8 minute read
Dessert + Drink Pairings
Sometimes after a juicy burger or a savory salad, nothing sounds better than grabbing the dessert menu. If you find yourself craving a treat after your next meal, look no further than these local restaurants’ dessert and drink pairing suggestions to end your meal on a sweet note.
Auld Alliance at Cloudland at McLemore Resort’s
Butterscotch Crème Brûlée + the Espresso Martini
SERVES 12
10 oz. butter
18 oz. brown sugar
2 tsp. kosher salt
2¼ qts. heavy cream
4 oz. single malt scotch
15 egg yolks
2 Tbsp. vanilla extract
Sugar, for topping
Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the sugar and salt. Bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Cook until the mixture breaks and then comes back together and starts to lightly smoke. Immediately add the cream and scotch (use caution as the mixture will bubble and spit). Cook over medium-low heat and continue stirring until the mix melts together.
Temper the egg yolks into the mixture, whisking constantly. Once the egg yolks are incorporated, remove from heat and add in the vanilla extract. Allow the mixture to cool then place in the fridge overnight. Preheat the oven to 275°. Strain the custard through a fine mesh strainer into a pitcher. Boil 1¼ gallons of water. Place your brûlée dishes onto a large sheet pan and carefully portion the brûlée mix into each dish. Use a kitchen torch to remove any bubbles from the surface, then place the pan into the oven. Carefully pour the boiling water to about halfway up the sides of the dishes without getting water into the custards. Bake at 275° for 3540 minutes. The custard should be set around the edges and jiggle in the middle. Carefully remove the dishes and let them cool on racks, then place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours. Once ready to serve, sprinkle with sugar and evenly burn the sugar with a torch until a hard crust is formed on top of the custards.
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Our Butterscotch Crème Brûlée is a nod to the Scottish and French influences of Auld Alliance. The crème brûlée is flavored with butterscotch and finished with a small amount of single malt Scotch whiskey. It not only represents the restaurant but also the Scottish heritage of Northwest Georgia and McLemore Resort. It is paired with our Espresso Martini, which has a little bitterness that complements the sweetness and richness.
- EXECUTIVE CHEF DUSTIN WILLETT
Little Coyote’s
White Chocolate Soft Serve with Pink Peppercorn + The Coyotito
(Mezcal Espresso Martini)
Serves 1-8
1 half gallon Bluebell French Vanilla Ice Cream
1 bottle Torani White Chocolate Sauce
¼ cup pink peppercorn (rough ground in a spice grinder or blender)
Scoop as much ice cream as you like into a bowl, and drizzle with white chocolate sauce to taste. Sprinkle with the ground pink peppercorn until it looks like strawberry snow on a snow capped mountain. Enjoy!
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This pairing is a lot of fun! The white chocolate soft serve is rich and spicy, and the Coyotito is the same. The fattiness of the white chocolate plays wonderfully with the mezcal fruitiness of the drink. And the texture pairs nicely as well – the rich texture of the soft serve is complemented by the frothy texture of the nitroinfused cold brew in the cocktail. It’s an explosive pairing on the palate.
- CHEF ERIK NEIL
HOME’s
Peach Cobbler Dessert Tacos + the Front Porch Tea cocktail
Serves 1-2
1-2 fresh peaches
¼ cup sugar
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
⅛ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. vanilla extract
2 cinnamon sugar taco shells
Vanilla ice cream, for topping
Caramel sauce, for topping
Cube fresh peaches. In a large saucepan, add the sugar and brown sugar, and cook on medium heat until sugar dissolves, about 5-10 minutes. Then add in the peaches, cinnamon, and vanilla extract and mix to combine. Cook until the peaches break down, about 10 minutes, then remove from heat and let the mixture cool for a few minutes. Then add two heaping spoonfuls of the peach filling into each taco shell and top with vanilla ice cream. Drizzle each taco with caramel sauce and serve immediately.
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Our Peach Cobbler Dessert Taco offers a fresh spin on a classic dessert. Inside a crispy cinnamon taco shell, you’ll find sweet, caramelized peaches, topped with peach cobbler ice cream, making every bite a delight. Paired with this is our Front Porch Tea cocktail, featuring Jack Daniels, Chef Malik’s homemade fresh peach compote, sweet tea, and a splash of mint. This dessert and drink duo introduces a unique twist to the traditional peach cobbler, providing a delightful and refreshing experience perfect for any occasion.
- CHEF MALIK HUTCHINGS
High Rail’s
Summer Cheesecake Bread Pudding + Strawberry Moon
Serves 8-10
For the apricot glaze:
¼ cup apricot jelly
⅛ cup water
For the crème anglaise:
2¼ cups whole milk
¾ cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp. vanilla paste
5 large egg yolks
⅔ cup granulated sugar
For the cheesecake bread pudding:
10 Tbsp. light brown sugar
¾ cup + 5 Tbsp. granulated sugar
10 cups croissants, cut into ¾-inch cubes
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
9 large egg yolks
4 tsp. vanilla extract
¾ tsp. table salt
2½ cups heavy cream
2½ cups whole milk
1 cup fresh blueberries
1½ cups fresh or frozen peaches, unpeeled and sliced
4 oz. cream cheese, cut into ¾ inch cubes
For the apricot glaze:
In a microwave-safe bowl heat apricot jelly and water together until warm. Stir until combined and use immediately.
For the crème anglaise:
Combine the milk, cream, and vanilla paste in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a medium bowl until combined. While whisking, slowly pour ⅓ of the warm milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture and whisk until fully incorporated to temper the eggs. Whisk
in another ⅓ of the milk mixture, then pour the tempered egg mixture into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture. Cook the custard over medium heat, stirring continuously with a spatula until it̓s thick enough to coat the back of the spatula, 4-5 minutes. (If you can swipe your finger through the custard on the back of the spatula and the line left by your finger remains.) Remove from heat. Cool to just warm; serve with the bread pudding.
For the cheesecake bread pudding:
Preheat the oven to 325°. Combine the brown sugar and 5 tablespoons of the granulated sugar in a bowl; set aside. Spread the bread cubes in a single layer on two rimmed baking sheets. Bake, tossing occasionally, until just dry, about 15 minutes, switching the baking sheets halfway through the baking time. Cool the bread cubes for about 15 minutes. Pour melted butter over bread and toss to coat. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over bread and toss to coat. Set aside 2 cups. Whisk the egg yolks, remaining ¾ cup sugar, vanilla, and salt together in a large bowl. Whisk in the cream and milk until combined. Add the remaining 8 cups bread cubes and blueberries, and toss to coat. Transfer the mixture to a 9x13 baking dish and let stand, occasionally pressing the bread cubes into the custard, until the cubes are thoroughly saturated, about 30 minutes. Spread the peaches, cubed cream cheese, and reserved bread cubes evenly over the top of the soaked bread mixture and gently press into the custard. Place the bread pudding on a rimmed baking sheet and bake on the middle rack until the custard has just set and pressing the center of the pudding with your finger releases no liquid, 45-50 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool until the pudding is set and just warm, about 45 minutes. Brush with apricot glaze and serve the bread pudding on top of a few heaping spoonfuls of crème anglaise.
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Summer vibes are perfectly captured by the fusion of peaches, blueberries, and strawberries. The flavors of these fruits bring life to this cocktail and dessert duo. The soft sweetness of Hayley Thurman’s Strawberry Moon cocktail perfectly balances the tartness of blueberries, apricots, and peaches in the cheesecake bread pudding, making them the perfect pair for the season.
- PASTRY CHEF SAM LUNDAY
