Meghan Y., Author at Cake 'n Knife

Cranberry Boulevardier Cocktail

POSTED BY Meghan Y. ON December 21, 2017 // 22 Comments

A Cranberry Boulevardier Cocktail is a festive holiday twist on the classic cocktail. With an easy-to-make homemade cranberry shrub, this boulevardier is tangy, bright and flavorful. It’s the ideal cocktail to serve up before any holiday meal you have planned this season!

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Breckenridge Distillery! As always, all opinions and recipe are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that support Cake ‘n Knife!

Christmas is commmmming…..

Are you just so over-the-moon, leaping-out-of-your-socks, jumping-with-joy excited?!

I feel like a giddy little child right now. The anticipation of celebrating with family and friends, the magic in the air every time I step outside, and everyone suddenly being in a happy mood sure does bring me right back to the childhood joy I had when I was young. [Read more…]

Salmon Chowder

POSTED BY Meghan Y. ON December 19, 2017 // 55 Comments

Salmon Chowder is a recipe that is near and dear to my heart. The creamy chowder base, the hearty salmon and potatoes and the fresh hint of dill are flavors that I look forward to every Christmas Eve. This is my take on my grandmother’s favorite recipe, and I hope it becomes a family tradition of your own this year!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Le Creuset! As always, all opinions and recipe are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that support Cake ‘n Knife!

Sitting down to write this post, particularly at Christmastime is surprisingly a little harder than I imagined it would be.

I suppose I should start at the beginning…

As some of you may know from my About Me, my grandmother was my family’s own Julia Child. She was a masterful cook who was passionate about making the best food for friends and family any day of the year. Of course, Christmas was (and still is) my favorite time of year, so it’s the recipes from the holiday that have a permanent place in my memory as December 25th draws closer and closer. [Read more…]

How To Make Craft Beer Cocktails, Part One

POSTED BY Meghan Y. ON December 15, 2017 // 21 Comments

With all the craft beer that’s out there, take your beer experience to a whole new level with beer cocktails. My How To Make Craft Beer Cocktails (Part One) guide is just the beginning stepping stone you need to start experimenting with different combinations of beers and liquors. You’ll never guess how easy it is to make your own concoctions at home!

Disclosure: I received free product and compensation from GrowlerWerks as part of this post. As always, all opinions and recipe are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that support Cake ‘n Knife!

I don’t know if you all have this in your hometown, but here in Denver beer cocktails are a thing and they are wonderful.

There are a lot of beer purists out there who get all offended whenever I even suggest trying a beer cocktail, but poo on them because beer cocktails open up a whole new world of amazing experimentation.

As a beer and cocktail enthusiast, the idea of pairing beers and liquor seems really natural to me. [Read more…]

Red Christmas Single Serve Sangria

POSTED BY Meghan Y. ON December 14, 2017 // 29 Comments

Red Christmas Single Serve Sangria is how I get my sangria fix, without making an entire pitcher of the stuff! Instead of dealing with hosting a party to get rid of a giant batch of sangria, you can celebrate your general fabulousness this holiday season with a festive glass of sangria just for Y-O-U. Garnished with a sugar-coated sprig of rosemary, you’ll be feeling all merry and bright with every sip.

Red Christmas Single Serve Sangria | cakenknife.com #christmas #christmassangria #holidaysangria #redsangria #sangria #wine #21andup

about this red christmas single serve sangria

If I am going to be hosting a party during the holiday season, you better believe there is going to be some festive sangria in the mix.

The colors, the flavors, all of it mixes together in the SIMPLEST drink in the world and makes hosting that much easier during this somewhat overwhelming, extremely social time of year.

My go-to sangria is always my Christmas Sangria from a handful of years ago. It happens to be the most popular recipe on this site, and it’s no wonder why.

It’s easy-to-make, it’s colorful, and it’s festively garnished with fresh rosemary!

As the years have gone on, two things have happened…

1) I am not hosting as many holiday events and 2) I am getting more and more into red wine.

SO, I decided it was high time to not only get my sangria fix without making a GIANT batch, and also incorporating red wine!

Taking a queue from my Christmas Sangria, I brought out the rosemary once again, but this time with a frosted look from the easy peasy sugar coating.

