Spiced Cranberry Mule {Recipe}

Warm spices pair perfectly with crisp cranberry vodka to create this festive, refreshing Spiced Cranberry Mule.

From Mr B’s Man Cave

The house is decorated, the tree is up, the gifts are wrapped, and the Christmas music is playing. Now all that’s left to do is kick back in the big chair with Renée and watch my favorite holiday movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

Yep – life is good.

And it’s even better when you have a delicious adult beverage to enjoy in the process. I’m loving these Spiced Cranberry Mules, a combination that Renée and I stirred up while we were experimenting with her Spiced Simple Syrup. Warm spices like ginger and cinnamon pair perfectly with crisp cranberry vodka to create a festive and truly refreshing holiday treat.

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One of the reasons I love a good mule – besides the obvious fact that they are delicious – is that I get to use our Moscow Mule Mugs and not just because they make for a great presentation either.

There are a couple of bonafide benefits to drinking your mule from a good copper mug. Not only do copper mugs keep drinks colder, but the copper seems to enhance to the flavor of the drinks as well. The difference isn’t something you can really put your finger on per-say, but in my experience the copper mugs seem to complement and heighten the flavors of the ginger and vodka, as well as whatever else you add.

If you are the kind of person who can perceive the subtle differences between drinking soda or beer from a glass bottle versus aluminum can, you will likely notice a similar difference when you drink a mule in a copper mug. Drinking from copper vessels may also carry some impressive health benefits too, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory properties.

If you don’t have your own mule mugs, consider making this the year that you give yourself a set.

The mugs Renée and I have are very well-made of hammered solid copper, and have a nice, heavy feel in your hand. My only advice is that if you are going to get yourself some, don’t go cheap! Quality makes a big difference when it comes to mule mugs. Plus, if you get good ones, they’ll last forever.

Spiced Cranberry Mule

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Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

2 large mint leaves
2 oz. Cranberry Vodka
2 oz. Spiced Simple Syrup
6 oz. "Craft" Ginger Ale**
Garnish: Sugar & Spice Cranberries & Fresh Mint Leaves

Instructions

Muddle two large mint leaves int he bottom of a Moscow Mule mug or tumbler.
Fill mug with ice. Pour in vodka, spiced simple syrup, and ginger ale. Stir gently.
Garnish with Sugar & Spice Cranberries and mint leaves.

Notes

We like to use spearmint leaves for this.

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Renée’s Spiced Simple Syrup is a key ingredient in this cocktail. You can use a plain simple syrup if you have to, but the spiced syrup really does bring a special kick to this mule. If at all possible, set aside the extra five or ten extra minutes it takes to cook some up. One batch should last you all holiday season.

Spiced Simple Syrup

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Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

2 cups water
2 cups granulated sugar
3-4 slices fresh ginger
4-5 cinnamon sticks
3 whole star anise
15 whole allspice

Instructions

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, sliced ginger, star anise, and heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Bring mixture to a boil and allow to simmer for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool completely.
Using a slotted spoon, remove spices from liquid and pour into bottle or jar. Mixture can be refrigerated for at least two weeks.

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Mowcow Mule Mugs

Raspberry Sundae with Ginger-Butterscotch Sauce

June 25 By Mr. B 2 Comments

An important notes from Mr B…

Last night, I had a serious craving for something sweet, so Renée went down to the kitchen and came back with a bowl of this stuff. After the first bite, my exact words to her were, “Oh Baby, you need to blog this!” But I know she won’t. She doesn’t usually like blogging about stuff that’s bad for you, or meat, or stuff made with a lot of store-bought ingredients.

I, on the other hand, have no problem with any of that.

So here’s Renée’s Raspberry Ginger-Butterscotch Sundae, which I’m pretty sure is one of the best ice cream combinations I’ve ever tried.

Raspberry Sundae with Ginger-Butterscotch Sauce

Prep Time5 mins

Total Time5 mins

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: ginger, ice cream, ice cream sundae, raspberries, sundae

Servings: serving

Author: Renée ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

1-3 scoops Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
2 tablespoons Butterscotch Syrup
1 tablespoon Ginger Syrup
1 handful Fresh Raspberries

Instructions

Mix two parts butterscotch syrup with one part ginger syrup. Drizzle over ice cream and garnish generously with raspberries.

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I’m pretty sure that after this, Renée will be making butterscotch sauce from scratch. See how I suffer?

Thanks to my lovely wife for taking this picture and Picmonkeying it up for me.

Classic Whiskey Ginger with Lime {Made with Homemade Ginger Syrup}

June 13 By Mr. B 10 Comments

Made with a delicious homebrewed ginger syrup and finished with fresh mint and a lime wedge, our Whiskey Ginger elevates this classic warm-weather cocktail to a whole new level.

