Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Honey Liqueur Ham Glaze and Honey Liqueur Cocktail

When I was offered a sample bottle of Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur through Virtual Potluck, of course I said "yes." I like honey. It sounded interesting. And it sounded like something fun to work with. I'd never tried it before, but I figured that if I couldn't concoct a cocktail, I could find a way to cook with it.

The honey flavor was obvious on the back end. On the first sip, there was the warmth of the alcohol, followed by the sweet, rich honey.

I thought I might make a cocktail, but I couldn't gt the idea of a ham glaze out of my head. But the liqueur wasn't thick enough to work on its own. Ah, but mustard! Honey-mustard glaze sounded pretty darned good.

This glaze is easy - you can measure or just eyeball it. In fact, you might need to adjust it after mixing so it's the correct thickness, since mustards will vary in thickness. The glaze should be thick enough so you can brush it on your ham, and it will stick in a thin layer. As the ham cooks, you can brush on more, if you like a thicker glaze.

Ham Glaze

1 part (by volume) Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur
1 part (by volume) grainy mustard
1 part (by volume) sugar

Combine all the ingredients, and brush on the ham before baking, and brush on again during cooking, if you like a thick glaze.

Oh, but I'm not done yet!


After I made the ham,  I still had the cocktail idea rattling around in my head. I wasn't sure where I was going with it. Maybe a warm drink?

Then I started thinking about honey on pancakes. The idea of breakfast make me think of coffee. Then the coffee made me think about coffee cocktails.

When my mind wandered around to the White Russian, made with Kahlua, cream, and vodka, the light bulb lit. I knew the honey liqueur would play a much better role than vodka, adding sweetness and flavor instead of just an alcoholic kick.

But what about a name? Colorado Bee Sting sounded good to me. The coffee liqueur I used was one that I made at home, here in Colorado. Of course, you could use your favorite coffee liqueur rather than making your own.

Colorado Bee Sting

1 part Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur
1 part coffee liqueur
2 parts heavy cream or half-and-half

To get nice layers, put ice in your glass and pour the honey liqueur first, followed by the coffee liqueur, and topped with the cream.

For a cocktail that's a little more interesting to observe, put ice in the glass, then add the coffee liqueur followed by the cream. Pour the honey liqueur on top and watch it move through the layers and settle on the bottom of the glass.

For links to all of the Virtual Potluck recipes using Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur, go visit Foodhunter's Guide to Cuisine.
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