Maple Bourbon with Bacon Praline Ice Cream

6 large organic egg yolks
1 cup organic maple syrup
2 teaspoons organic flour
1 cup organic half-and-half
1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
2 tablespoons bourbon
1 1/2 cups organic cream
1 cup Praline of Bacon

In a bowl, beat the egg yolks with the maple syrup, and flour. Set aside.

Bring half-and-half to a simmer in a heavy saucepan. Slowly beat the hot half-and-half into the eggs. Pour the entire amount back into a clean saucepan and place on low heat.

Stir with a wooden or rubber spatula until the custard thickens slightly. Remove from heat and pour through a strainer into a bowl. Allow custard to cool, and then stir in cream, bourbon and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate until cold.

Stir the chilled custard, and then freeze in your ice cream maker, following the manufacturer's directions.

Add Praline of Bacon when ice cream is semi-frozen. Allow the machine to mix in bacon and continue until finished.

Praline of Bacon

1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/8 teaspoon red pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 pound cooked and diced bacon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray sheet pan. In a mixing bowl, add the sugar, Worcestershire sauce, butter, red pepper and cinnamon. Whisk well.

Pour mixture on sheet pan, and toss cooked bacon in to evenly coat. Bake turning every 5 minutes for 20-25 minutes total.

Stout Floats with Cocoa Syrup

Stout Floats with Cocoa Syrup Bon Appétit | February 2011

by Alice Medrich

Slightly bitter beer, ice cream, and bittersweet cocoa syrup make for the perfect adult treat. Any leftover syrup will keep in the fridge for up to one month.
Yield: Makes 6 servings
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes (includes baking and cooling time)
ingredients
Cocoa syrup:
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder (spooned into cup to measure, then leveled)
2/3 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Floats:
1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons Kahlúa or other coffee-flavored liqueur
Chocolate ice cream
3 12-ounce bottles or 2 pints (about) chilled stout

Special equipment
6 iced-teaspoons
6 straws
preparation
For cocoa syrup:

Whisk sugar, cocoa powder, and pinch of salt in small saucepan. Pour 2/3 cup boiling water into heat-resistant measuring cup. Whisk just enough boiling water from cup into cocoa mixture in saucepan to form smooth paste (about 3 tablespoons), then whisk in remaining water. Bring to simmer over low heat, stirring constantly. Simmer syrup 1 1/2 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Cool to room temperature. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 weeks ahead. Cover; chill.

For floats:

Using electric mixer, beat cream and vanilla in medium bowl until peaks form. Cover; chill. Pour 1 tablespoon Kahlúa and 1 tablespoon cocoa syrup into each of six 10-ounce glasses. Place 1 scoop of ice cream in each glass. Add stout, pouring gently down side of tilted glass to prevent too much head from forming. Spoon dollop of whipped cream into each glass. Drizzle with cocoa syrup, place spoon and straw in each, and serve immediately.

Husband Catcher Cake

For the Cake:
2 sticks butter, softened
1 box brown sugar
3 extra-large eggs
3 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2¼ cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup buttermilk

For the Filling:
6 ounces orange marmalade
1/8 cup Grand Marnier or orange liqueur

For the Frosting:
3½ tablespoons light Karo corn syrup
½ stick butter
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon Kahlua, brandy, orange liqueur or vanilla
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Cream together the butter and brown sugar. Mix in the eggs, then add the melted chocolate and vanilla and mix well. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In another bowl, mix the baking soda, salt and sifted flour. To the chocolate mixture, alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk, a little at a time. Pour the batter into 2 greased and floured (or nonstick) round cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in to the middle of each cake comes out clean. Cool the cakes on a wire rack.

In a small saucepan, over boiling water, mix the filling ingredients and cool. Invert one cooled cake layer onto a cake plate, then spread on the cooled filling. Carefully top with the other layer. Cover with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight. Bring the cake to room temperature before icing.

In a medium saucepan, mix the Karo corn syrup, butter, water, and Kahlua, brandy, orange liqueur, or vanilla and bring to a boil. Stir in the chocolate chips and mix until melted. Let frosting cool and stir until it is the consistency of whipping cream. Frost the top and sides of the cake.