St. Patrick's Day Prep-make Irish Cream.

Just a little over 2 weeks until St. Patrick's day, and whether you are at home or in the restaurant, why not offer your guests some home-made Irish or Scotch Cream. My version uses inexpensive Scotch whisky most of the time, which I chose to avoid comparison with Baileys. But for St. Patricks day, I think Irish is clearly the way to go. No need to use something fancy! The homemade Orgeat is a subtle, versitle mixer that can add richness and complexity to a wide range of different drinks--I like it is Sangria for example. It's what Coleman Andrews would have called a "secret ingredient".

Scotch Cream

1 cup sugar

4 ounces water

1/2 cup cocoa nibs

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

6 ounces maple syrup

16 ounces heavy cream

3 ounces homemade orgeat*

1 tablespoons butter

12 ounces well scotch

1. Place sugar in medium saucepan, add water, simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add coca nibs and maple syrup remove from heat and steep 10 minutes.

2. Add vanilla extract and cream, simmer until it thickens slightly, 5 minutes

3. Remove from heat, allow to cool 5 minutes. Add orgeat, stir in butter, cool to room temperature.

4. When cool add scotch, strain through a fine mesh strainer, bottle, refrigerate.

*(if you substitute commercial orgeat, start with 1 ounce, add to taste)

Orgeat

1 cup slivered almonds

2 cups water

2 cups sugar

2 star anise

1 tsp allspice

1 cinnamon stick

juice of one lemon

1/2 teaspoon orange flower water

1. In a medium saucepan over low heat, toast almonds with spices until fragrant , be careful, they burn easily

2. Add water and sugar, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes

3. Allow almond mixture to chill until safe to handle

4. Puree in a blender, strain through a fine mesh strainer

5. Cool to room temperature, add lemon juice and orange flower water, strain again, bottle, refrigerate.