The Spirit World

It’s stormy outside, Thanksgiving is next week and I’ve just come back from a wonderful weekend in the snow.  All of these things are leading me to a cozy and warming menu for this week’s Happy Hour at Home. 

Before going to Whistler last weekend I whipped up a batch of Hot Buttered Rum batter.  It’s our traditon to have a cup or two while we are staying up there and with the snow falling during our stay it was perfect timing!  This batch of batter will keep you and your friends in Hot Buttered Rums until the warm weather returns. 

It’s not a traditional recipe by any stretch of the imaganation but once you taste the rich and creamy drink you won’t care too much about that.  This is actually a repeat for those of you who have been reading the Spirit World since the beginning.  I talked about it in my very first Happy Hour at Home post last December.  Our readership has grown so much during that time that I figured it was time to repeat it again. 

Hot Buttered Rum

• 1 qt vanilla ice cream, softened (let it get almost liquidy)
• 1 pound soft butter
• 1 pound brown sugar
• 1 pound powdered sugar
• 2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

Cream butter, sugars and spices. When they are thoroughly blended mix in the ice cream. Store in freezer until ready to use.

To make drinks
Put a generous tablespoon of batter into a mug.
Add a shot of rum. (I prefer a golden rum.)
Mush it around until the batter is soft.
Add boiling water to fill cup.
Stir.
Sprinkle a little nutmeg on the top.

A drink like this just begs for a dessert-type accompaniment.  Yet you don’t want something too sweet or the sugar overload could be deadly!  Pumpkin-Date Bread is the solution! 

The spices in the bread echo those in the Hot Buttered Rum.  The pumpkin and dates add their own holiday feel.  This bread is so moist that you can eat it all on its own - although toasting it and then buttering it is really good too! 

Pumpkin Date Bread

Adapted from Betty Crocker’s Christmas Cookbook 

• 2 ½ cups sugar
• ⅔ cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 16 oz pumpkin
• ⅔ cup water
• 3 ⅓ cups flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp cloves
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¾ cup chopped nuts
• ¾ cup chopped dates

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottoms only of two loaf pans, 9×5x3 inches or three loaf pans, 8×4x2.

Mix sugar, oil, eggs, pumpkin and water in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into pans.

Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 60 – 70 minutes. Cool slightly and then loosen sides of loaves from pan and cool on wire racks. Wait until completely cool to slice.