Showing posts with label Dark Rum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dark Rum. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

R(h)um And Rhubarb Cocktails - By The Batch






Deck drinks time is here! FINALLY. Holy hell, what's the point of enduring months of cold, snow, freezing rain and just plain miserably gray days if it isn't time to get our butts out into sun and warm, gentle breezes? 

And as long as we're out there, why not celebrate the occasion with a cocktail that is simply, perfectly in season? Better yet, make a batch of this cocktail base ahead of time. Why? More time in the sun instead of in the kitchen!

Right now, rhubarb is fresh from the fields and you'll find it all over local farmers markets and grocery stores. If you're lucky, you have some growing in your own backyard or even in a generous neighbor's backyard. In my old neighborhood, right around the corner, a neighbor used to heap piles of beautiful ruby red stalks on a picnic table by the road. We customers picked up fresh from the garden bundles of the spring delight and left our money in the box provided. Couldn't get any fresher than that!

Since the season is so short, I buy and use rhubarb as soon as I see it. This year, a big batch of rhubarb simple syrup for richly tart, sweet and sparkly cocktails was on the top of the list. Next I made a refreshing rhubarb shrub...also for cocktails. Finally, there will be a rhubarb upsidedown cake and maybe even strawberry rhubarb shortcake to round out my rhubarb list for this year. 

But first, let's just pull up a comfy lounge chair on the deck or the balcony and simply enjoy a damned fine cocktail. Cheers!


Rhum and Rhubarb Cocktails - By The Batch

Cocktail base:

  • 3/4 C rhubarb simple syrup (recipe follows)
  • 1/2 C fresh lemon juice
  • 1/3 C Barbancourt Rhum from Haiti 
  • 1/3 C Koloa dark rum from Hawaii

In a glass pitcher, mix the above ingredients. Chill.

When it's cocktail time, fill a glass with ice, pour the cocktail base halfway up the glass and top with Sanpellegrino limonata and 6-8 drops of Bittermens Elemakule tiki bitters. Pretty it up with a decorative paper straw and a fun stirrer, sit back, relax, and enjoy!

Rhubarb Simple Syrup 

  • 1 C sugar
  • 1 C water
  • 3 C thinly sliced fresh rhubarb (be sure NOT to use any leaves - they are poisonous!) 

In a medium heavy bottomed pot, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Once all the sugar is dissolved, slowly add rhubarb to the liquid. Stir until the rhubarb wilts down, then simmer 20-30 minutes. Cool. 

When cool, strain the mixture into a large container, then carefully pour the pretty pink liquid into a quart Mason jar and cover. 

Don't throw the solids out! Use those to top ice cream. Yum!

NOTE: Store any leftover cocktail base in a covered jar in the fridge. You can double the base recipe easily, just be sure to use a bigger pot!





Sunday, February 16, 2014

Dark n Stormy Stew






"It was a dark and stormy night." Remember Snoopy at his typewriter, sitting atop his doghouse, clicking out that cliched opening line to his novel? That thought may have just brought a smile to your face, it certainly does to mine.

You may not know (then again, you might just be hip to it already!), but there's another kind of Dark n Stormy that brings a smile, too...the classic cocktail of dark rum, ginger beer and lime by the same name. Not only that, there's Dark n Stormy Stew, too. Yep, why not put the same flavors that work as a cocktail into a rich, hearty and spicy beef crockpot-simple stew? No reason not to...so I did!

Rum and ginger paired perfectly to make a satisfying winter stew loaded with butternut squash, pearl onions, fingerling potatoes and lots of savory gravy redolent with ginger, clove and allspice to echo the spice notes of fine dark rum and good ginger beer. As the stew simmered slowly over the hours, flavors melded into such a conglomeration of sweet, savory, gingery, rummy goodness that even butternut squash became as one with the sauce.

What do you accent the inspirational cocktail with? Lime. And there's no more proper finish to the stew either than bright and fresh lime. Just as the green citrus fruit perks up the dark sweetness of the cocktail, freshly grated lime zest and a hefty squeeze of a lime wedge do the same thing for this savory stew. Lime and gingery beef stew may sound like an odd combo, but trust me...the accent of lime takes the party to new heights.

