Her Modern Kitchen

Eating & Living in Austin, Texas

bourbon

Dirty Chai Old Fashioned

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The Dirty Chai Old Fashioned combines chai flavors with Devils River Whiskey’s Coffee Bourbon for a sophisticated, boozy coffee-chai cocktail.

Dirty Chai Old Fashioned

Devils River Whiskey provided me with complimentary bourbon in exchange for a recipe creation
but all thoughts, opinions, and images are my own.

I’m not a bourbon drinker but I seem to always concoct bourbon-based cocktails and this Dirty Chai Od Fashioned combines my love for coffee and chai with Devils River Whiskey’s Coffee Bourbon.

Dirty Chai Basics

If you aren’t familiar with a Dirty Chai, it’s a coffeehouse drink that’s made by mixing steeped chai tea with a shot of espresso and steamed milk.  It’s got that kick of caffeine wrapped in the warm hug of cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger.  In short, it’s made for those of us who love fall spices but don’t want to go full-blown PSL.

Mixing up the Dirty Chai Old Fashioned

Now, when it’s 5 o’clock and you’re looking to mellow out rather than perk-up, that’s when you lean on mixing up my Dirty Chai Old Fashioned for a sophisticated, boozy coffee-chai cocktail.

My Dirty Chai Old Fashioned starts with an easy simple syrup that’s then used to steep chai tea bags.  I prefer Tazo Chai tea because personally, I think it has the best flavor.  It’s neither too gingery or cinnamony, just the perfect balance of all the traditional chai flavors.

Looking for more dirty chair inspiration? Check out my Dirty Chai Cupcakes.

Once the syrup has cooled, I use Devils River Whiskey’s new Coffee Bourbon, a cold-brew steeped bourbon, to bring in the necessary ‘shot of espresso’ expected in a Dirty Chai.  Stirred up with a squeeze of lemon and a few dashes of bitters and this cocktail is ready to go.

Dirty Chai Old Fashioned Pin

I prefer my old fashioned served with a large, ice cube that melts slowly and mellows out the drink but you can pour your Dirty Chai Old Fashioned over whatever kind of ice you’d like.

Happy sipping.

Dirty Chai Old Fashioned
 
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Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • For the chai tea syrup:
  • 1 cup, sugar
  • 1 cup, water
  • 4 chai tea bags

  • [b]For the cocktail:
  • [/b]1.5-ounces chai tea syrup
  • 3-ounces Devils River Coffee Bourbon
  • 1-ounce fresh lemon juice
  • 3 dashes bitters
  • cinnamon stick, star anise, optional for garnish
Instructions
  1. For the chai tea syrup: Make the chai tea syrup by bringing the water and sugar to boil over high heat. Stir constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and steep the tea bags in the syrup for 15 minutes. After 15-minutes, drain the tea bags, remove from the pot, and allow the syrup to cool to room temperature. Store unused syrup in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to 3-months
  2. Make the cocktail: To make the cocktail, place all of the ingredients in a whiskey glass and stir clockwise 40 times until all ingredients are combined. Top with ice and garnish with a cinnamon stick or star anise as desired.

 

 

 

 

Pumpkin Spice Roll Cake with Brown Butter Bourbon Frosting & Salted Caramel Pecans

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Pumpkin Spice Cake Roll Cake with Brown Butter Bourbon Frosting and Salted Caramel Pecans is the perfect dessert pairing for any Fall holiday celebration.

Decorated pumpkin spice roll cake

Well, I may not have had a successful inlay roll cake but I do have a successful, delicious, beautiful roll cake. If you’ve been following along with my baking bucket list and roll cake issues, you know that I had a small misstep earlier this week and debating on whether or not I’d pursue another roll cake.

I chose to make another roll cake, without the inlay, simply because I had leftover frosting for the filling.  Making a roll cake itself (without the inlay) is actually quite easy and the hands-on time is minimal, making it quick to whip up.

Served pumpkin spice roll cake

Plus, the flavor combination for this Pumpkin Spice Roll Cake with Brown Butter Bourbon Frosting was just too good not to remake, photograph and post about.

I love love love this flavor combination.

Although there’s pumpkin involved, it’s minimal and really just adds moisture to the cake. The spice flavor is heavy on the cinnamon and light on the pie spice. All together with the frosting and salted caramel pecans, the cake is a wonderful combination of fall flavors that leaves me doing a happy dance after every bite!

Filling the cake prior to rolling

Sprinkling on the salted caramel nuts

Rolling the cake

While the pumpkin is subtle, the brown butter bourbon frosting, however, has a real kick to it! Often times when it comes to bourbon frosting, the taste is so subtle that I’m found wondering if there was even bourbon in the recipe.  But not with mine! It has a heavy splash of bourbon which is balanced with the brown butter and cream cheese I’ve added to the frosting.