The fresh fruit, cinnamon, and brandy with the red wine makes this a bold and hearty sangria that is perfect for curling up under the Christmas tree with. It’s perfect to make for yourself, you and your boo, or you and your BFF for a gal’s/guy’s night in.

ingredients

wine. since this is a red sangria, you will need to use red wine! I like to use a merlot or a syrah, but you can also use a cabernet sauvignon or pinot noir. Just choose the varietal you like to drink the most!

juice. I use orange juice with this sangria – you can use fresh squeezed orange juice or store-bought.

brandy. choose a mid-tier brandy! I like to use this in a lot of sangrias.

fruit. you will need orange, apple, and fresh cranberries for this recipe!

cinnamon sticks. only need a couple of cinnamon sticks for this recipe!

rosemary. I like to use the rosemary as garnish! You can skip it if you prefer.

sugar. you will only need granulated sugar to coat the rosemary sprigs.

this recipe’s must-haves

This cutting board and chef’s knife are a must so you can easily chop up everything you need for the sangria.

Cocktail spoons are perfect because you are just stirring everything up, right in the glass!

here’s how to make red christmas single serve sangria

combine

Divide the juice, red wine, and brandy between two wine glasses. Add a slice of orange and cinnamon stick to each glass.

Divide the chopped apple and cranberries evenly between the two glasses and stir to combine.

chill

Refrigerate for at least one hour, up to 4 hours.

garnish

Briefly rinse rosemary sprigs in water, then coat in granulated sugar shaking the excess off. Garnish when ready to serve. This sangria can be served chilled or you can let it sit at room temperature for a bit before serving.

what to serve with red christmas single serve sangria

Want to make yourself a little snack or festive bite to enjoy with your sangria? Here are some of my favorite bites that are ideal for pairing with this recipe (just be sure to cut the recipe in half if you are making it for yourself only!):

roasted cranberry goat cheese crostini

bite-sized baked bacon brie pockets

berbere fried ravioli

chicken spinach artichoke dip puffs

Also, don’t forget to check out the other holiday recipes I’ve shared for the 12 Days of Jolly Giveaways!

Day One – Red Wine Slow Cooker Short Rib Ragu

Day Two – Gingerbread Challah Bread

Day Three – Mini Beef Wellingtons

Day Four – Bourbon Gingerbread Punch

Day Five – Twice-Baked Chicken Shawarma Stuffed Potatoes

Day Six – Head Country BBQ Prize Pack

Day Seven – White Chocolate Dipped Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Day Eight – Red Christmas Single Serve Sangria

Don’t forget to check out the full list of Christmas cocktails and drinks (including nonalcoholic options!) too! This red sangria is a big batch option for those looking for it.

Finally, if you make this red christmas single serve sangria recipe, please be sure to give this recipe a rating or leave a comment! I love to hear when you all make recipes, and I do take the time to respond to every single comment. Feel free to drop questions below too, if you have them!

Oh and be sure to tag me on Instagram if you make the recipe! I love being able to see these recipes come to life in your homes – it’s my favorite thing to look through those photos. It really means the world to me!

Red Christmas Single Serve Sangria

Instead of making a GIANT batch of sangria, get your fix without hosting the party with a single serve red sangria!

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Prep Time: 10

Additional Time: 1

Total Time: 1 10

equipment

ingredients

Sangria

1 1/2 cups red wine
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup brandy
2 slices of orange
1 apple chopped
1/3 cup cranberries
2 cinnamon sticks

Garnish

2 sprigs rosemary
Water
1/4 cup sugar

instructions

Divide the orange juice, red wine, and brandy evenly between two large wine glasses.
Add a slice of orange and a cinnamon stick to each glass.
Divide the chopped apple and cranberries evenly between the two glasses.
Stir briefly to combine.
Refrigerator for at least one hour.
Add sugar to a shallow dish with a wide mouth.
Briefly rinse rosemary sprigs under water, shaking excess water off.
Roll the rosemary sprigs in sugar. Set aside on a clean plate until ready to garnish.
Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Cuisine: Holiday

Category: Booze

White Chocolate Dipped Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

POSTED BY Meghan Y. ON December 12, 2017 // 44 Comments

White Chocolate Dipped Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cookies are soft, chewy and dipped in white chocolate with just the right zing of peppermint to get you in the holiday mood. Trust me when I say, there won’t be any left for Santa to gobble up!