My sweetheart Mr. B is pretty handy around the kitchen and an excellent cook in his own right: he’s always been very supportive of me and the work I do here on the blog. However, I didn’t know he had any interest in contributing himself until last winter when he made our holiday scalloped potatoes. As he took them out of the oven – perfect and golden and smelling like heaven – he asked if I would like him to write down the recipe. He even had me take pictures of them… “you know, for our blog.”

“Our blog“… Hmmm. I sensed the tide was changing. Then this spring, when we got an invitation to attend the opening of a new steak house here in Portland, he helped me write up the review. As we sorted images and recalled the details of the evening, he commented, “I’m really liking this blogging thing.” That may have just been the Brazilian barbecue talking, but whatever it was, he’s hooked now.

With that in mind, and with Father’s Day just around the corner, it seems like the perfect time to launch a new feature here on The Good Hearted Woman – a little corner of the blog where Mr. B can occasionally share his grilling and mixology skills and flex his culinary muscles.

So, without further ado, welcome to the first installment of “Mr B’s Man Cave.”

Hi everyone! This is my first blog post, and I’m keeping it short and sweet. When Renée made her Homemade Ginger Syrup for the first time awhile back, I immediately thought of how great it would be in a Whiskey Ginger, and WOW was I right! Enjoy!

(For all our non-drinking friends out there, this recipe includes a non-alcoholic option)

Whiskey Ginger with Lime

Made with a delicious homebrewed ginger syrup and finished with fresh mint and a lime wedge, our Whiskey Ginger elevates this classic warm-weather cocktail to a whole new level.

Prep Time2 mins

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Course: Beverages

Author: Mr B.

Ingredients

2-3 Tbs Homemade Ginger Syrup
2-3 Tbs Whiskey*
3-4 ounces club soda or seltzer water
1 small lime wedge
1 mint leaf

Instructions

Fill a tumble (or other “short glass”) three-quarters full with cubed ice. Over the ice, pour 3 tablespoons of ginger syrup, 4 ounces club soda, and a shot of whiskey. Rub the glass rim with a lime slice, and garnish with lime and a mint leaf. Adjust amounts to be as strong as you like.

Non-alcoholic option:

Leave the whiskey out and enjoy a wonderful lime-ginger ale.

Notes

*I suggest Temperance Trader American Whiskey from Bull Run Distillery, Portland.

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Homemade Ginger Syrup

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Course: Beverages

Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

6 cups water
6 cups white sugar
1 lb ginger sliced

Instructions

Put 3 cups of water and all the sliced ginger in a blender and blend until ginger is chunky smooth.
Pour the blended mixture into a large saucepan. Stir in the remaining 3 cups of water and the sugar, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
Allow the syrup to cool in the pan.
Line a sieve with two to three layers of cheesecloth and strain syrup. Squeeze the cheesecloth bag tightly to get out all the gingery goodness.
Pour syrup into containers and refrigerate or freeze.

Notes

Makes about 8 cups of very strong ginger syrup. You can easily scale down the amounts (3 cups/3 cups/1/2 lb) and make less syrup, but you will regret it. This stuff is delicious!

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Homemade Ginger Syrup

June 12 By Renée ♥ 10 Comments

Spice up your beverages and desserts with Homemade Ginger Syrup!

Mr. B and I love ginger. When we discovered how easy it is to make homemade ginger syrup, and this delicious condiment immediately became a new favorite among our kitchen staples.

Scroll to the bottom of the post for just a few of the ways we enjoy using it. Please let me know in the comments if you come up with any new ideas!

Homemade Ginger Syrup

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Course: Beverages

Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

6 cups water
6 cups white sugar
1 lb ginger sliced

Instructions

Put 3 cups of water and all the sliced ginger in a blender and blend until ginger is chunky smooth.
Pour the blended mixture into a large saucepan. Stir in the remaining 3 cups of water and the sugar, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
Allow the syrup to cool in the pan.
Line a sieve with two to three layers of cheesecloth and strain syrup. Squeeze the cheesecloth bag tightly to get out all the gingery goodness.
Pour syrup into containers and refrigerate or freeze.

Notes

Makes about 8 cups of very strong ginger syrup. You can easily scale down the amounts (3 cups/3 cups/1/2 lb) and make less syrup, but you will regret it. This stuff is delicious!

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Ginger Frenzy

Here are just a few delicious ways to use Homemade Ginger Syrup:

Ginger ale – add a tablespoon of Ginger syrup to a glass of club soda or seltzer water and make your own ginger ale.
Ginger Lemonade
Ginger Iced Tea
Ginger Apple Juice
Whiskey Ginger
Ginger Ice Cream – just drizzle a couple of tablespoons into the ice cream mix before you freeze it.
Raspberry-Ginger Butterscotch Sundae
Ginger Peaches
Ginger Yogurt – add a teaspoon or two to a cup of yogurt. Vanilla, peach, and raspberry all taste great this way!

