is ginger ale. This will lend carbonation that helps lift the party punch up a bit.

Heavy cream completely changes the color and texture of the drink while cranberry juice adds a bit of tartness.

The final additions to the punch are an array of spices and flavorings. Included spices are nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice. And for a bit more flavor, we add a bit of vanilla extract.

The mix of spices is the same that can be found in my spiced pumpkin pie recipe.

Mixing the Apple Cider Punch

The quick and dirty way to make a punch is just to mix everything together all at once. Which is serviceable, but can be improved.

The biggest pitfall in the full-dump method is losing carbonation quickly. So, I mix the punch together in sort of batches. Start by mixing just the heavy cream, spices, and vanilla extract. This provides a good base to begin mixing with everything else.

Then add in the cranberry juice and apple cider. Use a whisk or a good ladle to stir everything together as best as possible. The spices like to try and clump together, so thorough mixing is required.

Finally, add in the ginger ale and give it a quick stir. Be gentle during this mixing step to disturb the carbonation as little as possible.

On to the fun part of serving the punch.

Serving the Apple Cider Punch

This apple cider punch is a fun and easy drink for holiday parties. To take it to the next level, focus on having an interesting presentation and options for topping the drink.

You may want to have ice available for the drink to help keep it cold. I am not the biggest fan of ice. I think it waters down the flavors of the drink too much. But I know some people would rather have ice to chill.

I recommend serving the punch in a large pitcher with a ladle. The drink will separate over time. Just mix it back together. So having the drink in an open pitcher makes it possible to stir everything together as needed. A beverage server with a spout could also work but would be harder to stir. You will need a container with at least a 2-gallon capacity.

A pitcher can also be great for serving as it makes pouring the drink easy. However, be aware that most pitchers would not have a very large capacity, so you’d end up having to refill it.

When it comes to serving apple cider punch, you can also go with something simple. But here are some options if you want to fancy it up:

• Top the drink with homemade whipped cream
• Colored sugars for glass rims
• Sprinkle the top with nutmeg
• Use cinnamon sticks, star anise, whole cloves, cranberries, or apple slices to garnish the punch bowl

When serving, be careful when pouring the liquid. Make sure that you pour slowly so that it doesn’t splash or run down the outside of the glass.

How to Store the Punch

This recipe makes a huge batch of punch. Which is great, but it can also mean that you have some left over after your gathering or holiday party is over.

First of all, you should always keep your punch in the fridge when it isn’t being served.

Once your punch is made, keep it cool as best as possible. You may be able to surround your punch bowl or serving container with ice.

Storing punch can be tricky. The carbonation will typically end up going flat overnight, depending on how you store it. Store the punch in the fridge for up to a week. Maybe have a little extra ginger ale on hand to pour into any leftovers to help revive it a bit.

In the end, this recipe is really quick to make. And, it’s fun to serve. So, if you want to make your party a success, consider serving this festive cinnamon ginger apple cider punch. It’s a delicious, refreshing drink that you’ll love!

How did yours turn out?

I’d love to hear when you try out this apple cider punch! Take a pic of your food and share your success with me by adding it to your Instagram stories or feed, and tagging me @doyouroux, or by using #doyouroux.

Plus, leave a rating to let me know how you liked the recipe. It helps me out a lot to know how things worked out… or didn’t.

Festive Cinnamon Ginger Apple Cider Punch

Recipe by Marc PetersonCourse: DrinksDifficulty: Easy

Servings

24

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking timeminutes

Total time

10

minutes

This festive apple cider punch is a great fall and winter drink recipe that’s perfect for the holidays with warm spices and smooth flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 gallon apple cider

• 2 liters ginger ale

• 2 cups cranberry juice

• 2 cups heavy cream

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

• In a large punch bowl or beverage server, whisk together the cream, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, and vanilla
• Add in the cranberry juice and apple cider and mix everything together until the spices have fully mixed in
• Pour in the ginger ale and give it a gentle mix so everything is combined
• Top the drink as desired and serve

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The post Festive Cinnamon Ginger Apple Cider Punch Recipe appeared first on Do You Roux?.

Hello, my name is Marc, and I am a chocoholic. Just ask my wife. I especially love dark chocolate. And if you are like me, then you will really love learning how to make dark chocolate ganache.

What is chocolate ganache? It’s a delicious mixture of chocolate melted with heavy cream. The basic steps to make ganache are chopping the chocolate, heating up the cream, pouring the cream over the cholate and letting it rest, and then stirring it all together. Use quality chocolate and you’ll have a delicious topping, filling, or dip for your next dessert.

Whether it’s to top a cupcake, coat a cake, or dip fruit in chocolate, ganache is one of my favorite things to make.

Chocolate is one of the world’s greatest gifts. And ganache is one of the best ways to serve it up. For this recipe, I use dark chocolate, but you may want to use semi-sweet chocolate instead. It really depends on how much you like that pure cocoa flavor vs the balanced sweetness of sugar.

I’ve realized that, although I’ve used chocolate creatively a few times (as in my chocolate chipotle chili con carne recipe), I do not have nearly enough chocolate-based recipes on the site. So that will need to be remedied.

