Desserts

We’ll let the Europeans bicker over who first doused their dessert with booze. Was it the Irish, soaking fruitcake in whiskey? The Italians with their mocha “pick-me-up”, Tiramisù? Or the French, lighting cherries on fire in honour of Queen Victoria’s Jubilee? All we know is that they had the right idea. Here you’ll find a bevy of boozy desserts, sure to inspire your own royal affair.

Featured Recipes

Cranberry and Almond Irish Whiskey Cake

At nearly 80 proof this is one feisty confection. The addition of whiskey makes it unbelievably moist and gives it boozy super powers, meaning an almost indefinite shelf life. If you have time, make this up to a month ahead of time and bathe it with 1∕4 cup (50 mL) of whiskey once a week. By the time St. Paddy’s Day rolls around it’ll be perfectly pickled.

Grapefruit and Gin Granita

Grapefruit and gin go together like rock stars and bad habits. Grapefruit brings out the whole spice rack of flavorings that are used to make gin, including lemon, orange, cardamom, coriander, orris root, angelica root and, of course, juniper berries. The combination of the sweet, tart grapefruit mixed with the dry floral notes of the gin make this adult-oriented slush a refreshing summer dessert to enjoy late into the evening. Send the kids to bed early, dip into the freezer and start your own bad habit.

White Chocolate and Raspberry Panna Cotta

This smooth and decedent dessert is Italy’s answer to crème brûlée. Panna cotta translates to cooked cream and uses gelatin instead of egg yolks as a thickening agent, making it lighter than crème brûlée but with almost the same consistency. We suggest going all the way and making this white chocolate wonder with its little red raspberry bobbles, but feel free to break open that liquor cabinet and get inventive—orange, lychee, mint, butterscotch etc.

Crêpes Suzette

Sometimes the best things to happen in the kitchen are mistakes. (Just ask David.) This recipe was created by 14-year-old French sous chef Henri Charpentier when he accidentally set his crêpe sauce on fire while serving the Prince of Wales, Britain’s future King Edward VII. When asked what he called his creation Charpentier replied Crêpes Princesse but the prince asked if he would dedicate the dish to the daughter of one of his guests and so Crêpes Suzette was born.