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Caribbean Chicken Stew

May 2 By Renée ♥ 8 Comments

This Caribbean Chicken Stew is a rich, warmly spiced stew that thickens beautifully over time, creating a hearty, deeply satisfying meal. {Includes vegetarian-friendly directions for “Mixed Table” preparation}

It seems that I am on a Caribbean kick. I wanted to make a hearty stew that would go with my Caribbean Mango Salad – and one that would work for a recipe redo I have in mind for later this week. After a little digging, I found this delicious-sounding recipe for Caribbean Chicken Stew created by Melanie over at A Beautiful Bite. But as most foodies will tell you, it’s awfully difficult to follow a recipe exactly when you are feeling creative, so here is my take on Melanie’s recipe; which is, in turn, her adaptation of Trinidadian Chicken Stew from Giada De Laurentiis, of the Food Network’s “Giada at Home.” (How’s that for a little recipe lineage, huh?) But you gotta give credit where it’s due, so there you go!

I made some significant changes to Melanie’s recipe and also adapted it so that it can be prepared for Mixed Tables, but I think the heart and soul of the original is still in there. The result is a rich, warmly spiced stew that thickens beautifully over time, so that twenty minutes after the picture above was taken, my stew was… well, a lot more “stewy” looking, with a hearty gravy coating the vegetables and easing into all the little crevasses in the chicken. I Love what the marinade does for the chicken too, and grilling the meat first gave it the most wonderful crispiness. Between the delicious outcome and the relative ease of preparation, this may very well become one of my new favorites.

Caribbean Chicken Stew

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time1 hr 30 mins

Total Time2 hrs

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Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Caribbean

Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

Marinade

1 cup cilantro chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1 jalapeno pepper seeded and minced
1/3 cup plain yogurt Greek or regular
2 Tbs. olive oil
½ tsp kosher salt
5-6 turns freshly ground pepper

Chicken (or Vegetarian) Stew

2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 large onion diced
1 can light coconut milk
2 tbs. tomato paste ketchup will work here
¼ cup water
1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
¼ tsp cinnamon
kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 large sweet potato peeled and cubed'
2 medium white potatoes
1 large yam peeled and cubed
1 lb. baby carrots or 1 lb of carrots, peeled and chopped
1 plantain sliced in thick rounds (I am not a fan of plantains, so I won't be adding them, but use them if you like them.)
3 – 4 pounds of skinless bone-in chicken (I used legs & thighs.) Mixed tables: adjust amount accordingly. For example, if one fourth of the people you are feeding are vegetarians, you only need 2-3 pounds of chicken.

Instructions

Marinating the Chicken:

Combine cilantro, garlic, brown sugar, chopped pepper, yogurt, oil and salt and pepper in a blender and process until almost smooth. If you use Greek yogurt, you may need to add a little water to give it enough liquid to process.
Pour marinade into a large Ziploc bag. Put the chicken pieces in the bag and toss everything around thoroughly to coat all the chicken pieces. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour, and as long as twenty-four hours.
Mixed Tables only: Before you pour the marinade into the bag, set aside about 2 tablespoons to flavor your vegetarian portion later.

Making the Stew

Preheat oven to 375°.
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown chicken pieces. Remove and set aside. Mixed Tables only: Brown your chicken in a separate pan. I used a grilling pan to get those lovely grill marks.
In Dutch oven, sauté onion until translucent in whatever is left in the bottom after browning chicken. Mixed tables: Sauté onions in about a tablespoon of olive oil instead.
To the onions in the Dutch oven, add coconut milk, tomato paste, water, minced fresh ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon. Cook for a few minutes more. Mixed tables only: Take a portion of the sautéed onion mixture out and put it into a small casserole dish. For example if you want ¼ of your meal to be vegetarian-friendly, take out ¼ of the onion mixture, etc. Stir in the 1-2 tbs. of reserved marinade, to taste. The flavors will mellow significantly during cooking.
Place chicken pieces back in Dutch oven on top of sauce. ( MIxed tables: Feel free to add your favorite faux meat here on your veggie portion if you're into that kind of thing. )
Put the cubed vegetables on top of the chicken. (You may want to put the potatoes in after the whole thing has cooked for about half an hour to keep them from getting too mushy.) Mixed Tables only: Put the appropriate amount of vegetables in the casserole and mix with the sautéed onion mixture. Drizzle the entire mixture all with just a little additional olive oil.
Salt and pepper generously.
Cover tightly and cook in oven for 75-90 minutes.
Serve over rice.

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P.S. I just got a new camera, and I can’t stop taking pictures with it!

Triple Ginger Pumpkin Pie

November 15 By Renée ♥ 21 Comments

This is not your Gramma’s pumpkin pie! Three kinds of ginger – fresh, ground, and crystalized – give this pumpkin pie a spicy punch.