For those of you looking to add chocolate to your dessert repertoire, here is the step-by-step recipe for how to make the best dark chocolate ganache you have ever had that is dark, flavorful, rich, and stable.

But First, A Celebration

I am so happy that this is the hundredth recipe that I have posted on the site. Hooray!

I knew I wanted to make ganache, because chocolate. But I also needed to be able to show it off a little bit. So I kindly asked my wife to make some macarons for me. And then I jumped in and topped them with some celebratory sprinkles and filled them with dark chocolate ganache.

And then I decided to try my hand at piping out a fun commemorative 100 in ganache to celebrate.

Please forgive my very poor piping abilities. I have not practiced much…

But that does not take away from my excitement about having one hundred recipes live on the site for the world to see! Thanks for enjoying them with me and being a part of it all. Here’s to a whole lot more recipes to come.

Ingredients for Making Dark Chocolate Ganache

Now, back to how to make dark chocolate ganache. Let’s go over the ingredients that make up a dark chocolate ganache.

First off, there is the chocolate itself. This ingredient is what gives the dessert its flavor. Next comes the cream. Cream adds richness to the chocolate, which is great. It also helps create a smooth texture, which is important for a ganache recipe. The final optional ingredient is butter. This can help add shine to the final results and make it a bit more spreadable, but adding it or not is really up to your own preference.

Chocolate

When making chocolate ganache, the most important ingredient to consider is the chocolate.

Dark chocolate contains cocoa solids, cocoa butter, and usually some sugar. Do not use bitter or unsweetened chocolate for this recipe. They contain zero sugar and will not taste good since there is no other sugar being added to the recipe.

Use a chocolate that you enjoy eating by itself. This will make sure that you will enjoy the final flavor of the ganache as well. Dark chocolate is typically classified as chocolate with 60% to 85% cocoa solids. Semi-sweet can usually range anywhere from 35% to 60% cocoa solids.

Make sure to choose high-quality dark or semi-sweet chocolate. Try out this Belgian-made chocolate, or this French-made chocolate. I have bought and used both of these chocolates and they are fantastic. For a cheaper option, you can use some semisweet chocolate chips or plain dark chocolate from your local store.

Heavy Whipping Cream

Most things will taste better with heavy whipping cream added (I have many other recipes that include heavy cream like wild rice soup, crème brûlée, and whipped cream).

In the case of ganache, the cream helps change the texture of the chocolate and to stabilize everything. With the hot cream added, rested, and stirred properly, the ganache won’t separate.

So make sure to use heavy cream for a lusciously creamy ganache that will tantalize your taste buds.

Butter

Butter is an optional ingredient in ganache.

In addition to making the ganache rich and creamy, butter adds more of a shine to the final result. It will also affect the texture, making it a bit creamier and more stable – especially for making whipped ganache.

It’s your choice whether to add the butter to the ganache mixture or leave it out. If you choose to include it, add unsalted butter to the cream to melt before you pour it over the chocolate. If you do add butter, it’s best to add it in small amounts. Too much butter will make the ganache taste buttery. Which in itself isn’t that bad, but not if we are letting it overpower the pure chocolate flavor. Try a tablespoon or two in my 250-gram 1 to 1 ratio recipe.

The Process for How to Make Dark Chocolate Ganache

The process of making ganache is simple, and you don’t really need any fancy equipment to get started.

The most helpful kind of equipment would be a food scale. For this ganache recipe, I like to use a weight ratio of chocolate to cream to get a proper final result. It makes things more accurate than measuring by volume like using a cup.

However, there is no need to heat anything in a double boiler, and no candy thermometers are necessary to make the ganache.

Step 1 – Finely chop the chocolate

When learning how to make dark chocolate ganache, the first step is to finely chop the chocolate. You want to chop the chocolate into small pieces so that it will melt quickly and evenly. We will not be putting the chocolate itself over direct heat, so the hot cream will have to be able to melt it. So, chop the chocolate as finely as possible. If it’s too large, it won’t melt properly and the ganache will be grainy.

I started off my recipe with already small pieces of chocolate. Then I chopped them further to get even smaller pieces. You don’t need it to be chopped so much that it becomes chocolate dust. But aim for pieces no larger than when you would dice an onion.

Step 2 – Heat the cream

Next, you need to heat the cream. You want the cream to be hot enough that it will melt the chocolate. Simply measure out the cream and pour it into a saucepan over medium heat. Heat the cream until it’s just shy of boiling. If it begins to boil, then remove it from the heat and let it come to a rest before moving on to the next step.

If you are including any butter, stir it into the cream before pouring it over the chocolate.

Step 3 – Pour hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit

Slowly pour the cream over the chocolate.

When you pour the hot cream over the chocolate, it will start to melt the chocolate. Once you’ve poured the cream, you need to let it rest. It is tempting, but you should not yet stir together the cream and chocolate. Letting them sit together lets the cream heat the chocolate all the way through. If you don’t let it rest, the ganache will be grainy when you mix it together. It can be saved, but it is best to avoid it in the first place.

Let the cream sit with the chocolate for 7 to 10 minutes before going on to step 4.

