‘Tis the season for eating, drinking and feeling merry. While large holiday parties might be at a lull this year, all the more reason to enjoy special holiday meals at home with close friends and family. I am a big believer in keeping things simple around the holidays. There seems to be enough angst and stress when the season strikes as we fuss over what to buy, decorating our house, making sure we have something for everyone on our list, etc. So why not enjoy more time together at home and keep the entertaining part of things easy? I had the chance to host some early season holiday celebrations with my sisters and brother and am excited to share with you our recipes for a fuss free holiday inspired dinner party.

Menu:

• Deviled Eggs
• Grilled Kielbasa Sausage
• Winter Salad with Creamy Vegan Maple Dressing
• Roasted Pork Tenderloin 
• Ice cream Affogatos and Coffee Brittle
• Dark Rum Daiquiris and Old Fashioneds

Complete Recipes:

  

Beet Pickled Deviled Eggs with Bourbon Barrel-Aged Pepper Sauce 

Is there a more beloved party food than a platter of freshly deviled eggs? The humble and classy appetizer gets dressed up for the holidays when plunged into a jar of beets, vinegar, brown sugar, and pink peppercorns. These are perfectly paired with ourBourbon Barrel-Aged Pepper Sauce.

Ingredients:

• 6 large eggs
• 1 (16-ounce) can or jar pickled beets
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns 
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Chopped fresh rosemary leaves, for garnish
• Bourbon Barrel-Aged Pepper Sauce for finishing flavor and a touch of heat

Instructions:

1. Hard boil your eggs and remove the shells. Set the eggs aside.
2. To prepare the brine, pour a can of pickled beets into a large bowl. Add the cider vinegar, sugar, peppercorns, and salt, and stir to combine. Carefully place the peeled eggs into the brine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 3 days. The longer you leave them in the brine, the more sour and pink they'll end up. I like just the rim of pink and slight pickled flavor, so I let mine sit about 16 hours.
3. When brining time is finished, remove the egss from the brine. Cut each egg in half from top to bottom. Scoop out the yolks and place in a medium bowl. Add the olive oil, mayonnaise, white vinegar, mustard, and curry powder. Mix and mash with a fork until smooth. Add a little bit of water to the mixture if it's too stiff. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
4. Use a spatula to scoop all the filling into a resealable sandwich bag or piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip. Press the bag with your hands to push all the filling to one corner and press any air out of the top. If using a plastic bag, snip one corner off with a pair of scissors.
5. Pipe the filling into the cup of each egg white, filling the cups so that the filling mounds a little over the top. Squeeze the bag from the top to force the filling downward. (Alternatively, scoop the filling into the egg whites with a spoon.) Sprinkle with chopped rosemary and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle withBourbon Barrel-Aged Pepper Sauce.

Grilled Kielbasa Sausage: served with Horseradish Mustard Sauce

Recipe from @grillmomma

For the Sausage:

• 2 lbs of Keilbasa sausage
• 4 tbs ofBourbon Barrel Aged Pure Maple Syrup

Instructions: 

Simmer (not boil) for about 10 minutes in water to warm it through. Then I glazed the outside of it withBourbon Barrel-Aged Pure Maple Syrup and put it in the oven at 375° to bake for about 15 minutes.

For The Horseradish Mustard Sauce:

• 1/3 Cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 Cup Whole Grain Mustard
• 1 Tbs Mayonnaise
• 1 Tbs Horseradish

Fall Salad with Creamy Vegan Maple Dressing:

For the Salad:

• 4-6 cups of baby kale, but any hearty greens or spinach will do
• 2 cups of cubed butternut squash roasted (we used salt and olive oil but you can add a drizzle of ourBourbon Barrel Aged Pure Maple Syrup for an extra touch of sweetness).
• ¾ cups of pomegranate seeds
• ½ cup of pumpkin seeds

For the Maple Dressing:

• 1 cup Raw Cashews
• 1/2 cup Water
• 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1/4 cup Fresh Chives
• 1 TbspBourbon Barrel Aged Pure Maple Syrup
• 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper 

Instructions:Add the cashews to the blender or Vitamix along with the water, lemon juice, fresh chives, bourbon barrel aged pure maple syrup and sea salt. Blend until very smooth. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin:

We roasted Pork Tenderloin, but any special holiday meat that can be simply seasoned and prepared to compliment the other dishes will work for the menu.

Ice Cream Affogatos and Coffee Brittle 

For the Affogatos:

• Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
• Bourbon Barrel Aged Pure Maple Syrup (2-3 TBS)
• Bourbon Barrel Aged Coffee (see ourBrew Guide for brewing instructions)

Instructions:

• Brew theBourbon Barrel Aged Coffee (on the stronger side) 
• Add a splash of ourBourbon Barrel Aged Pure Maple Syrup to add desired sweetness
• Pour over a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and serve immediately

For the Coffee Brittle:

Ingredients:

• ¾ cupBourbon Barrel Aged Coffee 
• 3 cups semi sweet or dark chocolate, melted

Directions:

• Roughly grind the coffee beans
• Mixed the bean grind and melted semi sweet chocolate
• Smooth out on a layer of parchment paper and let cool
• Once cooled, chop into small pieces with a knife
• The brittle can be an addition to the affogato topping or alone on vanilla ice cream

Cocktails:

Rum Daiquiris: 

This is a festive cocktail that doesn't have to mean summer or beach. The recipe uses aged rum which is dark and adds a depth of flavor like bourbon (unlike the beachy daiquiris which use white rum.)

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Aged Rum
• 1 oz. Fresh lime juice
• .5 oz.Bourbon Barrel Aged Pure Maple Syrup 
• 2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Instructions: Shake and strain over crushed ice. Garnish with lime wheel.

Old Fashioneds: We like to keep it simple with ourBourbon Barrel Aged Old Fashioned Mix and whatever bourbon you have at home.