Disclosure: I received free product and compensation from Bob’s Red Mill as part of this post. As always, all opinions and recipe are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that support Cake ‘n Knife!

When it comes to holiday baking, nothing is better than baking up dozens of cookies.

It doesn’t matter if you are baking with friends and family, or simply spending an afternoon baking by yourself in the kitchen while having a dance party with your dogs (not like that happens over here or anything…) – baking up cookies during the holiday season is my favorite way to infuse my day with extra holiday cheer.

This year I wanted to make a batch of really chewy and extra chocolatey cookies. [Read more…]

A Perfect Day in Curaçao Travel Guide

POSTED BY Meghan Y. ON December 11, 2017 // 3 Comments

Whether you are island hopping on a cruise or planning a trip to this amazing little island, a Perfect Day in Curaçao Travel Guide is just what you need to make the most of your time in Curaçao! With this guide in your back pocket, you’ll be able to check out the best sites and enjoy the best food, beer and cocktails the island has to offer. It’s the ideal all-inclusive day of delicious adventure, complete with toes in the sand overlooking a beautiful ocean view.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Carnival. All opinions are my own, as usual. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Cake ‘n Knife!

While I loved the entire cruise I took in October on the Carnival Vista, if I had to pick one favorite island, it would have to be Curaçao. The blue waters, the bars on the beach, and the amazing Dutch influence make this island a truly unique experience. It’s honestly the one island I am dying to return to for a relaxing island vacation.

That’s all due to the fact that the island is heavily influence by the Dutch still (it’s technically still a part of the Netherlands!), so it’s a delightful mix of Europe and island culture. You’ll actually find a LOT of folks from the Netherlands on the island vacationing and even a ton of folks who are working on the island for a time to get a break from the Netherlands.

[Read more…]

Twice-Baked Chicken Shawarma Stuffed Potatoes

POSTED BY Meghan Y. ON December 8, 2017 // 20 Comments

Twice-Baked Chicken Shawarma Stuffed Potatoes is a whole new take on the twice-baked potato that I am completely OBSESSED with. From Climbing Grier Mountain’s new cookbook, Modern Comfort Cooking, this recipe is full of Middle Eastern flavors and it couldn’t be easier to whip up! That plain ol’ russet potato ain’t so plain now, is it??

Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I will receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting Cake ‘n Knife!

BIG NEWS!

My friend Lauren Grier of Climbing Grier Mountain has a gorgeous new cookbook called Modern Comfort Cooking that is going to blow. your. mind.

Since you all are already here on this site, and obviously love all the things on it (because hello, who wouldn’t? JK JK I am so not that full of myself), you are going to find everything in this cookbook totally delectable.

I’ve always love Lauren’s blog, but getting to know her in real life (you know, outside of online blogger world) has been the real treat. That’s why it means sooooo much to see her gorgeous cookbook come to fruition, and to see it on bookshelves in my favorite bookstores. [Read more…]

Gingerbread Bourbon Punch

POSTED BY Meghan Y. ON December 7, 2017 // 37 Comments

Gingerbread Bourbon Punch is the festive, spiced large batch cocktail of the season! With gingerbread spices, ginger beer and ginger brandy, this drink is like a Moscow Mule on steroids. You might never go back to the plain ok’ classic recipe again…

Gingerbread Bourbon Punch | cakenknife.com #bigbatchcocktail #cocktail #moscowmule #bourbon

about this gingerbread bourbon punch

‘Tis the season to break out the copper mugs!!

Ok I know they can be used year round but I particularly love breaking them out in the winter months. The rich copper tones enveloping a chilled, gingery drink just scream holiday, no matter how you like to serve up your mules.

With the holidays coming up SO fast, I wanted to take the idea of a traditional mule and make it a giant punch for everyone to enjoy.

Note: this may or may not have been inspired by an old Good Eats episode (ahhhh I can’t wait for that show to come back!!!) about punch.

Anywho, this Gingerbread Bourbon Punch is basically a Moscow mule on steroids… and here’s why:

It’s made with bourbon instead of vodka, which I think adds a lovely richness to the cocktail and makes it a little more spirit-forward.
The ginger doesn’t just come from ginger beer… I also included some ginger brandy and ginger bitters to give the punch more depth and body.
The cinnamon sticks and apple only enhance the spicy ginger, while also bringing in fruity, warming spice notes throughout that totally remind me of gingerbread for some reason (hence the name… yes I used “hence”, deal with it lol).