Step 4 – Stir the cream and chocolate together

Once you’ve waited for the cream to heat the chocolate, you need to stir it into the cream. I recommend using a good silicone spatula to gently stir everything together. Stir it by hand to make sure that it is not mixed roughly.

Once it is mixed together you can use it immediately or let it cool depending on how you’d like to use it. If storing it for later, let it cool for a few minutes and then place it in the refrigerator for up to a week. The ganache will harden once it has cooled completely. So if you need it to be spreadable, set it out on the counter well before you need to use it so it can warm up.

Ratios for Making the Perfect Ganache

Chocolate ganache is a versatile and delicious addition to desserts. It’s typically used as a filling, frosting, or glaze. But how you plan to use it can affect the ratio you use to make it.

The thickness of your ganache will affect how you can use it. Thin, medium, and thick ganaches all have their own purposes. To make the different thicknesses, just adjust how many parts of cream are added based on the chocolate. All of the ratios are weight-based in my recipe.

Thin Ganache:

Thin ganache is typically used as a glaze, icing, or drizzle.

If you plan to drizzle the ganache over a cake, a pie, or ice cream, you will want to make a thin ganache. This means that the mixture will be thin and spreadable. For the thin ganache, you’ll want to use a ratio of about 1:2, which means that the chocolate to cream ratio is 1 part chocolate to 2 parts cream.

Medium Ganache:

A medium ganache is typically used as a filling, icing, or whipped ganache frosting.

Medium ganache is a bit thicker and has a consistency that’s more like a warm frosting. A medium ganache won’t be runny like a thin ganache but will still be fairly spreadable. Use it as a layer between cakes, as frosting on top of cupcakes, or whip it with a hand mixer to make a whipped ganache.

When you use medium ganache, you’ll want to make sure that the ratio of chocolate to cream is about 1:1.5, which means that the chocolate to cream ratio is 1 part chocolate to 1.5 parts cream.

Thick Ganache:

Thick ganache is typically used as a frosting, filling, or as a base for truffles.

A thick ganache is the thickest possible and will harden into a bit more of a thicker chocolate layer. It won’t have the snap of a candy bar, but it isn’t quite as light as a typical icing.

You can use thick ganache as a frosting or as a topping for cakes or pies. Or use it as a filling in macarons or eclairs.

A thick ganache in my mind is the most common type of ganache. It is thick and full of luxuriously pure chocolate flavor.

When you use medium ganache, you’ll want to make sure that the ratio of chocolate to cream is about 1:1, which means that the chocolate to cream ratio is 1 part chocolate to 1 part cream.

What Is Dark Chocolate Ganache Used For?

While the rich, fudgy chocolate taste will be one of the main reasons for you to make chocolate ganache, there are other uses that can make it a go-to recipe. Use chocolate ganache to make a variety of sweets and confectionary items.

There are many uses for chocolate ganache, but the most popular one in my opinion is in a cake. Use it as a layer between cakes, or as a frosting on top of cakes or cupcakes. A thick ganache can be used to make a variety of delicious truffles.

Or try filling macarons as done in the photo below.

To make a whipped ganache, make the ganache according to the directions below. Then, after you have stirred it together, let it set a bit until it is a little less runny. When it is finally soft but not runny, whip it with a hand or stand mixer for a few minutes on high speed until it is fluffy.

I also recommend trying to use this ganache as a filling for homemade crepes. It is delicious.

Temperature for Using Ganache

The ratio of chocolate to cream is not the only thing affecting the texture of ganache and how you can use it. The temperature of your ganache will affect how thin, thick, pourable, and spreadable it is.

After you have made it, the ganache will be shiny and runny. You just have to cool it down to thicken it to your desired working temperature. Note that as it cools, it loses its shine.

• Warm and runny – Slightly cooled, use it as a dipping sauce, hot fudge, or as a pourable icing. If you want to pour or drizzle the ganache over a cake, pie, or pastry, it should be loose enough to flow but thickened enough not to simply run off whatever you pour it over. Cool any baked goods before pouring ganache or else it will just melt off. Because cooled ganache loses its shine, a mirror glaze can be used on top of a ganache for a nice shiny exterior.
• Almost room temperature – This is when it is most spreadable. It is best to use at this temperature as a spread between cake layers, put into a piping bag to decorate, or whipped into a ganache to be used as frosting.
• Fridge chilled – This temperature allows you to make truffles out of ganache. When refrigerated it will go from soft and malleable to very hard and un-stirable rather quickly. Use a cookie scoop to ball up the ganache and then roll it in whatever you’d like for truffle toppings. If you want something inside the truffles, mix it in before cooling the ganache.

Fixing Ganache Misfires

Everyone’s done it. I did it while making a batch for this post. Sometimes ganache gets messed up in the process. Chocolate can be quite temperamental.

But do not throw away your questionable-looking chocolate concoction just yet. There may be a way to fix it.

If you have a grainy ganache or it looks like oil is separating out of it while stirring, then you may not have waited long enough to begin mixing. This may or may not be the mistake I most often encounter. Something about patience. But the fix for me was simple enough. Heat between 1/4 and 1/2 a cup more heavy cream in the microwave until it begins steaming. Then pour it into your grainy/separated ganache. Let it sit for at least 30 seconds and then stir it together.