As for the perfect cocktail pairing? A Dark n Stormy, of course! Here's the recipe for BOTH the stew AND the cocktail.



Dark n Stormy Stew


  • 2 T canola oil
  • 2 1/2 pounds beef flapsteak (that's what I had in the freezer - use your own favorite, tender stew beef)
  • 2 1/2 C butternut squash, cubed - you know I use the already peeled and cubed squash the grocer conveniently has waiting in plastic tubs in the produce section (repurpose the plastic...wash it out and use it to store cookies!)
  • 12 oz bag of frozen pearl onions (hey...if YOU want to go to the trouble of peeling all those teeny, tiny fresh pearl onions, go ahead....we'll wait for you to catch up....)
  • 2 pounds fingerling potatoes, cut in half 
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 t. ground cloves
  • 1 t. powdered ginger
  • 1/2 t. allspice
  • 1/2 C dark rum - I used Meyer's
  • 7 oz bottle ginger beer - I use Fever Tree
  • 2 T cornstarch
  • 5 oz. (1/2 a can) beef broth
  • 2 limes - 1 zested, 1 cut into wedges

To get good deep beefy flavors going in a crockpot stew, you know I always like to start by browning the meat in a skillet - that's where we're starting this time, too.


Heat the oil in a large skillet. While the oil is heating, season the beef liberally with salt and pepper. Brown the beef cubes in 2 batches. Remove each to the waiting crockpot.

Add the rum to the skillet and stir well to get all those browned bits into the rum. Set aside.

Add the squash, onions and potatoes along with the spices to the crockpot and give it all a good stir. Pour the rum that's still in the skillet and a bottle of ginger beer over the contents of the crockpot. Cover.

Start the crockpot on high and cook for an hour, then lower the temp to low (my crockpot only has settings of "off" "low" and "high.") and continue cooking 4-5 hours until the beef is tender and the squash has nearly disintegrated - it becomes part of the rich sauce.

To thicken the gravy, mix 2 T cornstarch with half a can (5 oz) beef broth and stir into the stew. It will thicken in minutes.

To Serve: Ladle the stew into bowls, sprinkle a little lime zest over each and serve with a wedge of lime to squeeze over the top. 



Classic Dark and Stormy - The Cocktail



  • 2 oz dark rum - Gosling's preferred
  • 3 oz. ginger beer - Fever Tree or the excellent Pittsburgh-made Jamaica's Finest by Natrona Bottling
  • a nice big lime wedge

In a collins glass filled with ice, add the rum and top with ginger beer. Add lime juice, stir gently and serve.


Monday, December 16, 2013

Gingerbread Figgy Pudding and Dark Rum Trifle


This is a first for Dinner Plan-it...the very first time a recipe is being repeated. Why?

Because it's so freaking GOOD! And, it's one of the best holiday-appropriate desserts I've posted. AND...because the Post-Gazette PG-Plate blog includes Dinner Plan-it on it's Blog Roll, I especially want my PG followers to have access to this gingery, figgy, boozy take on a traditional, very Merry Olde England-ish and positively Dickensian plum pudding.

Without further adieu, my very first rerun:








There are flavors that send me time traveling back to the Christmases of my childhood. Christmas dinners back then always started with orange sherbet in gingerale (fancy!) and ended with traditional desserts - usually more than one

Aunt Anna and Uncle Bert, PapPap, the cousins, my sister, mom and dad were all seated around the big old dining room table swapping jokes (occasionally even a slightly naughty one!) and telling stories long into the night. Sometimes we'd play cards around the same old table...Flinch, 500 Rummy, Canasta...good old-fashioned games those were. 

It's the nose-tingling scent of warm spices in the air - ginger, clove, allspice, cinnamon - that I think triggers those wonderful memories.  We always had a mincemeat pie or a plum pudding with those very same Dickensian notes - rum or brandy, dried fruits and spices. I was on a quest to recreate the flavors of Christmases of old. But with a twist. What to do, what to do.

So I decided a trifle would lighten up somewhat heavy flavors with a fluffy vanilla cream.  Fresh pears came to mind to add a little crunch and brightness. Thus the dessert came together. 

