bourbon Archives | butter loves company

A splash of bourbon grants you a reprieve from the sweetness of butterscotch chips in this recipe for chewy bourbon butterscotch cookies.

Are you settling into 2018? I feel like life has been quite a whirl lately between work, cookies, wedding planning, and navigating some anxieties. Slow down 2018! As someone who absolutely adores hosting and entertaining, I’m actually having a hard time getting into the swing of planning a wedding. Anyone go through this? I keep going back to how I will just be happy to have so many people who I love there, including that main squeeze I’ll meet down the aisle.

During periods like this where I feel a tad overwhelmed, I turn to one of my favorite therapies, baking. Despite life’s craziness, spending time on this blog and with you (virtually) is one of my favorite things and it truly makes me happy. It is a gravitational pull that I never want to stop getting caught in! So without even pushing sappiness aside, thank you for being here. This year I am really excited to bring more of myself to this site and to learn more about each of you.

Let’s start with these bourbon butterscotch cookies, shall we? I have had butterscotch chips on hand since the holidays and finally got around to testing some cookies with them. If you’re hesitant about butterscotch because it is so sweet—it is essentially a mix of sugar and butter afterall—let me assure you that I did a bit of testing to find a compromise that balanced that flavor.

If you’re a fan of things like blondies, or snickerdoodles, or bourbon in general, I definitely think you’ll enjoy the flavor of these butterscotch cookies. We’ll add a little more dark brown sugar than granulated which not only adds chew, but it also enhances the cookies’ depth with a molasses-type note. Butterscotch is reminiscent of white chocolate to me in that it can be overly sweet and perhaps even have the same polarizing fandom (the lovers or the haters), but when done right, its caramel profile is just enough sweetness to satisfy your taste buds. And hey, a splash of bourbon can’t hurt. Just like in this bourbon banana bread, the dark spirit is an understated smokey addition to your favorite baked goods.

An easy mixer-free recipe for moist banana bread spiked with bourbon for a little deep heat. One of the best banana breads I’ve ever tasted and, trust me, I’ve tasted A LOT of banana breads.

Take a look around the kitchen. Do you see bananas? Yes? How do they look? Please tell me they are so over-ripe that they are almost detaching from the stem. Now, tell me you’re ready to mash them all up and whip up a batch of banana bread!

But we’re not whipping up just any old banana bread, today. We’re taking a pit stop by the wet bar and grabbing the bourbon. Yup. We’re spiking the banana bread and it might just be the best thing you’ve ever tasted. Get ready to start buying those ’nanners just to let them get all brown and speckled. Bourbon banana bread is happening.

Greg tried to throw these bananas out. I was like umm, what are you doing..are you kidding me?!! This is peak bread ripeness! Love ya! 😉

This bread is moist with distinct banana flavor. Cinnamon and nutmeg spice up the flavor while Greek yogurt and, of course, butter add tang and richness. The kicker here is the flavor that the bourbon brings to the party. It adds this little mature spicy heat to the mix. It’s like you know as you’re biting into it that the bread has edge. Something about the whole package is just utter banana glory.

Bonus: You don’t need a mixer for this recipe.

I used Knob Creek because I had it leftover from a party. Though I bet you could use any brand without it changing the flavor too much.

It will be so easy, you’ll just mix by hand and then pop this thaaang in the oven.

One month ago: Iced Brownie Thins
Six months ago: Funfetti Pie Crust
One year ago: Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

An easy mixer-free recipe for moist banana bread spiked with bourbon for a little deep heat. One of the best banana breads I've ever tasted and, trust me, I've tasted A LOT of banana breads.

Interested in more banana bread? Check out this Brown Butter Banana Bread. It’s another one of my faves!