If the chocolate is still chunky and not melted, then you may not have chopped it small enough or gotten the cream hot enough. Transfer the ganache to a microwave-safe bowl if it isn’t already in one. Then heat the ganache for 15-second intervals, while stirring briefly between each interval. Repeat until everything is melted and the ganache is smooth. Move to 30-second intervals if it is not melting with the 15 seconds.

How did yours turn out?

I’d love to hear when you try making dark chocolate ganache! Take a pic of your food and share your success with me by adding it to your Instagram stories or feed, and tagging me @doyouroux, or by using #doyouroux.

Plus, leave a rating to let me know how you liked the recipe. It helps me out a lot to know how things worked out… or didn’t.

Dark Chocolate Ganache

Recipe by Marc PetersonCourse: DessertDifficulty: Intermediate

Servings

9

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Resting Time

10

minutes

Total time

30

minutes

Learn how to make dark chocolate ganache in just four steps with a few simple ingredients. Get dark, flavorful, rich, and stable results every time.

Ingredients

• 250 grams dark chocolate

• 250 grams heavy whipping cream

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional)

Directions

• Finely chop the chocolate and place it in a large, heat-safe bowl, and set it aside
• Add the cream to a saucepan over medium heat and warm it up until just before it begins to boil, stirring occasionally so the bottom doesn’t scald
• Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and let it sit for seven to ten minutes so the cream can warm the chocolate
• Gently stir the cream and chocolate together until all of the chocolate is melted and there are no lumps, use it, wait for it to come to the desired working temperature, or store it in the fridge for up to a week

Notes

• If you have stored it in the fridge, make sure to set it out well before you plan on using it so it can warm up to a working temperature

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The post How to Make Dark Chocolate Ganache – 4 Simple Steps appeared first on Do You Roux?.

For something so simple and, on its own, kind of plain, potatoes are quite magical. Especially when boiled and whipped together to make these homestyle mashed potatoes.

I’ve even made mashed potatoes from homegrown plants before. It was especially entertaining to make mashed potatoes with the blue potatoes we had grown in the backyard. Vibrant blue mashed potatoes kind of trick your brain a little.

It definitely looked like we had thrown food coloring in with them when mixing. But that is just how they were.

The goal is to avoid the two extremes of mashed potatoes – watery and gluey.

So get to peeling or scrubbing your tubers and make yourself some perfect homestyle mashed potatoes. Note – if you are not peeling your potatoes, make sure that you thoroughly scrub the outside clean. Use a dedicated vegetable brush. They are cheap and make it much easier to get all those nooks and crannies.

Prepping and Cooking the Potatoes

Potatoes are mostly water and starch. Different varieties of potatoes will vary in starch levels. And, in my opinion, any variety can give you good mashed potatoes. You may have to make some slight adjustments to get things perfect, but they’ll work. With thousands of varieties out there, you’ll be sure to find a favorite.

My go-to variety is Yukon gold potatoes when mashing. They’ve got a fair amount of starch and good flavor.

Cut the potato into evenly sized pieces for boiling. It doesn’t need to be perfect, but the consistency of cut = consistency of cook. You don’t want one huge slab of potato in with a lot of smaller bits, since the small ones will be tender and ready while the center of the large piece is still raw.

Make sure to salt the water. The potatoes absorb a lot of the water while cooking, so salting the water will add a lot of flavor into the potatoes themselves.

Don’t overmix. So, watch your potatoes as you mix and mash them to make sure that you don’t take it too far.

In my opinion, using a powered hand mixer is better than a masher or a food processor. You can also use a potato ricer, but that is a pretty niche tool to have in your kitchen. More power to you if you’ve got one though.

Yes, I use the same hand mixer for homestyle mashed potatoes that I use to make my homemade whipped cream. It is fast, efficient, and really easy to clean in the dishwasher. So I use it any time I can. It is much easier than using a hand masher, though that can be done. The only real thing to worry about is the potential to over-mix your potatoes.

Using Homestyle Mashed Potatoes

You can always just eat mashed potatoes by the spoonful straight from the bowl after whipping them together.

No one is judging you over here.

But if you are thinking of pairing these with something else to make a meal, then homestyle mashed potatoes go well with:

• Grilled Steak
• Sage Roasted Turkey and Homemade Gravy
• Shepherd’s Pie
• Roast chicken (and gravy)
• Beef Stroganof
• Fried Chicken (…and gravy…)

So, basically, anything with gravy.

But to add some flavor to the mashed potatoes themselves, mix in things like sour cream, bacon, cheese, garlic (or roasted garlic!), butter, or your favorite seasoning mix. Include some chives for a pop of green and fresh flavor. Or try to copy the Cheesecake Factory potatoes and mix in some horseradish.

Any way you mash it, you’ll be having a buttery good time.