It was beautiful! Even better, it was just what I had in mind.  Gingery, spicy goodness all together with creamy mousse and lovely dark rum...and just a glimmering of zesty orange. 

Maybe it wasn't the simple, easy days of the 1950's again, but that's okay.  Back then we didn't have our kids and grandkids to make brand new memories together and to share some of the old stories with.  You know, that's what special family dinners are all about...remembering the past and making memories for the future. 

Wishing you all nothing but the sweetest of your own warm remembrances...and to making some of the best stories ever!
 


Gingerbread Figgy Pudding and Dark Rum Trifle


  • 2/3 of an 8"X8" pan of gingerbread, cubed - I used the recipe from "The Cake Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free" by Ann Byrn using a Hodgson Mills Yellow cake mix.  (If you are using a normal, NON-gluten-free mix, make an 8"X8" pan and make cupcakes out of the rest of the batter.) Snack on the 1/3 that's left!


  • 2 oranges, Cut the peel off with a sharp knife and make strips 3" X 1/8".  Cut the oranges in half and juice.  Reserve.
  • 1 cup dried Black Mission figs, diced
  • 1/2 cup dark rum, or more if needed, I used Kraken
  • 2 Bosc pears, cored and diced


  • 1 package French vanilla mousse mix, prepared. I used Dr. Oetker brand - gluten-free
  • 8 ounces Cool Whip Lite®, thawed


  • candied orange peel, see recipe below - use peel from above


Bake an 8" X 8" pan of gingerbread a couple of days ahead of when you want to serve the trifle. 
 

You're going to make the trifle the day ahead of when you want to serve it - quite nice for a more relaxed party, yes?  The morning you're making the trifle, put the diced figs into a 2 cup measuring cup.  Add the reserved orange juice and the rum.  If the rum doesn't cover the figs completely, add more until it does.  Set aside for several hours before making the trifle.
 

Later in the day, make the French vanilla mousse according to package directions.  Let sit for a few minutes and then gently fold the Cool Whip into the mousse.  Set aside.
 

Assembly:  To the bottom of a nice trifle dish or other tall, pretty bowl, make a layer of 1/2 the gingerbread cubes.  Strain the liquid from the figs - RESERVE!  Scatter half the figs over the gingerbread, drizzle half the reserved OJ and rum over the that, layer half the mousse mixture over top and repeat layers ending with mousse.  Refrigerate overnight loosely covered with foil.
 

Before serving, decorate the top with candied orange peel and serve in beautiful goblets.


Candied Orange Peel:

  • the orange strips from above

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the orange strips, bring to boil again.  Boil gently 15 minutes.  Pour through a strainer and rinse while gently stirring the strips to rinse thoroughly. Set aside.

In the same pot, bring 
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 3 cups water
to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer gently for 45 minutes to an hour.  Let cool.

Pour the orange strips through a strainer and collect the liquid in a large container.  THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL ORANGE SIMPLE SYRUP!  It would be a shame to waste it.  Use it for cocktails or to drizzle over yellow cakes or...well, just use your imagination.  Refrigerate it.

Okay, back to the candied orange peel....now spread 
  • 1 cup of sugar 
on a baking sheet.  Toss the orange peel with it until the strips are totally coated with sugar.  Let sit like that overnight. 

Use what you want for garnishing the trifle and save the rest for something else.  Wouldn't the orange simple syrup and candied orange peel make a lovely Christmas morning Bellini?  Maybe with a little cranberry juice for color?  

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Fellow Food Bloggers and Cocktail Cohorts - The Brunch






Occasionally - not always - some of the best plans are hatched among friends around the bar. As I recall, the idea arose around a discussion of tiki drinks, which led to building the perfect pina colada, which led to the question, "Have you ever had a grilled pina colada?" Which naturally then led to the next question, "When are you going to have US over for brunch?!" Thus the plan AND the brunch was born.

Bloody Mary Bar - Just the beginning!                 Photo credit - Jenn Tkocs & Michael Scotto
 
Dessert was already set...grilled pina coladas, of course. And Bloody Marys because, in my humble opinion, there is no brunch without bloodies. Two kinds actually - a standard one for non-adventurers, and a not-for-the-faint-of-heart version kicked up with reconstituted dried guajillo peppers and chile de arbol peppers, fresh garlic and jalapenos, mesquite smoked salt and some other fun stuff thrown in for good measure. Okay...drinks and dessert are set, what else? (Imagine the thrumming of fingertips on tabletop while pondering the question....) 




