Bourbon: Think Outside the Glass

Bourbon is not just for sipping. Its smooth, rich flavor can add a whole new dimension to recipes both savory and sweet.

Chocolate-Bourbon Cake
Ingredients
1/3 cup bourbon
1 1/3 cups sugar
12 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup (8 oz.) butter, cut into pieces
5 large eggs
1 1/2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 1/2 Tbsp. cocoa powder, divided
Hot water
Coffee-Bourbon Syrup
Hazelnuts

Coffee-Bourbon Syrup
Bring 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, and 1/4 cup strong brewed coffee to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in 1 Tbsp. bourbon.

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°. Grease a 9- x 2-inch cake pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, and set aside.

Combine bourbon and sugar in a large saucepan; bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat, and add chocolate and butter, stirring until smooth. Set aside, and let cool to room temperature.

Beat in eggs, one at a time, until very well blended. Fold in flour and 1 1/2 Tbsp. cocoa powder. Pour batter into prepared cake pan. Set pan in a large roasting pan filled to depth of 1 inch with hot water.

Bake at 375° for 1 hour and 15 minutes, basting with Coffee-Bourbon Syrup every 15 minutes after a crust has developed on cake's surface.

Cool cake; cover and refrigerate 6 hours or overnight. Transfer cake onto a serving plate, and dust with remaining 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder. Top with hazelnuts.

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Barbecued Flank Steak with Chutney-Bourbon Glaze
Ingredients
1 (1-lb.) flank steak
1/3 cup peach chutney
1/3 cup pineapple juice
3 Tbsp. bourbon or apple juice
1 1/2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp. hot pepper sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
2 garlic cloves, minced

Preparation
Prepare grill or broiler.

Trim fat from steak. Combine steak and remaining ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 15 minutes. Remove steak from bag, reserving marinade.

Place steak on a grill rack or broiler pan. Cook 8 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices. Keep warm.

Pour reserved marinade into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with steak.

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New Orleans Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce
Ingredients
1/4 cup raisins
2 Tbsp. bourbon
1 1/4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Dash of salt
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 1/2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed French bread (about 8 oz.)
Cooking spray
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup light-colored corn syrup
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup bourbon

Preparation
To prepare pudding, combine raisins and 2 Tbsp. bourbon in a bowl. Let stand 30 minutes. Drain mixture in a sieve over a bowl, reserving liquid.

Combine reserved liquid, milk, and next 6 ingredients (milk through eggs) in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add bread, tossing gently to coat. Spoon mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with raisins, pressing gently into bread mixture. Cover with foil; chill 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place dish in a 13- x 9-inch baking pan; add hot water to pan to a depth of 1 inch. Bake, covered, at 350° for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

To prepare sauce, combine 1/2 cup sugar, corn syrup, and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer; cook 1 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in 1/4 cup bourbon. Serve each bread pudding piece warm with about 1 Tbsp. sauce.

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Filet Mignon with Sweet Bourbon-Coffee Sauce
Ingredients
1/2 cup water
3 Tbsp. bourbon
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. beef-flavored bouillon granules
1/2 tsp. instant coffee granules
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
4 (4-oz.) beef tenderloin steaks, trimmed (about 1 inch thick)
Cooking spray
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Preparation
Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.

Sprinkle pepper and salt over both sides of steaks. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add steaks; cook 2 minutes on each side. Reduce heat to medium; cook steaks 2 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Transfer steaks to a platter; cover and keep warm.

Add bourbon mixture to pan; cook over medium-high heat until mixture has reduced to 1/4 cup (about 3 minutes). Serve sauce over beef; sprinkle with parsley.

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Bourbon Balls
Ingredients
3 cups crushed vanilla wafers
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
2 Tbsp. corn syrup
1/2 cup bourbon
Powdered sugar

Preparation
Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir in corn syrup and bourbon. Shape mixture into 1-inch balls; roll in powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container.

Note: Beware-these little morsels pack a punch. The bourbon flavor gets mellower with time, so make these at least one week ahead.

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