My mom was my Camp Fire leader for many years, and when I was in the third or fourth grade, she gathered our group together on the day before Thanksgiving and taught us all how to make pumpkin pie. We each got to make our own pie (with ample help) and then we delivered them all to our local Salvation Army kitchen so that they could be served at their annual Thanksgiving dinner. After mixing up a couple of big bowls of pumpkin custard, she showed us how to make a pie crust before she helped us make our own.

It was magic, watching my mother make a pie crust, like a dancer on a stage. I can still see her – bending over our shiny yellow Formica kitchen table, dusting the surface with a sweep of her hand and flouring the rolling-pin in one graceful motion. Then rolling out the dough in smooth, perfect strokes. Her crust was always even and flawless. Then then pie plate upside down on dough and a clean circle cut with her paring knife exactly two inches away from the ring, all the way around. Roll the dough up on the pin and gently roll it out again, covering the pie plate and tucking it in, her delicate hands deftly fluting the edges with perfectly practiced pinches. Finally, crust complete, she filled it with the sweet, spicy pumpkin custard and eased it slowly into the oven. It is an image of my mother that I treasure.

The next hour or so was not so much a dance as it was circus, but in the end, each of us girls had a pie in the oven that we could claim. Once they were done and cool, I remember driving down Sandy and across the Burnside Bridge into “the city,” and then handing my pie to the lady there in the Salvation Army kitchen and looking up at her as she thanked us all and told us how much those pies would mean to the people who ate them. It made me feel really special. I know it was just a pie, but it was also the first time I remember ever having that glimmer of understanding that my contributions to my community mattered – that they were important. So it maybe it wasn’t just a pie after all.

The rules have changed, so likely you can’t deliver your home-baked pie to the local homeless shelter kitchen anymore, but there are so many ways to serve in the community every day, not only in the holiday season, but all year round. And usually, it takes less time out of your day than making a pie.

5 from 1 vote

Triple Ginger Pumpkin Pie

Makes 2 large pies.

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Home Cooking

Servings:

Author: Renée ♥

Ingredients

Pie Crust

½ cup butter-flavored Crisco Sorry, but this really does yield the best results, and it is the only time I ever use it, I promise!!
½ cup butter – chilled in freezer for one hour Don’t use margarine. I always use salted butter, but you don’t have to.
3 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger
1 Tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
5-6 Tablespoons Ice water

Pumpkin Custard

1 can of pumpkin or 3 3/4 cups fresh pureed pumpkin
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger see instructions below
2 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Scant 1/2 teaspoon allspice
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups half & half divided

Instructions

Making the Pie Crust

In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar and ground ginger with a fork. Stir in crystallized ginger and make sure each little piece gets coated with flour so they don't stick together. Mix in Crisco shortening with a fork or your fingers, then cut cold butter into ¼ pieces and sprinkle them into the flour mixture. Mix with your fingers some more – until mixture resembles very coarse crumbs.
Sprinkle vinegar over mixture and toss to combine. (The theory is that a bit of acid helps relax the gluten formation that would otherwise toughen the pastry.)
Sprinkle ice water over the top and stir with a wooden spoon until a ball forms. Press into a ball and let rest at least 10 minutes in the refrigerator before using. (I tend to let it rest a couple of hours, but you don’t have to.)
Roll out and form your pie crust.

Prebake Pie Shell for a Crisper Crust

You can now bake your pie one of two ways - either just fill it and bake it, or prebake the pie shell. I prefer to prebake it: one of the main complaints people have about pumpkin pie is that it they get soggy, and prebaking alleviates this problem.
This is the method I use for prebaking the pie shell: Put your formed crust into the freezer for about 15 minutes. When you take it out, cover the edges with a ring of aluminum foil, snugging the foil right down onto the formed dough. Line the bottom of the pie pan with a circle of foil and then fill with beans, or use pie weights if you have them.
Bake 20-25 minutes at 325°.
Remove the beans and bake an additional 15 minutes. Let cool.
(There is a great post detailing this process here.)

Pumpkin custard:

Whisk eggs and egg yolks together in a large bowl.
Put minced ginger and 1/4 - 1/2 cup half & half in a small blender and blend until smooth. (Use only as much half & half as you need to.) This is way easier than grating fresh ginger. Way, way, way easier.
Mix pumpkin, spices, and pureed ginger into eggs.
When pie crust is prepared, heat remaining half & half over medium low heat until nearly boiling (do not boil it!). Remove from heat and add to the pumpkin mixture.

Baking the Pie:

Preheat oven to 350.
Fill prepared pie shell with warm pumpkin custard and bake for 30-60 minutes, depending on the size and depth of your pie. It is done when a knife inserted comes out clean.

Notes

Freeze your crystallized ginger first - this will make it much easier to mince!

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