Pumpkin pie means Thanksgiving. Pumpkin cheesecake is always welcome at the holiday table. Why not combine the two and make a creamy dessert with spiced pumpkin custard hugging a layer of cheesecake? For you fans of make-ahead, this dessert may be frozen. Continue reading
When you live in a state that boasts of the world’s apple capital (Winchester, Virginia), you stock up on as many apples and apple products like fresh cider and apple butter as you can during the peak season. Hoping to craft a cocktail with apple essence, I roamed the aisles of the local liquor store and found not one, but several, brands of Virginia apple brandy. The friendly sales clerk schooled me in the difference between applejack (apple plus grain spirits with a lighter flavor profile) and apple brandy ( apple cider aged and possessing a rich depth). Woods Mill Distillery in Faber, Virginia, produces a fine smoky tasting apple brandy which was used for today’s autumn cocktail. Continue reading