Smoked Pork Belly on the left, Grilled Paiche on the right - both with ALL the fixings!                Photo credit - Jenn Tkocs & Michael Scotto


Photo credit - Jenn Tkocs & Michael Scotto
Breakfast tacos! (NO! I just realized I forgot to make dippy eggs! Drat.) Sans the dippy eggs, we managed to make do with roasted mojo pork, grilled paiche fish (the fishmongers behind the glass at Whole Foods assured me it was a mild, sweet and delicious pick - and it was on sale!) and smoked pork belly that I'd rubbed the night before. Mark got up early to get it on the smoker by 6:00 a.m.

With breakfast tacos, naturally there were black beans, jalapeno coleslaw, cilantro lime crema and pickled red onions as traditional accompaniments. A huge coconut rum fruit salad filled in the holes...oh, and a batch of key lime coconut bars, too.  
 

Sure food is important at a brunch, but with the cocktail geeks and bartenders in attendance, there must be fabulous cocktails! And there were. Each guest was requested to bring the requirements for his or her favorite or signature cocktail. Boy oh BOY, did they come through! 


Michael with Blackberry Mezcal Julep   Photo credit - Jenn Tkocs & Michael Scotto




Jenn and Michael (of the blog 101 Achievements fame) made a variation on a julep...made with mezcal (instead of bourbon) and blackberries along with the required julep ingredient, mint. Smoky, sweet and minty with a kick. Marvelous.



Tiki Max in the midst of the 1934 Zombie creative process!   
Photo credit - Jenn Tkocs & Michael Scotto

Max and Chip (of RhoMania) brought some amazing rums and homemade syrups they magically turned into classic tiki drinks. Max's authentic tiki mugs were the icing on the cake...or the lime in the coconut? Max made not just any old Zombie, but the original 1934 Zombie recipe using hand-cranked crushed ice, no less. Next up was the 151 Swizzle!

Dave and Gail discussing proper Mai Tai preparation.   Photo credit - Jenn Tkocs & Michael Scotto  
One beautifully garnished Mai Tai Photo credit - Jenn Tkocs & Michael Scotto

 



That wasn't the end of the tiki drinks, folks. Fellow former mixology classmates, Gail and Dave, created Mai Tais that were simply out of this world. The making of the tiki drink for them was just a warm up for their tropical themed wedding in LESS THAN A MONTH. Awwwwww. Mark and I already have our tropical attire ready to dance at their wedding.



Marie, Gail, Dave - Where was Brian?!
Photo credit - Jenn Tkocs & Michael Scotto



What did our Acacia bartender guests, Marie and Brian, make? Absolutely nothing. On their day off, we guaranteed them they wouldn't be making drinks for anyone, it was their turn to be served! Maybe the drinks made for them weren't as wonderful as what they normally make for us, but we tried our darndest. If nothing else, a good time was had by all in the sunshine and the breezes under the big umbrella with full bellies and drinks in each of our hands. 


Photo credit - Jenn Tkocs & Michael Scotto

Grilled Pina Colada


Makes 4


  • 1 fresh pineapple, outside removed, cored and cut into 3/4" slices
  • 1 cup coconut flakes, toasted
  • 1 cup caramel topping, good quality (I prefer Richardson's)
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/4 cup rum, Meyers dark rum, coconut rum, whatever kind you prefer - I used Kraken spiced rum this time!
  • 4 scoops ice cream, Talenti's coconut gelato
  • fresh whipped cream


Melt together caramel topping, butter and rum in a small saucepan until well combined.  Set aside.
 

Grill pineapple slices on both sides until caramelized and have nice grill marks. 
 

On a pretty plate, place a slice of pineapple, scoop gelato into center of ring, top with whipped cream, drizzle with caramel and sprinkle with toasted coconut.  AWESOME!