Homestyle Mashed Potatoes

Recipe by Marc PetersonCourse: SidesDifficulty: Easy

Servings

10

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Total time

40

minutes

Fluffy, buttery, creamy potatoes cooked and mashed to make the best side dish ever

Ingredients

• 5 pounds potatoes

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

• 1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

• If you want smooth results, peel the potatoes and rinse them off, otherwise scrub and clean the potatoes with skin on for skin-on mashed potatoes (especially for red potatoes)
• Cut the potatoes into 1/2- to 1-inch cubes
• Add the potatoes to a large pot, cover them with water so that it comes an inch above the potatoes, and stir in 1/4 cup salt
• Get out the butter and cream so they can come to room temperature
• Bring the pot of potatoes to a boil over high heat, reduce it to medium-high once it begins to boil, and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender
• Drain the potatoes and let them sit in the strainer for 2 to 3 minutes to let off steam
• Pour the potatoes, butter, cream, pepper, and 2 teaspoons salt into a large mixing bowl and use a hand masher, potato ricer, or hand mixer to mix the potatoes together to the desired consistency
• Less mixing will leave a few potato lumps within the mash, while more mixing will lead to super smooth potatoes – but be careful not to over-mix as this will lead to gluey potatoes

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About a month and a half ago, we had a very disappointingly meager harvest from our potato plants. After cleaning them up, I stored the potatoes we dug up in our pantry to wait on a recipe that felt right. And partly to hide them out of gardening shame. It was finally time to pull them out to make this parmesan rosemary potato soup recipe.

There were so few potatoes from our harvest that I had to buy some to supplement.

But at least some of our more unique and colorful blue potatoes helped give a bit more variety to my photos.

This is a pretty simple recipe that mostly boils together in the pot. A savory, creamy, flavorful potato soup recipe, this one is thinner than my ham and dill potato cream cheese soup. It also has fewer steps and ingredients.

So get ready to boil up some potatoes into creamy deliciousness.

Steps to Make Soup

Start off the soup by simmering garlic, shallot, and rosemary in melted butter. It will make your whole kitchen smell delicious. And it is really the best way to start any recipe.

Pour in the potatoes, bay leaf, and chicken stock. Stir things together and turn up the heat to get it all boiling.

Let it boil until the potatoes are perfectly cooked through. Turn the heat down to a simmer and let it cool down a bit. We don’t want the soup to be too hot when adding all of the dairy ingredients.

Stir in the milk, cream, cheese, salt, and pepper. Let this all come to a simmer while stirring occasionally. Then taste it to make sure it does indeed taste divine.

If everything went according to plan, you’ll have a nice hearty soup. Just sprinkle the top with a bit of rosemary and parmesan cheese once you have served it in bowls.

Variations On This Soup Recipe

This recipe on its own will make a wonderful soup that should definitely be paired with a buttery dinner roll for dipping. However, that isn’t to say that it is beyond modification. I love experimenting in the kitchen.

The most obvious thing to change or add to is the vegetable of choice. Potatoes. Try this with any variety – russett, gold, red, blue. I used a mix of red, gold, and blue for my dish.

Or substitute some sweet potatoes or another hearty root vegetable like carrots or parsnips. Adding some chopped broccoli can truly transform this dish into a closer cousin of broccoli cheddar soup. And finally, you can try adding some meat to the dish – especially some bacon…

You also have the option to turn this into a bit of a thicker soup. If you want something a bit heartier or if it is colder out and you really want a nice thick soup, you can make a roux.

After simmering the garlic, shallot, and rosemary in butter, whisk in some flour, and let it cook for a few minutes until lightly golden. Use up to 1/4 cup of flour to help thicken the soup.

Any way you make it, you’ll end up with a savory soup made for sipping in colder weather.

Rosemary Potato Soup

Recipe by Marc PetersonCourse: SoupsDifficulty: Easy

Servings

10

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

45

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

Creamy potato soup recipe combines with flavorful rosemary and parmesan for a hearty and savory dish to warm up cold nights

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 pounds potatoes

• 1 large shallot

• 3 cloves garlic

• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons minced rosemary, divided

• 4 tbsp butter

• 8 cups chicken stock

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

• 1 cup milk

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions

• Peel and chop the potatoes into about half-inch pieces
• Chop the shallot and mince the garlic and rosemary
• Melt the butter in a large pot, then add the shallot, garlic, and 1 tablespoon of rosemary to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the shallot is mostly translucent
• Add the potatoes, chicken stock, bay leaf, salt, and pepper into the pot and turn the heat up to high
• Bring the soup to a boil, stirring occasionally, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until the potatoes are still a little under-done but just about done
• Turn the heat down to low and let the soup cool slightly for 3 to 5 minutes
• Stir in the milk, cream, and parmesan and let the soup come to a simmer
• Simmer for about 10 minutes until the soup has thickened slightly, stirring the bottom so nothing burns
• Serve the soup and top with sprinkles of minced rosemary and grated parmesan cheese

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Happy early birthday Harry Potter! It’s on July 31st if you were wondering. Instead of a misspelled cake from Hagrid, let’s celebrate with a big ol’ glass of frozen butterbeer.

I was definitely within the target demographic for Harry Potter as the books were released in the US. So I grew up reading them as they came out. I enjoyed them. It was magical and captivating and written in a way that kind of matured as the series progressed.