Rolled cake prior to decorating

Finally, for some crunch, I whipped up some quick salted caramel pecans, cheating a tad by using salted caramel syrup.  You only require 3 tablespoons, so making the caramel from scratch is a huge lift for such a small amount.  However, if you have a favorite salted caramel recipe you make and the time to do it, go for it!

Decorated pumpkin spice roll cake

Let’s just bake!

Rather than spare you the fluff of additional cake details and how-to guides, today, I’m just going to dive straight into the recipe for my Pumpkin Spice Cake with Brown Butter Bourbon Frosting and Salted Caramel Pecans. My only advice, read the recipe all the way through before starting and time cake steps 7 and 8 appropriately.

Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Spice Roll Pin

Pumpkin Spice Roll Cake
 
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Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 3 eggs, whisked
  • ⅔ cup pure pumpkin puree
  • ½ cup brown sugar, packed
  • ½ cup granular sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup confectioner's sugar for rolling plus more for serving
  • 1½ -2 cups Brown Butter Bourbon Frosting, recipe follows
  • Salted Caramel Pecans, recipe follows
Instructions
  1. Preheat the over to 350F.
  2. Prepare an 11x15 inch jellyroll pan by greasing it lightly, lining it with parchment paper, and then greasing the parchment paper itself (we really don't want the cake to stick!). Set aside.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spice).
  4. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin puree, sugars, and vanilla extract.
  5. Pour the wet into the dry and mix until well combined.
  6. Evenly pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 15-17 minutes.
  7. While the cake is baking, prepare your space to dry-roll the cake by laying a clean kitchen towel on your counter. Sprinkle it thoroughly with confectioner's sugar, rubbing it into the towel. Flip the towel over and repeat this process on the opposite side.
  8. When the cake is done, remove it from the oven, run a knife around the edges of the pan and immediately (while it's still piping hot!) flip it onto your prepared kitchen towel.
  9. Starting at the short end, roll the cake tightly around itself (and the kitchen towel) into a log.
  10. Place the kitchen towel & cake onto the jellyroll pan and place it in the fridge for 2-hours to chill.
  11. Once chilled, gently unroll the cake, spread the Brown Butter Bourbon frosting onto the cake, leaving about a 1-inch bare around the edges. Sprinkle salted caramel pecans on top of the filling, gently pressing them into the frosting.
  12. Now complete your final roll by again, starting at the short end and rolling the cake around itself (this time without the kitchen towel).
  13. Gently move the cake onto your serving dish and chill the cake for another 30-minute prior to serving.
  14. To serve, dust the cake with confectioner's sugar, slice and serve.

Brown Butter Bourbon Frosting
 
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Serves: 4 cups
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature, separated
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 3 ounces bourbon of choice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 5 cup confectioner's sugar
  • 2 tablespoon meringue powder, optional
  • 2 tablespoon heavy cream
Instructions
  1. Place ¼ cup of butter in a small saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the butter begins to brown (about 10-15 minutes). Allow the butter to cool completely then using a fine sieve, strain the brown bits out of the brown butter. Discard the brown bits and save the strained butter for the frosting.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and remaining ½ cup butter for 5-6 minutes until fully creamed and no bits of butter or cream cheese are left.
  3. Pour in the cooled brown butter and vanilla extract and beat again.
  4. Add in 3 cups of confectioner's sugar and 1 tablespoon of heavy cream.
  5. Beat until fully combined.
  6. Add in the remaining 2 cups of confectioner's sugar until a medium-thick frosting is created. If you need to loosen the frosting some, add in the additional 1 tablespoon of heavy cream. The frosting should be creamy enough to evenly spread onto the cake without pulling up the cake but stiff enough to not 'ooze' out of the cake

Salted Caramel Pecans
 
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Serves: ¾ cup
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup chopped pecans
  • 3-4 tablespoons salted caramel sauce of choice
  • ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
  2. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  3. In a small bowl, stir together the salted caramel sauce and pecans.
  4. Spread the nut mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, sprinkle with the coarse sea salt and bake for 10 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
  5. Remove from oven and allow the nuts to cool completely before using.

 

Bourbon Peach Upside Down Cake

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If you’re looking for a great summertime dessert recipe, I highly suggest this Bourbon Peach Upside Down Cake, served a la mode, obviously.

Bourbon Peach Upside Down Cake a la mode overhead

It’s obvious from my last post that I wasn’t happy with the end result of my first June baking challenge so I set out to give it another whirl with a tastier combination, making this Bourbon Peach Upside Down Cake.

For context, the whole purpose of my baking bucket list this year is for me to master a recipe or technique.  And while I do believe I mastered the upside down technique with the original rhubarb upside down cake, it wasn’t a delicious cake.  It was nothing I’d want to make again and I felt a bit disappointed in the overall experience. So I set out to make a cake worth eating.

