Hamantaschen get all the Purim glory, and rightfully so. These soft triangular cookies can be filled with anything from the traditional apricot, poppy seed or prune to non-traditional varieties like red velvet or Neapolitan. The only limits are your imagination and your oven space.
While the children are noshing on hamantaschen and dressing up in their Purim finest, the adults get to play with another tradition. I’m talking, of course, about the boozing. It’s a mitzvah to drink on Purim, so that one is intoxicated enough that they cannot tell the difference between the evil Haman or hero Mordechai. You don’t have to tell me twice. But what to drink?
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I took inspiration from hamantaschen flavors and infused bourbon with apricots, and then poured the finished product over ice in a poppy seed rimmed glass. You can also get creative with the finished bourbon. Maybe make a bourbon caramel to drizzle over hamantaschen, or an apricot hot toddy? As a bonus, this recipe also makes boozy apricots. Which I recommend eating straight from the jar or serving over vanilla ice cream. Not a bourbon fan? You can substitute vodka or gin, and mix the final product with a splash of pomegranate juice to take the edge off.
Note: The apricots will absorb some of the bourbon so the yield will be less than two cups. You can easily double this recipe. I recommend it!
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Ingredients
1 ½ cups dried apricots, halved the long way (they stay pretty that way) 2 cups good quality bourbon (I used Bulleit) ½ cup dark brown sugar (more or less depending on how sweet you want it) 4 cinnamon sticks Corn syrup Poppy seedsDirections
Put the apricots on the bottom of a mason jar and pour the bourbon in, along with the brown sugar and cinnamon sticks.
Close the lid tightly and shake to mix up. Let rest in a dark, cool place for 4-7 days, shaking daily to mix flavors. I let mine infuse for a full week; the longer you wait the stronger the flavor will be.
Strain the bourbon, and serve over ice. To line the jar’s rim, dip in corn syrup and then rip in poppy seeds (before filling with liquor!) Store infused bourbon in a cool, dark place and refrigerate leftover infused apricots in sealed container for up to two weeks.
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mitzvah
Pronounced: MITZ-vuh or meetz-VAH, Origin: Hebrew, commandment, also used to mean good deed.
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Purim
Pronounced: PUR-im, the Feast of Lots, Origin: Hebrew, a joyous holiday that recounts the saving of the Jews from a threatened massacre during the Persian period.
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