BAVON BREEZE
1 part gin (preferably Hendricks)
1 part elderflower liquor (such as St. Germaine)
1 part lemon juice (preferably from Meyer lemons)
Shake all ingredients over ice. Serve in lowball glass over (big) ice cube.
AVOCADO DIP IN BREAD BOWL
3 jars (7½-oz.) marinated quartered artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
¾ c. mayonnaise
3 green onions, sliced
1 can (4-oz.) chopped chilies, drained
1 pkg. (10-oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 c. (4-oz.) shredded Swiss cheese
1 round loaf (1-lb.) rye or pumpernickel bread
In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Cut a thin slice off the top of bread. Hollow out the bottom half, leaving a ½-inch shell. Cut removed bread into 1-inch cubes and reserve for later use or place cubes on an ungreased baking sheet; broil 6 inches from the heat for 2-3 minutes or until golden, stirring once. Spoon spinach dip into bread shell. Bake, uncovered at 350°F. for 20-25 minutes or until heated through. The filled bread shell can also be served without cooking. Serve with the toasted bread cubes or with crackers for dipping. Yield: 4 cups.
BAY-HAMAS
1 part simple syrup
1 part lime juice
2 parts pineapple juice
1 part dark rum
1 part spiced rum
1 part coconut rum
1 part Fireball Cinnamon Whisky
A few dashes of cocktail bitters (Peychaud’s)
Club soda
Mix all ingredients (except for soda) in pitcher and chill.
TRIPLE CHOCOLATE BROWNIES
Mary Dabney Webster
1 package Duncan Hines family-size fudge brownie mix made as directed with 1 egg. Spread in a 9×13-inch pan. Sprinkle 1½ c. chocolate chips over prepared mix. Bake 25 to 28 minutes at 350°F.
Icing
Prepare while baking brownies. Boil 1 stick butter, 4 Tbs. cocoa and 5 Tbs. milk. Remove from heat and add 1 box confectioner’s sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Spread on brownies as soon as they are removed from oven.
OLD AND IN THE BAY
2 oz. The Bay Vodka (Old Bay flavored vodka)
¼ oz. clam juice
¼ oz. white vermouth
Dash of brine from cocktail onions and olives
Garnish: Spanish olives, cocktail onion and steamed shrimp coated in Old Bay on a skewer
Shake all ingredients over ice; pour into martini glass; garnish with shrimp skewer.
SOUR CREAM POUND CAKE
Denise Bartlett
½ c. butter, softened
½ c. shortening
3 c. sugar
6 lg. eggs, separated
3 c. unbleached all-purpose or cake flour (cake flour will result in finer crumb but is more refined)
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
1 (8-oz.) container sour cream
1 tsp. lemon, vanilla, or almond extract depending on your flavor preference
NOTE: Many times I use a minced, fresh herb mixture using lemon verbena, lemon balm, and lemon thyme.
Preparation
Beat egg whites until stiff, set aside. Beat butter/shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating just until the yolk disappears.
Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat batter at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in extracts.
Gently fold in egg whites. Pour into a greased and floured 12-c. tube pan (if you use other size pans you will need to adjust time).
Bake at 325°F. for 1 hour and 20 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan, and cool completely on wire rack.
THE BLUE HERON
1 oz. white rum
1 oz. coconut rum
1 oz. blue Curacao liqueur
Dash of Pernod
Ginger beer (or ginger ale)
Lime wedges for garnish
Shake all ingredients (except ginger beer) over ice; pour into lowball glass filled with ice and filled half-full of rum mixture; fill the other half with ginger beer; garnish with lime.