And so, being a long-time fan, I was excited to see the Harry Potter section (now sections) at Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Orlando. It was fun and the theming was immaculate. Down to the food.

They offered butterbeer as both a regular and a frozen option. And in the colder months, I think they also offer butterbeer-flavored hot chocolate. Since I first went in the heat of summer (probably the worst time to go), my wife and I opted for the frozen variety.

We were hooked

So then I had to learn how to make it myself. Naturally. We even have a couple of souvenir cups from some of our very first trips.

And this is actually the second recipe on the site inspired by my not-so-secret love affair with certain Orlando area theme parks. My fried potato and onion strings recipe was inspired by the parks and it is also currently the most viewed recipe on the site. So check it out.

What even is Frozen Butterbeer?

While I’m not sure what the author originally intended, or what I even first thought as I read through the series, it is a sweet drink where cream, vanilla, and butterscotch flavors combine.

I’m basing my recipe on what I had at Universal Studios. It uses cream soda as a base with butterscotch sauce mixed in for flavor and a butterscotch-infused whipped topping. It is non-alcoholic (though I suppose you could add your own to the recipe).

Since this is a frozen butterbeer recipe, we will also blend it together with some ice. Honestly, I haven’t tried it any other way because why would I not want a frozen treat?

Also, because it is frozen, try to have everything that is going into the recipe be as cold as possible. It’ll help keep everything frozen longer after you blend it together. Cold cream soda will especially help.

And I also must admit that I usually use this beast of a Margaritaville machine to whip up a batch of this stuff. But don’t worry, it is not a required tool. It is complete overkill. A simple blender will work great. I just like the fact that I can shave the ice into it before blending it together, and then that I can dispense the drink right from the blender.

A Sum of Its Parts

When I originally planned on making this frozen butterbeer recipe, I went to the store looking for some butterscotch sauce. Typically I would just buy some Smucker’s butterscotch sundae syrup and use that while making the butterbeer. But I couldn’t find any in the store.

So I decided to make some myself since I really wanted frozen butterbeer. You can use either store-bought butterscotch or make your own homemade butterscotch sauce. If you are looking for it in the store, look near the chocolate syrup, by the ice cream toppings, or even somewhere around the ice cream aisles themselves.

The drink is topped off with delicious butterscotch whipped cream – that I usually mix into my drink after I have taken just a sip or two. This is a homemade recipe that is based on my original whipped cream recipe, just replacing the sugar with butterscotch sauce.

You can also add some cream soda to the mix if you want it a little more pourable than the typical stiff whipped cream peaks.

When I whipped together this batch of frozen butterbeer, we put on one of the movies and watched it all together. My niece and nephew got huge whipped cream mustaches and enjoyed every minute of it.

Keep your magic alive!

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Harry Potter’s Frozen Butterbeer

Recipe by Marc PetersonCourse: DrinksDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking timeminutes

Total time

15

minutes

Enjoy Harry Potter’s favorite drink with this frozen butterbeer recipe – a sweet drink where cream, vanilla, and butterscotch flavors combine

Ingredients

• Butterscotch Whipped Cream Topping

• 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream

• 1/3 cup butterscotch sauce

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 tablespoons cream soda (optional)

• Frozen Butterbeer

• 4 to 5 cups cream soda

• 3/4 cup butterscotch sauce

• 4 to 5 cups ice cubes

• 1 batch butterscotch whipped cream topping (from above)

Directions

• Butterscotch Whipped Cream Topping
• Combine cream, butterscotch sauce, vanilla, and cream soda (if you are using it) in a tall mixing bowl
• Use a hand mixer, a stand mixer, or an immersion blender with a whisk attachment to whip it together, moving the tool throughout the cream for 2 to 5 minutes until medium peaks form
• Frozen Butterbeer
• Add the cream soda, butterscotch sauce, and ice into a blender and mix on high until smooth
• Add more ice if needed and blend until smooth
• Pour into cups for serving, and top each cup with 2 to 4 tablespoons of butterscotch whipped cream topping

Notes

• Try to start off with cold ingredients, it will keep everything frozen longer
• Definitely tastes better when watching the movies…

The post Harry Potter’s Frozen Butterbeer Recipe appeared first on Do You Roux?.

I actually wasn’t planning on making my own butterscotch sauce. But I had another recipe to make that required butterscotch and the store was all out. Normally I just purchase some Smucker’s butterscotch sundae syrup. But the section where ice cream toppings are was empty, as were the end caps near the freezer section with the ice cream. But in the end, it was kind of nice to be forced to make this from scratch. It added to my overall kitchen repertoire.

Basically, I’m saying I’m that much more awesome now. And you can be too!

This recipe hews very closely to the buttery salted caramel sauce that I have made before. However, there are some key differences that will make this taste entirely different than that caramelized sauce.

Making this took me a couple of tries actually. I was thinking too much of my caramel sauce. I’ve made that sauce many times, so I wasn’t approaching this recipe fresh. There were some preconceived notions and methods. And they were wrong. Though I have failed, you do not have to. Learn from my mistakes.

