Whiskey Pimento Cheese Burger with Bacon, Red Onion Marmalade, “Condiment-Inspired” Romaine Slaw, & Roasted Garlic Aioli on Toasted Brioche Buns

Whiskey Pimento Cheese Burger with Bacon, Red Onion Marmalade, “Condiment-Inspired” 

Romaine Slaw, & Roasted Garlic Aioli on Toasted Brioche Buns

These were some of the best burgers, we've ever cooked. I have never considered myself a master burger-maker, especially not on the grill. They always end up turning into a ground beef mess, where more meat ends up in the bottom of the grill instead of our buns. Not cool. So, as of this summer, we have been really practicing to bump up our cookin' out skills. And these burgers hit the spot! Pimento cheese burgers are my absolute favorite, so I have about 6 million different recipes at my disposal. This is definitely top-knotch. You have to make your own pimento cheese, that is key. I started with my favorite recipe, but went all willy-nilly on it, and added some cold, hard whiskey to the game. If I've said it was I've said it a million times, booze belongs in anything + everything. The other components to this awesome burger include: crispy thick bacon, red onion marmalade, homemade roasted garlic aioli, & perfectly toasted buns. But far and away, the item that brings it over the top has to be the "condiment-inspired" romaine slaw. I got this idea from the sweet + spicy pickle coleslaw from my fried chicken banh mi's. Why not make a good 'ole American classic for burgers instead? With lettuce subbed in for cabbage. Done & done. The romaine lettuce is thinly shredded and tossed together with pickles, tomatoes, shaved shallots, a mustard dressing, and a few other tasty treats! It's important to know that you shouldn't toss the slaw together until just before serving that way the texture remains crisp and crunchy. The burgers come together with such a souther, summer harmony. It's like a good country song playin' while you're sippin' on the porch kinda night... but in food form, obviously. I'm sorry that I've been so preoccupied with engagement stuff + wedding planning (ahhh already), but that's kind of what has been taking up my time. But, I'll keep making sure to give y'all new recipes every few days!! Enjoy :)

cooked medium-rare, just like my mountain man likes it.

"condiment-inspired" romaine slaw

summer... between two buns.

For the Homemade Whiskey Spiked Pimento Cheese:

4oz Cream Cheese, Extremely Soft

½C Homemade Roasted Garlic Aioli

¼t Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Freshly Ground Black Pepper, & Paprika

2t Hot Sauce

2T Sweet Onion, Grated

2T Finely Minced Chives

8oz Pepper Jack or Habanero Jack Cheese, Shredded

16oz Vintage Aged Cheddar Cheese (I like to use 8oz white and 8oz yellow)

2 Roasted Red Peppers, Diced (preferably done at home, instead of store-bought)

½C Candied Jalapenos, Diced

1-2T Whiskey or Bourbon, Very Cold   

For the Roasted Garlic Aioli:

1 Egg Yolk

1t White Vinegar

1 ½t Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

¼t Dijon Mustard & Sugar

1 Large Garlic Clove, Minced into a Paste (with a little bit of sea salt)

1 Large Head of Garlic Cloves, Roasted & Pureed (let it cool before mashing or pureeing)

½t Sea Salt (or to taste)

¾C Canola Oil   

For the Mustard Dressing:

1T Yellow Mustard, 1T Dijon Mustard, + 1T Grainy Mustard

1T Honey + 1T Mayo

¼C Bread n’ Butter Pickle Pickling Liquid

2T Taco Pickles Pickling Liquid

2T Candied Jalapeno Liquid

For the “Condiment-Inspired” Romaine Slaw:

4C Romaine Hearts, Thinly Shaved/Sliced (roughly 2-3 large hearts)

2 Jalapenos, Thinly Sliced (optional)

1 Bunch of Green Onions, Thinly Sliced

½C Homemade Bread n’ Butter Pickles + ¼C of the Pickling Liquid

1C Homemade “Taco Pickles” + 2T of the Pickling Liquid

½C Homemade Candied Jalapenos + 2T of the Candied Liquid

2 Shallots, Thinly Shaved

8oz Cherry Tomatoes, Finely Diced (seeds & juices removed)

Prepared Mustard Dressing

For the Burgers:

80/20 Ground Beef Formed into Patties, Seasoned, & Cooked to Your Liking

Gourmet Brioche Buns, Toasted & Warmed

Thick Cut Applewood Smoked Bacon Slices, Cooked until Crispy

Prepared Whiskey Pimento Cheese

Homemade Red Onion Marmalade

Extra Roasted Garlic Aioli, For Spreading

Prepared “Condiment-Inspired” Romaine Slaw, Just Tossed

Heirloom Tomato Slices (optional)

Directions:

1. For the Whiskey Pimento Cheese:In a big mixing bowl, mix together the cream cheese, mayo, whiskey, garlic powder, pepper, paprika, hot sauce, and Worcestershire. Separately, shred the three blocks of cheese and put in the bowl with the seasoned creamy mixture. (I use the normal shredding side because I like it more that way for this dip). Toss the mixture together until the mayo is covering all of the cheese. Add in the roasted red peppers and candied jalapeno, and toss until it’s completely incorporated. Season the dip with any additional seasonings if needed. Refrigerate until ready to use on top of the burgers.

2. For the Roasted Garlic Aioli:Combine egg yolk, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, minced garlic, roasted garlic cloves, and ½t salt in medium bowl. Whisk until blended and bright yellow, about 30 seconds. Using ¼t measuring spoon and whisking constantly, add ¼C of the oil to yolk mixture, a few drops at a time, about 4-5 minutes. Gradually add remaining ½C canola oil in very slow thin stream, whisking constantly, until mayonnaise is thick, about 8-10 minutes (mayonnaise will be lighter in color). Season the mayo with salt, pepper, & sugar to taste. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to use.

3. For the Mustard Dressing:In a mixing bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients until combined/incorporated and very smooth. Season it with salt & pepper to taste. Refrigerate the dressing until you are ready to add to the romaine slaw.

4. For the “Condiment-Inspired” Romaine Slaw: Shred the hearts of romaine very thinly, so that it resembles the same look as coleslaw. In a large mixing bowl, toss together the jalapenos, green onions, Sriracha pickles, taco pickles, candied jalapenos, shaved shallots, and chopped cherry tomatoes. Pour the dressing over the condiment components and let it marinate for an hour or two while you are cooking the burgers. Just before serving, add the shredded romaine coleslaw mixture and season with salt & pepper. Toss to cover and combine, and use immediately before it becomes wilted & soggy.

5. Assembling the Burgers:Top one slice of a buttered & toasted bun with a thick layer of homemade roasted aioli. On the bottom slice of each bun, place a cooked burger patty, a few slices of bacon, a scoop of whiskey pimento cheese, homemade red onion marmalade, a slice of heirloom tomato, and a pile of the romaine slaw. Top it with the other slice of the burger bun.

6. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Tuscaloosa Tollhouse Whiskey Pie with Vanilla Bean Pâte Brisée & Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Tuscaloosa Tollhouse Whiskey Pie

It's gameday yet again, folks. The best day of the week. I normally focus on dips, wings, fried food, burgers, dogs, etc. But, you always gotta have a dessert, and this is a go-to classic in T-Town. When you're walking through the Quad, almost every table or tent has one of these pies. It's a mix between a pecan pie and a chocolate chip cookie, but even better, it has whiskey in it. Oh take me home to Sweet Home Alabama, y'all because booze should belong in anything + everything. This pie I made is adapted from the guys at Baked Bakery in NYC (one of the guys actually went to the University of Alabama). Well, one tablespoon of whiskey just wasn't gonna do it for me, so I bumped it up to a fourth cup, ha. And lemme tell you, it tastes oh-so-good. I also substituted roasted, chopped pecans for walnuts... simply for the fact that I like them better. And for good measure, I practically doubled the chocolate chips in the recipe because everything is better with more chocolate, duh. You gotta bake this baby a pretty good while, so you just need to keep checking it until a toothpick of knife comes out clean. But, I will say this, do NOT over bake it. I like mine a little gooey, so I like to make sure it's slightly underdone, so as it sets it will remain luscious and soft. This pie is good at room temperature, chilled, or even better if it has been nuked in the microwave until the chocolate re-melts and it gets all gooey again. I also decided to make my own homemade vanilla bean ice cream and it just brought it over the top. I really fell in love with my recipe for this ice cream. I plan on using it in many of my recipes in the future. It is just like an uber vanilla ice cream (I think if I ever have an ice cream line, that would have to be it's name because of its overwhelmingly amazing vanilla flavor). So y'all, go make this for your next tailgate, or heck, it wouldn't be too shabby for Thanksgiving either. Now, let's hope that my Bama Boys can pull out a big win against LSU tonight. ROLL TIDE ROLL!! Enjoy :)

