The dog days of summer are upon us and there’s nothing more that I want to do than stay inside with a good book, blast my little A/C because I live in New England and the monsters up here don’t believe in central air conditioning, and get a little drunk in the privacy of my own home. Cream of the Crop by Alice Clayton and Covers & Cocktails fulfills two of those wishes.
Ever since I started this column, I’ve been dying to do a take on a White Russian. It’s one of my favorite drinks. It’s silky and delicious and nearly tricks me into thinking I’m getting a decent dose of calcium. “Does a Body Good” (the drink I’ve named for Cream of the Crop) is a salted caramel White Russian. Because come on. Look at that cover. I had to include dairy of some sort.
The hero, Oscar Mendoza, is a dairy farmer and is a man of few words, but he might be one of my favorite Clayton heroes to date. He also makes the heroine’s favorite cheese and I love cheese. Currently, I have five different kinds in my fridge.
The heroine, Natalie, is an ad exec in New York. And opposites attract stories between city girls and country boys are one of my favorite tropes. I threw in some extra caffeine and a dash of caramel as an ode to the things that fuels most Manhattanites: Starbucks.
If you’re hoping to read Cream of the Crop, the lovely staff at Gallery Books has offered up a copy to giveaway!
Shopping list:
Vodka
Coffee liqueur (I used Kahlua)
Heavy cream
Espresso or coffee for brewing
Caramel syrup
Coarse salt (optional – for garnish)
Proportions:
2 oz vodka
1 oz Kahlua (or another coffee liqueur of your choice)
1 oz heavy cream
1 oz espresso
2 tbsp caramel syrup
Directions:
- Essentially throw everything in a shaker full of ice. Funny story: I couldn’t find my shaker for some reason, only to realize later on that it was full of some awesome Dijon ranch salad dressing I made (happy to share the recipe if anyone wants). So instead, I threw everything in a Tupperware container that had no corresponding lid. Finding one with a lid took longer than it did to make this drink.
- Put some extra syrup along the rim of your glass and garnish with salt, like you would with a margarita.
- Pour drink carefully into glass.
Modifications and notes:
- I brewed the espresso ahead of time and kept it in the fridge. I recommend it being cold when you use it. Alternatively, you can use your favorite flavored coffee.
- If you want a strong caramel flavor, use more syrup. Or substitute heavy cream for a caramel flavored creamer.
- The only salt I had in the house was coarse sea salt and I don’t recommend that because it is waaaay salty. To be honest, I may forgo the rim job (lol).
- If you want to pretty-up your glass, you could make designs with caramel syrup on the inside of the glass before you pour in the drink. Definitely refrigerate your syrup if you’re going to do this; that way the syrup is stiffer and easier to work with (lol again – I’ll be here all week).
- I bought my caramel syrup in the sundae fixings, but you’re welcome to make your own!
We also have one (1) copy of Cream of the Crop to giveaway to one lucky winner!
All you have to do to enter is leave a comment and tell us what blue collar hero is your favorite. I grew up in a big dairy farm town in Florida. I never thought of dairy farmers as sexy before this book, but I can appreciate a man who works with his hands. The giveaway will end Sunday, July 17, 2016 at noon EST, so get your comments in before then!
Standard disclaimers apply. We are not being compensated for this giveaway. Void where prohibited. Open to US/Canadian residents where permitted by applicable law. Must be over 18 and ready to get your hands dirty. Knowledge of tractor driving is a plus, though not required. And please, the cows are ladies and expect to be treated as such!