Spicy Szechuan Smoked Pork Belly

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons black peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns
  • 2 small green cardamom pods - find these at Penzey's in the Strip District
  •  1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
  • 3 pound VERY lean pork belly (yes, I know this is an oxymoron)

Put the black and Szechuan peppercorns and the cardamom pods in a small coffee or spice grinder - or just crush them with a mortar & pestle. Remove to a small bowl, add the salt & sugar and mix well. Set aside.

Score both sides of the pork belly in a diamond pattern. Rub the peppercorn mixture evenly onto both sides of the meat. Use ALL of the rub. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. An hour before you're ready to smoke, take the meat out of the fridge to bring to room temp.

Prepare smoker as you normally would and soak smoker chips for at least an hour in water (wouldn't sake be nice instead of water?!) - I like hickory for this dish.

Once the smoker is ready to roll, unwrap the pork belly and place it on the smoker. We smoked this for about 4-5 hours - how long yours takes depends on you and your smoker.

Remove from heat when done, let rest 15 minutes and slice against the grain.

Serve on tacos or just by itself. Serve for breakfast or dinner. 
You will LOVE this one!

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Cuban Black Rice & Black Bean Soup with Jamaican Dark Rum







Ponderable question. Is it still technically possible for black bean soup to qualify as Cuban if the sweet, dark rum therein hails from Jamaica? How about if I call it Cuban-style

Sure, they make dark rum in Cuba, but unless you ARE or KNOW a rum runner we'll never be able to make this soup with authenticity. Damn Cuban embargo. Enter Appleton Dark Rum...from Jamaica.

How did this dark and rich soup come about? Like most of my soups, there was a bone...in this case, a ham bone...leftover from a Sunday dinner. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it at the time, so I wrapped it well and tucked it into the freezer until there was some inkling of what to do with it. The inkling never came. 


What did come was warmer weather. As the opportunity for hot soup waned, I decided to just wing it, make the stock and see what naturally developed.

Cooked, cold black rice waited in the fridge...what would work with black rice, but black beans. Beans and rice, of course! In soup form. This was made even easier by the cans of black beans I keep in the pantry just for such times. (Because you never know when you need a can for emergency black bean hummus or cowboy caviar!) The soup came together quickly and easily. Classic ingredients - with a twist - simply don't need much fussing.

You might wonder why, at first glance, dark rum was added to soup. It just seemed like a natural pairing. Dark rum is made from molasses so I thought that same dark, slightly smoky sweetness would echo the smoky sweetness of ham stock. That, and it just seemed like a fun addition! Doesn't rum make just about everything better?! 



Cuban Black Rice & Black Bean Soup
 with Jamaican Dark Rum


  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 large onions, peeled and chopped
  • 1 large green pepper, seeds removed, diced
  • 2 tablespoons garlic, minced

  • 3 cans black beans, drained

  • 4 cups ham stock (see recipe below)
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • 2 cups cooked black rice (or brown rice - or whatever cooked rice you have tucked in the back of YOUR fridge!)

  • 1/4 cup dark rum

  • 1/4 cup green onions, sliced well into the green


In a large soup pot, add 2 T. olive oil and heat. Add the chopped onions and green pepper. Saute until soft, add garlic and cook another 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
 

Add the drained black beans and stir into veggies. Cook another 10 minutes to meld flavors.
 

Add the ham stock, vinegar, bay leaves and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, lower heat immediately and add rice. Cover and simmer about half an hour. Add rum and simmer another 15 minutes or until the raw rum taste dissipates.
 

Ladle into bowl, add reserved ham (that you've warmed in the microwave - make it easy!) and garnish with sliced green onions.


 
Ham Stock:  In a soup pot, add a large meaty ham bone. Add several large celery stalks with lots of leaves, 2 large quartered onions, 3 T. dried minced garlic. Bring to boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for several hours until the ham fall easily from the bone.

Cool and remove all the meat from the bone. Reserve meat to add to black bean soup. You should have about 4 cups of ham stock. Proceed with black bean soup recipe.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Gingerbread Figgy Pudding and Dark Rum Trifle







There are flavors that send me time traveling back to the Christmases of my childhood. Christmas dinners back then always started with orange sherbet in gingerale (fancy!) and ended with traditional desserts - usually more than one

Aunt Anna and Uncle Bert, PapPap, the cousins, my sister, mom and dad were all seated around the big old dining room table swapping jokes (occasionally even a slightly naughty one!) and telling stories until long into the night. Sometimes we'd play cards around the same old table...Flinch, 500 Rummy, Canasta...good old-fashioned games those were. 