For the Vanilla Bean Pâte Brisée (makes 3 pie crusts):

3 ¾C AP Flour (plus extra for rolling)

3 Sticks of butter, Cut into ½inch Cubes & Chilled

1 ½t Salt

1T+1 ½t Sugar

12-18T Ice Water, Very Cold

3 Vanilla Beans, Sliced & Scraped for Beans

For the Tuscaloosa Tollhouse Whiskey Pie:

¾C AP Flour

1T Cornstarch

½C Sugar

½C Brown Sugar

2 Eggs, Room Temperature

1 ½ Sticks Unsalted Butter, Cut into Pieces & Softened

1t Vanilla

¼C Jack Daniels Whiskey

1C Pecans, Roasted & Finely Chopped

2C Chocolate Chunks (I prefer Bittersweet or Semisweet)

¼t Vanilla Bean Fleur de Sel

For the Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream:

1 Stick Unsalted Butter, Melted & Cooled Slightly

2 ½C Heavy Cream

½C Whole Milk

6 Egg Yolks

1C Sugar

½t Salt

1t Vanilla

2T Vanilla Bean Infused Rum (or any kind of infused booze that is clear)

1-2 Whole Vanilla Beans, Split & Scraped for Seeds 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a pie dish with Pam and set it aside.

2. To Make the Vanilla Bean Pâte Brisée: Start by cutting the sticks of butter into ½inch cubes and placing in the freezer bag, along with the flour, salt, and sugar. Place the bag of flour into the freezer and chill for at least 1-2 hours. In a food processor, pour the frozen flour bag in, as well as the scraped vanilla beans, and pulse 6-8 times until the mixture resembles a course meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add water 1T at a time, pulsing until the mixture just begins to clump together. If you pinch of some of the crumbly dough and it holds together then it’s ready. Remove the dough from the machine and place on a clean surface. Carefully split the dough into three even pieces and shape into discs. Do not over knead the dough. You should still be able to see little bits of butter in the dough. Sprinkle the discs with a little flour on all sides and wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate one of the dough discs for at least 2-3 hours (freeze the other two dough discs for another pie in the future).

3. Preparing the Pie Crust: Remove the disc from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle some flour on top of the disk. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12inch circle (roughly ¼ inch thick). Place the rolled out disc into the prepared pie dish, lining up the fold with the center of the pan, trimming the excess and crimping the edges. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 2-3 hours.

4. For the Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream: In a saucepan, bring the cream, milk, vanilla bean pods, and vanilla bean seeds to a simmer. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and salt until fluffy. Slowly whisk in the melted butter. Once combined, gradually and slowly into the simmering milk. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, until thickened (it should coat the back of a spoon). Strain the custard into a bowl that is placed into an ice bath. Stir in the vanilla bean infused rum and vanilla. Cool the custard base until completely chilled. Once the mixture is chilled, freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. As soon as the mixture is done churning, transfer to a bowl or airtight container. Store in the freezer until firm.

5. For the Tollhouse Whiskey Pie Filling: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour and sugars together. Set aside. In a bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs until foamy on high, about 3 minutes. Replace the whisk attachment with the paddle attachment, and with the mixer on low, a little at a time add the flour mixture. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2 minutes or until everything is mixed together well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the butter. Beat on high until everything is combined. Scrape once more, being sure to get to the bottom, and add in all the whiskey. Beat on high again for 1 minute until all the ingredients are incorporated. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the chopped pecans and the chocolate chunks (but save some for sprinkling over the top).

6. Pour the filling into the frozen pie shell and spread evenly. It will be pretty thick, so be gentle. Top the pie with a sprinkling of some more chocolate chunks.