Butterscotch vs Caramel

So what was my great mistake?

I tried cooking everything for far too long. When making caramel, you have to cook the sugar long enough that it will melt and then begin to caramelize. And because I was so used to making that caramel sauce, I tried to do it the same way but with the main altered ingredient (more on that below). Butterscotch does not need to cook long, and in fact, should not caramelize. Essentially I kind of made a toffee sauce.

So in my first attempt, I ended up making a weird hybrid caramelized butterscotch. It wasn’t bad, but the flavor had too much caramel to it. And it wouldn’t work for my purposes. So I looked more into making butterscotch and changed the error of my ways.

Besides the cooking time, the biggest difference between a caramel and a butterscotch sauce is granulated white sugar vs brown sugar. Brown sugar is what helps give butterscotch its signature flavor.

Brown sugar is a type of sugar that still has some molasses content in it. This can be due to how the sugar is processed, or by just adding molasses to some refined sugar.

Using Your Butterscotch Sauce

The recipe I wanted to make with butterscotch sauce was some good old Harry Potter Butterbeer. It is an interesting combination of cream soda and butterscotch. Plus it is really fun and great for drinking while watching any of the Harry Potter movies.

However, butterbeer is not the only option for using your homemade sauce. Try topping ice cream, pancakes, or waffles, whisking it into hot chocolate, filling a cake with it, drizzling it over cupcakes/frosting, mixing it with whipped cream, or just eating a straight spoonful.

Note that if you are using it with ice cream you will definitely want to let the sauce cool down before topping it. No sense melting your ice cream with hot-off-the-stove butterscotch.

Whatever your end goal with butterscotch, it is relatively easy to make your own sauce at home and well worth the effort. In no time you can have your own homemade golden-yellow sauce cooked to perfection.

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Homemade Butterscotch Sauce

Recipe by Marc PetersonCourse: Desserts, SaucesDifficulty: Moderate

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Total time

15

minutes

A golden-yellow sauce homemade from brown sugar, butter, and cream that is perfect for drizzling over all sorts of desserts

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon large flaky salt

Directions

• Add the butter and brown sugar to a saucepan on medium heat, stirring occasionally until the butter is all melted and fully combined with the brown sugar – it will look kind of like dark wet sand
• Whisk the cream into the brown sugar mixture until fully combined
• Add in the vanilla and salt and whisk it together
• Cook it to the desired consistency then remove from heat and let cool before using – cooking longer will release moisture and lead to a thicker sauce

The post How to Make Homemade Butterscotch Sauce appeared first on Do You Roux?.

I may or may not have originally set out to make a pilaf. My original inspiration was this Rice-A-Roni copycat recipe. And then it didn’t go exactly as planned and I turned it into a wild rice soup recipe. I initially added too much liquid into the pot to cook the rice. But don’t hold it against the recipe I linked if you want to try it. I was not following it exactly as I was trying to make my own thing. When I realized I’d added too much and wouldn’t be able to cook the excess off without turning the rice to mush, I decided to pivot.

And it really worked out better than I could have imagined. Especially since my wife really likes wild rice soup. She typically prefers chicken and wild rice soup, but I didn’t have any chicken on hand at the time. I know, poor pantry planning. But more on the chicken later. Plus, it gave us a good meatless Monday meal.

That is one of the reasons that I love cooking so much. It isn’t an exact science. You can easily adapt, modify, or change most things during the process. I don’t get it right every time, and I definitely don’t get it right the first time a whole lot. But you learn.

Just recognize that most dishes are not too late to salvage with the right know-how.

General Wild Rice Soup Recipe

The basic steps for this soup are sautéing the shallot and garlic in butter, then adding carrots and celery while stirring for a few minutes. Add in the rice and let cook for a few more minutes and then cover it with chicken stock and a few herbs. Let it cook covered, then uncovered, and then stir in some cream and parmesan when the rice is almost finished cooking. That’s it.

It takes a little bit longer in practice, but a lot of the cooking time takes little actual effort. While the lid is on you don’t even have to stir at all. It just takes some time to slowly simmer and let the rice and chicken stock do their thing.

The key is to cook the rice through without over-cooking to where the rice is mushy. It’s just an uncomfortable texture to be eating mushy rice or rice that is still a bit too hard and crunches when you bite down. It is a balancing effort. But luckily there is a decently wide window of time where the rice will be cooked to perfection.

Making it Your Own

For a good wild rice soup recipe, you need to start it off with some quality rice. I wholeheartedly endorse the Lundberg wild rice blend but recognize that you may have a different wild rice mix you prefer. I will note that I prefer a blend of wild rice with other rice. The one I linked has wild, brown, red, and black rice varieties. This helps round out the profile of the dish and makes it less one-note.

One of the other most important ingredients is the chicken stock. You can make your own homemade chicken stock, but it isn’t necessary for this meal. I think enough other ingredients are added so that you aren’t having just straight broth where that homemade flavor would add so much more – like chicken noodle soup.

Now, like I usually say, this recipe is not written in stone. It is up for adaptation based on your needs. As I said before, you could easily add chicken to the soup. Have one to two cups of shredded or cubed cooked chicken ready to add along with the cream and parmesan toward the end of cooking. The same can be done with sauteed sliced mushrooms for another twist on the recipe.