It's the nose-tingling scent of warm spices in the air - ginger, clove, allspice, cinnamon - that I think triggers those wonderful memories.  We always had a mincemeat pie or a plum pudding with those very same Dickensian notes - rum or brandy, dried fruits and spices. I was on a quest to recreate the flavors of Christmases of old. But with a twist. What to do, what to do.

So I decided a trifle would lighten up somewhat heavy flavors with a fluffy vanilla cream.  Fresh pears came to mind to add a little crunch and brightness. Thus the dessert came together. 

It was beautiful! Even better, it was just what I had in mind.  Gingery, spicy goodness all together with creamy mousse and lovely dark rum...and just a glimmering of zesty orange. 

Maybe it wasn't the simple, easy days of the 1950's again, but that's okay.  Back then we didn't have our kids and grandkids to make brand new memories together and to share some of the old stories with.  You know, that's what special family dinners are all about...remembering the past and making memories for the future. 

Wishing you all nothing but the sweetest of your own warm remembrances...and to making some of the best stories ever!
 


Gingerbread Figgy Pudding and Dark Rum Trifle


  • 2/3 of an 8"X8" pan of gingerbread, cubed - I used the recipe from "The Cake Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free" by Ann Byrn using a Hodgson Mills Yellow cake mix.  (If you are using a normal, NON-gluten-free mix, make an 8"X8" pan and make cupcakes out of the rest of the batter.) Snack on the 1/3 that's left!


  • 2 oranges, Cut the peel off with a sharp knife and make strips 3" X 1/8".  Cut the oranges in half and juice.  Reserve.
  • 1 cup dried Black Mission figs, diced
  • 1/2 cup dark rum, or more if needed, I used Kraken
  • 2 Bosc pears, cored and diced


  • 1 package French vanilla mousse mix, prepared. I used Dr. Oetker brand - gluten-free
  • 8 ounces Cool Whip Lite®, thawed


  • candied orange peel, see recipe below - use peel from above


Bake an 8" X 8" pan of gingerbread a couple of days ahead of when you want to serve the trifle. 
 

You're going to make the trifle the day ahead of when you want to serve this - quite nice for a more relaxed party, yes?  The morning you're making the trifle, put the diced figs into a 2 cup measuring cup.  Add the reserved orange juice and the rum.  If the rum doesn't cover the figs completely, add more until it does.  Set aside for several hours before making the trifle.
 

Later in the day, make the French vanilla mousse according to package directions.  Let sit for a few minutes and then gently fold the Cool Whip into the mousse.  Set aside.
 

Assembly:  To the bottom of a nice trifle dish or other tall, pretty bowl, make a layer of 1/2 the gingerbread cubes.  Strain the liquid from the figs - RESERVE!  Scatter half the figs over the gingerbread, drizzle half the reserved OJ and rum over the that, layer half the mousse mixture over top and repeat layers ending with mousse.  Refrigerate overnight loosely covered with foil.
 

Before serving, decorate the top with candied orange peel and serve in beautiful goblets.


Candied Orange Peel:

  • the orange strips from above

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the orange strips, bring to boil again.  Boil gently 15 minutes.  Pour through a strainer and rinse while gently stirring the strips to rinse thoroughly. Set aside.

In the same pot, bring 
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 3 cups water
to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer gently for 45 minutes to an hour.  Let cool.

Pour the orange strips through a strainer and collect the liquid in a large container.  THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL ORANGE SIMPLE SYRUP!  It would be a shame to waste it.  Use it for cocktails or to drizzle over yellow cakes or...well, just use your imagination.  Refrigerate it.

Okay, back to the candied orange peel....now spread 
  • 1 cup of sugar 
on a baking sheet.  Toss the orange peel with it until the strips are totally coated with sugar.  Let sit like that overnight. 

Use what you want for garnishing the trifle and save the rest for something else.  Wouldn't the orange simple syrup and candied orange peel make a lovely Christmas morning Bellini?  Maybe with a little cranberry juice for color?