7. Bake for 30 minutes, then cover the edges of the crust loosely with aluminum foil and continue to back for 30-45 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. If there are clumps of batter sticking to the knife, it is not done yet. So, return it to the oven and continue cooking (while occasionally checking) until a knife comes out clean (but, I still like to have my pie a little gooey, so I don’t like to overcook it). My pie took about an hour to an hour and a half. Transfer the baked pie to a wire rack to cool before serving.

8. Once cooled, serve a slice of the pie with a big scoop of homemade vanilla bean ice cream. It is also even better when you reheat the pie in the microwave and the chocolate melts again.

Pulled Pork & Waffles with Homemade Maple Pearl Sugar "Liege-Style" Waffles, Pulled Pork, Jack Daniels Syrup, & Cinnamon Butter

Pulled Pork & Waffles with Homemade Maple Pearl Sugar "Liege-Style" Waffles,
Pulled Pork, Jack Daniels Syrup, & Cinnamon Butter

My Mountain Man always jokes with me about how I am the only girl he knows that would rather buy a fancy waffle maker than clothes or jewelry or just girly stuff. Well, he's not laughing anymore because he just reaps the benefits of all the yummy waffles we make at this house. For a while now, I have been dying to make "Liege-Style" Belgian Waffles. A lot of people have never heard of them, but they should be known every where because they are hot-damn-delicious. The waffles are typically made with a yeasted batter that is significantly thicker than regular recipes. But instead of adding sugar to the batter, you have to fold in "pearl sugar", which are like specialty sugar pieces that are a little smaller and rounder than plain ole' sugar cubes. I haven't been able to find authentic pearl sugar anywhere, but I know it is easy to order online... I just felt like I could do it at home. To make it a lil' bit southern, I decided to make homemade maple pearl sugar. When you cook these waffles up, the maple pearl sugar heats through, leaving pockets of melted maple-sugary goodness and the outside of the waffles crisp up and almost caramelize like the top of creme brulee. It's that good people. Well, to go along with these amazing waffles, we couldn't help but use some of the leftover pulled pork from the previous night. It might be weird to eat pulled pork & waffles together, but hey, chicken & waffles are fabulous, and so were these. To bring this dish over the top, just shmear on some Homemade Cinnamon Butter and a heavy drizzle of Jack Daniels Syrup. I mean, we practically drowned ours with syrup, even though they didn't need it. It all was just so good and it is definitely in my top list of favorite recipes this year. There's no doubt about it... who knew that a fusion of Belgian + Southern comfort food would be so fabulous? I didn't!! Enjoy y'all :)

"Liege-Style" Waffle Batter with Homemade Maple Pearl Sugar...
Can you see how thick the batter is and all of the little maple pearls?

Before the Drizzle of Jack Daniels Syrup

Oh baby, it's all good n' soaked now :)

For the Cinnamon Butter:

1 Stick of Butter, Softened

3T Brown Sugar

½t Vanilla

1T Cinnamon

For the Homemade Maple Pearl Sugar:

1C Sugar

4t High Quality Maple Syrup

For the “Liege-Style” Waffles:

1 Package of Active Dry Yeast

1/3C Lukewarm Water

1T Sugar

¼t Salt

2C AP Flour (or bread flour could be used as well)

3 Eggs

1C Melted Butter

1t Vanilla

Pinch of Cinnamon

1C Homemade Maple Pearl Sugar 

For the Jack Daniels Syrup:

1C Pure Maple Syrup (good quality & high grade)

½C Jack Daniels Whiskey

1t Vanilla

1-2T Brown Sugar

¼t Chili Powder

Pinch of Salt or To Taste

4T Unsalted Butter, Cut into Tabs

For the Pulled Pork & Waffles:

Prepared Cinnamon Butter, Softened

Homemade Maple Pearl Sugar

Waffle Batter

Pulled Pork, Warmed

Prepared Jack Daniels Syrup, Warmed

Directions:

1. For the Cinnamon Butter: Beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla until the mixture is smooth, then slowly add in the cinnamon and beat until combined. Chill until ready to serve.   