When you serve it all up in a giant copper punch bowl with copper mugs, it’s impossible not to feel that festive joy in your heart and all over your taste buds.

You can even make this punch ahead of time! Just leave out the ginger beer and add it (make sure it’s chilled!) right when you are ready to serve.

Garnish each glass with an apple wheel and cinnamon stick, and voila! A party punch to rule them all…

ingredients

bourbon – bourbon is the obvious choice for this punch, and you can go with a nice mid-price range option like Bulleit or Woodford Reserve.

apple juice – use 100% apple juice for this recipe. You could also use apple cider if you prefer, but it will make the punch a bit sweeter.

lemon juice – fresh lemon juice is always best!

brandy – I picked up a ginger brandy for this recipe to really hammer home the ginger flavor. I highly recommend using it, but you can also use regular brandy if you prefer.

ginger beer – did you know that ginger beer isn’t actually beer? It’s a bubbly non-alcoholic beverage with a big kick of ginger. I like brands that are spicier with a lot of ginger like fever-tree ginger beer. However, if you prefer less spice, there are other brands out there that you can defer to like bundaberg ginger beer.

bitters – ginger bitters gives a lot of flavor to this punch!

fruit – you will need one lemon and two apples (any kind! I used Gala) for this recipe.

cinnamon – a handful of cinnamon sticks really gives you that spice flavor that you are familiar with in gingerbread cookies!

this recipe’s must-haves

As you can see, I used a copper punch bowl for this recipe! You only need to make the punch in the punch bowl so you don’t need a lot of tools to make it happen.

Serve it up in copper mugs like you would a Moscow Mule!

here’s how to make gingerbread bourbon punch

stir together

In a large punch bowl, stir together bourbon, apple juice, lemon juice, ginger brandy, and ginger bitters until combined.

Add 2 cups of ice.

add bubbles

Top off with ginger beer. Stir until combined.

Garnish with lemon slices, apple slices, and cinnamon sticks. Serve in copper mugs filled with ice and garnish as desired.

tips for success

make it ahead. This is a great punch to make ahead of time. Simply follow step one, then chill the mixture until you are ready to serve. Then add ice and ginger beer.

use whole spices. Be sure to use whole cinnamon sticks and not ground cinnamon. Ground cinnamon will cloud up the drink and can’t easily be strained out.

More tasty ginger cocktails to try: Jameson & Ginger | Ginger Martini with Drunken Cranberries | Whiskey Apple Ginger Fizz | Sparkling Ginger Mint Julep

can I make this ahead of time?

Yes you can! All you need is to combine everything in Step 1, then chill until you are ready to serve it. When ready to serve, add to a punch bowl with ice and top with ginger beer. Serve!

can I use rye whiskey instead of bourbon?

Technically yes. You can swap bourbon for rye whiskey, but I believe bourbon goes together with the flavors in this punch really well. The rye whiskey will change the overall flavor of the punch, so I just like to call that out!

Finally, if you make this gingerbread bourbon punch recipe, please be sure to give this recipe a rating or leave a comment! I love to hear when you all make recipes, and I do take the time to respond to every single comment. Feel free to drop questions below too, if you have them!

Oh and be sure to tag me on Instagram if you make the recipe! I love being able to see these recipes come to life in your homes – it’s my favorite thing to look through those photos. It really means the world to me!

12 Days of Jolly Giveaways on Cake 'n Knife! | cakenknife.com #christmas #giveaway #sponsored

Be sure to check out the recipes I’ve already shared for the 12 Days of Jolly Giveaways!

Day One – Red Wine Slow Cooker Short Rib Ragu

Day Two – Gingerbread Challah Bread

Day Three – Mini Beef Wellingtons

Day Four – Bourbon Gingerbread Punch

Gingerbread Bourbon Punch

Bourbon Gingerbread Punch is the festive large batch cocktail of the season! With gingerbread spices and brandy, this drink is a Moscow Mule on steroids.

4.2 from 6 votes

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Prep Time: 5

Total Time: 5