Bourbon Peach Upside Down Cake a la mode

And this Bourbon Peach Upside Down Cake is a winner!

The recipe uses fresh, seasonal peaches, lots of brown sugar, and a splash of bourbon mixed with warm spices to make a deliciously comforting cake all topped with a scoop of melty vanilla bean ice cream.  It’s a serious bite of summer and it takes me back to my childhood patio on a warm summer night.

I used this Food Network recipe as my base cake recipe but made a couple of changes to meet my own taste preferences. I’m pretty sure the changes I made make this stellar recipe even more delicious.  My full recipe details are below.

Bourbon Peach Upside Down Cake Stand

Brown sugar & butter makes everything tastes better

While the original recipe called for granulated sugar melted with water to make the syrup that goes on the bottom of the cake pan, I chose to swap granulated sugar for brown sugar and water for butter.  I melted the two together in a saucepan until it was thick and sticky.  I then spread it into a bottom of a 10-inch cake pan and topped it with sliced peaches.

Bourbon Peach Upside Down Cake Overhead

Pumpkin spice isn’t just for lattes

I love using pumpkin pie spice when baking with fruits because it’s the perfect mixture of warm baking spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, all-spice, and ginger.  All of these flavors play well with peaches and bourbon so for maximum flavor I added a dash of pumpkin spice into the cake batter, making the crumb have a slight spice-cake taste to it.

Bourbon Peach Upside Down Cake a la mode 3

Who doesn’t love a la mode?

I love peaches and vanilla ice cream and there was no way I could eat this Bourbon Peach Upside Down cake without a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Obviously, I used Halo Top because it’s my go-to.  If you haven’t tried their vanilla ice cream, it’s delicious and pairs perfectly with the cake. I especially loved it when it gets melty and mixes with the bourbon & peach topping.

Bourbon Peach Upside Down Cake Pin

If you’re looking for a great summertime dessert recipe, I highly suggest this Bourbon Peach Upside Down cake, and don’t forget to make it a la mode!

Check out my past baking bucket list challenges here. Up next is a lattice top blueberry pie! 

5.0 from 1 reviews
Bourbon Peach Upside Down Cake
 
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Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • ¾ cups light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 large peaches, cut into ½-inch wedges (firm but ripe)
  • 3 tablespoons bourbon (like Bulleit)
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 ounces pecan pieces ground into a powder or small crumb
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick + 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375F and prepare a 10-inch cake pan (or similar) by spraying the bottom and sides with a non-stick baking spray. Set aside.
  2. Add the brown sugar and 3 tablespoons of butter to a small saucepan. Melt over medium heat until it thickens into a paste.
  3. Spread the paste into the bottom of the prepared cake pan in an even layer. Place the peach slices evenly on top of the brown sugar. Pour 3 tablespoons of bourbon on top and set aside.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, ground pecans, cinnamon, pie spice, baking powder, soda, and salt. Set aside.
  5. Using an electric mixer, cream together the stick of butter and granulated sugar. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each followed by the vanilla extract.
  6. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour, and mix until just incorporated. Pour the batter over the peaches and spread evenly. Place the cake pan onto a large baking sheet (in case there's run over) and bake 45-50 minutes until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
  7. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 20-25 minutes on a wire rack. After cooling, run a small knife around the outer edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Place a large cake plate on top of the cake and quickly flip the two to dislodge the cake from the pan. You may need to tap it lightly on the counter to get it to fall out.
  8. Slice and serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

 

Treaty Oak Ranch & Distillery: Daytripping from Austin

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Take an afternoon day trip to Treaty Oak Ranch in Dripping Springs for a hill country experience offering cocktails, food, and relaxing views.

I received a complimentary visit to Treaty Oak but all opinions and photographs are my own.

Last weekend, <3M and I were invited out to Treaty Oak Ranch to experience their new restaurant and cocktail lab while learning about future plans to expand the distillery’s offerings.  Here’s a look at our visit.

Treaty Oak Ranch

We started our trip by grabbing a few cocktails from Alice’s Restaurant then took a trip to the Rickhouse, Treaty Oak’s casual bar offering, where patrons can enjoy cocktails from the distillery’s bourbon and gin offerings. 

For those looking for something lighter, Treaty Oak also has a selection of beer brewed onsite. Our guide for the day, Ezra, mentioned that Treaty Oak actually makes all of their own beer and liquor onsite so all of the alcohol has roots from within the Treaty Oak Ranch.

Welcome Cocktails
Bourbon based cocktails: Kentucky Dreaming & Caught Red Handed featuring Treaty Oak’s winter syrup

Located next door to the Rickhouse is Treaty Oak’s casual BBQ food truck where you can grab a bite then kick back on the picnic tables while listening to one of the local bands playing on the weekends.