If you don’t happen to have a shallot on hand, then it can easily be replaced with about half a cup of finely chopped onion. And if you are looking to punch up the flavor of the chicken stock, add 1/2 teaspoon of roasted garlic Better than Bouillon to the pan along with the stock and herbs.

Speaking of herbs, you can swap some out or add more in. Or you could change from carrots and celery to a mix of other vegetables as a base. Let me know how you mix things up with this wild rice soup in the comments.

Creamy Parmesan Wild Rice Soup

Recipe by Marc PetersonCourse: SoupsDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

20

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

30

minutes

Creamy wild rice soup with deep flavor and notes of garlic, parmesan, and thyme

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1 large shallot

• 1 large carrot

• 2 stalks of celery

• 4 tablespoons butter

• 1 and 1/2 cups wild rice blend

• 6 cups chicken stock

• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage

• 1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

• 1 and 1/2 cups parmesan cheese

• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Directions

• Mince the garlic and finely chop the shallot, carrot, and celery
• Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat
• Add the garlic and shallot to the pan and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes until shallot begins to turn translucent
• Stir the carrot and celery into the pan and cook for 5 minutes
• Pour the rice into the pan, stir to coat it in butter, and cook for 5 minutes while stirring
• Add the chicken stock, sage, and thyme to the pan, turn the heat to medium-high, and bring it to a boil
• Turn the heat to low, cover the pan with a lid, and simmer for 35 minutes
• Remove the lid and cook for 15 more minutes, stirring occasionally
• Stir in the cream and parmesan and cook for about 15 more minutes, until the rice is tender but not mushy
• Serve the soup in bowls and sprinkle with parsley to garnish

The post Creamy Parmesan Wild Rice Soup Recipe appeared first on Do You Roux?.

Ice cream + popsicle = creamsicle. And orange is the most iconic flavor. In order to imitate the orange creamsicle flavor in our own smoothie recipe, we’ll use oranges, yogurt, vanilla, cream, and frozen mango. I mean, the easiest way might be to just throw some of the frozen treats into the blender. But it would also be rather sweet, and I am trying to keep it a bit healthier.

I say a bit healthier because smoothies tend to have a lot of fruit. Which is good, but they also do have a high sugar content. So you have to be careful. Though it is possible to hide other things within smoothies as well. We had some friends who would add spinach to make green smoothies and call them Hulk smoothies so their kids would love them. And it worked.

For this smoothie, I have added carrots into the mix before if I have them on hand and wanted an extra punch of veggies. The Vitamix does quick work of everything and you are left with a delicious drink.

Smoothie Recipes

Smoothies are some of my favorite things to make. In fact, I first created a website dedicated to smoothies long before starting this one. It may or may not still be up and running today. And this recipe may or may not be adapted from one I have on that site. Because it is important to recycle.

But making smoothies is easy peasy lemon squeezy. Or I guess orange squeezy in this case. You don’t need to be extremely accurate in measurements and it will still taste basically the same. And to make it you basically just toss it all in the blender, fire it up, and it does all the work.

The hardest part may be remembering to clean up the blender after making the smoothie. The easiest way to do this is by throwing some water and dish soap into the blender container after having poured out the smoothie. Then put it on the blender and turn up the power to have it almost wash itself. A little more scrubbing and rinsing and it is basically done. Except for if you ever blend up blueberries. Cause little pieces of blueberry skin seem to stick to the sides of the blender no matter what.

Orange Creamsicle as a Smoothie

Anyone could probably guess a lot of the ingredients for this smoothie recipe. Oranges, obviously because of the whole orange part of orange creamsicle. Vanilla for the vanilla ice cream center. The yogurt and cream for the creaminess factor. And ice to make the smoothie thicker.

But the mango is a bit of a surprise. I mean why is there mango in an orange creamsicle smoothie recipe?

I think that it helps with the texture, lending to the smooth creaminess of it all. In my opinion, it also has a complementary flavor. Though if you are like my mom and hate mango then it may be best to leave it out and substitute more ice to replace it. I, on the other hand, love mango. And it is always welcome in my smoothies.

So let me know what you think of having mango in this smoothie. And whether or not you think that the ratio is off and it overpowers the orange too much. Tell me if you change or adapt the amount of mango at all when you try this recipe for yourself. Then pair it with some german pancakes to make it a full brunch spread.

Mouthwatering Orange Creamsicle Smoothie

Recipe by Marc PetersonCourse: DrinksDifficulty: Easy

Servings

3

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking timeminutes

Total time

5

minutes

A deliciously quick smoothie recipe that tastes like the signature orange creamsicle frozen treat

Ingredients

• 3 large oranges

• 2/3 cup vanilla yogurt

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 cups frozen mango

• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

• 1 cup ice cubes

Directions

• Peel the oranges and throw them whole into the blender
• Add all remaining ingredients to the blender
• Blend on high until smooth
• Pour and enjoy

The post Mouthwatering Orange Creamsicle Smoothie Recipe appeared first on Do You Roux?.