2. For the Homemade Maple Pearl Sugar: Mix the sugar with the maple syrup in a bowl until well combined and it resembles damp sand. Line a baking sheet with a silpat and dump the sugar out onto the pan. Firmly press the sugar into a compact rectangle and let it dry completely over night or until the sugar is extremely hard and lacks any moisture. Roughly chop the maple sugar into pearl-sized shapes. Measure out 1C of the pearls and set aside.   

3. For the “Liege Style” Waffles: Mix the yeast, water, sugar and salt in a bowl and let it develop or sit for 15 minutes. Place the flour in a separate large mixing bowl (we use the bowl of our kitchen aid stand mixer) and make a well in the center of the flour. Pour the yeast mixture into the well and mix until blended on medium speed (we use the paddle in our kitchen aid mixer). Add the eggs (one at a time), melted butter a bit at a time, and the vanilla and cinnamon. Be sure to mix well after each addition to the batter. Keep in mind the batter will be thick and VERY sticky (this is normal). Remove the bowl from the mixer and let the dough rest until it doubles in volume inside the bowl. (About 1 hour) Gently fold in the pearl sugar and let the dough rest for 15 more minutes. While the dough is resting, heat the waffle iron. Spoon about a 2″ ball of dough into the center of the waffle iron (this should yield a waffle that is about 4″ in diameter). I know that sounds small, but these rich waffles pack quite a punch. Waffles will take about 5 minutes to cook (we set our waffle maker to level 4, but you might have to play around with it to get it to your liking).

4. For the Jack Daniels Syrup: Heat the maple syrup over low heat in a medium saucepan. Add in the Jack Daniels, vanilla, brown sugar, chili powder, and salt, and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the whiskey infuses the syrup and it thickens slightly. Whisk in 4T of Butter or until thoroughly combined. Keep warm until ready to pour over the waffles.

5. Assembling the Pulled Pork & Waffles: Place one of the “Liege Style” Waffles in the center of the plate and spread with some of the softened cinnamon butter. Stack some warmed pulled pork on top and repeat with more waffles, butter, and pulled pork. Finish the waffles off with a heavy drizzle of the warmed Jack Daniels Syrup.

source: liege waffles.

High-Rollers & Tripod Tribals

During our trip to the mountain house in North Carolina, we all celebrated my friend's birthday. Sam turned 22 on the trip, so naturally we had to make some kind of cocktail for a proper celebration. All the boys on the trip were making old fashions, so the girls decided to make up some specialty cocktails that would be better than theirs (just kidding, but they were still really good). We ended up coming up with two different cocktails, and by no means are these professional drinks, but they still tasted damn good. The names might sound bizarre to everyone, but they are just inside jokes amongst my friends & I. These cocktails are super tasty, and definitely get the job done (if you know what I mean).

All the Girls with our Drinks

For the High-Rollers:

2 Slices of Orange

2 Slices of Lemon

1T Sugar

3 Dashes of Bitters

Ice

1 Shot of Orange Juice

1 Shot of Whiskey Sour

4 Shots of Whiskey

2 Cherries

1T Cherry Syrup

1 Dash of Club Soda

Directions:

1. In a tall glass, muddle 1 slice of orange and lemon along with the sugar, ice, and bitters.

2. Next, in a shaker, toss together the ice, orange juice, whiskey sour mix, and whiskey. Shake this mixture rigorously until well incorporated. Pour this liquid over the muddled glass mixture, and then top with some cherry syrup and 2 cherries. 

3. When ready to serve, splash some club soda on top and garnish with the other slices of orange and lemon. 

High-Rollers

For the Tripod Tribals:

1 Slice of Lemon, Cubed

2 Strawberries, Cut into Cubes

1T Sugar

2 Dashes of Bitters

Ice

2 Shots of Lemonade

1 Shot of Sour Mix

3 Shots of Whiskey 

1 Splash of Lemon-Lime Soda

Directions:

1. In a tall glass, muddle the lemon and strawberry cubes along with the sugar, bitters, and ice. 

2. Next, in a shaker, toss together the ice, lemonade, sour mix, and whiskey. Shake this mixture rigorously until well incorporated. Pour this liquid over the muddled glass mixture and stir to combine with the muddled strawberries. 

3. When ready to serve, splash some lemon-lime soda on top. 

Tripod Tribals