  • Treaty Oak food truck
    Treaty Oak BBQ Food Truck
  • Treaty Oak Stage

With drinks in hand, we wandered up to the distillery with Ezra who shared the rich history of Treaty Oak, which began in 2006 and who’s name pays tribute to the historical Treaty Oak in Austin.  We also learned of the distillery’s future plans to incorporate a garden and host farmers’ markets in the Spring. 

In addition to the local farmers’ marker, Treaty Oak plans to host specialty dinners in the garden with prix fixe menus featuring produce grown onsite along with other local producers (something I’m personally excited about!)

Treaty Oak Ranch 2
Views from the distillery

The Distillery

After learning about Treaty Oak’s beginnings, we took a tour of the ‘under construction’ distillery.  Treat Oak recently expanded its distribution of bourbon & gin into nearby states and as a result, needed to amp up their production capabilities to meet demands.  We visited during the transition period but plan to come back when the distillery is back in full swing.

  • Distillery 2
    Treaty Oak distillery under construction for upgrades

The Barrel Room

We also visited the barrel room (by the way, can we please make a candle out of the barrel room scent?) and learned about how Treaty Oak ages their bourbon. I loved learning about Treaty Oak’s view on distilling.  As an organization, they love to experiment and owner, Daniel Barnes, actively encourages team members to run with ideas and innovate.

  • Treaty Oak Barrel Room
  • Mayank & Alyssa

Ezra mentioned that Treaty Oak has a few barrels of bourbon buried in the playground onsite and when they deem it ready, it will premiere as the graveyard bourbon. There’s also plans in work for different genres of musicians to come play to barrels of bourbon in hopes that the different sound waves will impart unique flavors on the bourbon while aging.  The creative culture at Treaty Oak makes it truly special and unique.

The Tasting

By this time, our welcome cocktails were long gone so we transitioned to a tasting of Treaty Oak’s gin & bourbon offerings.

My favorite of the gin was the Waterloo No. 9. Unlike traditional gin offerings, which have a heavy juniper taste (that’s the flavor that often gives gin its pine-sol rep), Treaty Oak’s Waterloo No. 9 has a lavender finish which is just plain lovely and not a bit overly flowery.  I really found new respect for gin with Treaty Oak’s Waterloo.

  • Treaty Oak Gin
    Treaty Oak Gin
  • Treaty Oak Bourbon
    Treaty Oak Bourbon
  • Treaty Oak Tasting
    Treaty Oak Tasting

Of the bourbon offerings, Ghost Hill, Treaty Oak’s flagship bourbon, was both mine and <3M’s favorite. It was smooth and was easily enjoyed straight.  Both the Waterloo No. 9 Gin and Ghost Hill Bourbon are on my and Mayank’s Christmas lists!

The Cocktail Lab

Cocktail Lab
Don’t Want to Be Cool from The Cocktail Lab

As we wound our way back towards Treaty Oak’s entrance, we stopped by the new Cocktail Lab.  The Cocktail Lab has a 90’s hiphop vibe in music, decor, and menu offerings.

The Cocktail Lab offers more refined cocktails compared to other draft offerings on the ranch while utilizing playful and unique cocktail techniques.  Here, the lab’s mixologist shook up the Don’t Want to Be Cool for <3M featuring a chai syrup and the Ghost Hill Bourbon. 

Alice’s Restaurant

  • Beet & Arugula Salad
    Beet & Arugula Salad
  • Roasted Cauliflower Soup
    Roasted Cauliflower Soup
  • Tacos
    Tacos
  • Alice's Restaurant
    Alice’s Restaurant

<3M and I concluded our afternoon at Treaty Oak Ranch with lunch outside on the patio of Alice’s Restaurant, named after Daniel Barnes’ mother whom is a prominent figure on the ranch.

I was pleasantly surprised by the food at Alice’s Restaurant as I was expecting something more casual from a distillery.  However, the food in presentation was refined and the taste and complexity of flavors in the dishes we tasted were delicious.

I loved the beet & arugula salad, served with beets three ways  and perfectly fried goat cheese.  It also paired well along side the elegant simplicity of the roasted cauliflower soup.  <3M was delighted with his tacos, one of the restaurant’s weekend specials.  The food was honestly delicious and <3M and I already have plans to head back again next month to explore the menu more.

Waterloo Gin Cocktail
Good Juju cocktail featuring Waterloo No. 9 at Alice’s Restaurant

Our trip to Treaty Oak Ranch was the highlight of our weekend.  It was relaxing, enjoyable, and everything from the cocktails, to the gin & whiskey, and the food was delicious.  Our guide, Ezra, also made for an extra special visit and we couldn’t be more thankful to him for taking the time to share Treaty Oak with us.

If you’re looking for a quick escape from the hustle of Austin, then head out to Treaty Oak Ranch for good food, good booze, and great company.