Free The Boozy Baker: 75 Recipes for Spirited Sweets by Lucy Baker Page B

spacing the balls about 2 inches apart. Using the bottom of a drinking glass, flatten each ball into a disk.
    Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown at the edges but still slightly soft in the middle. Cool the cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheets, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cinnamon
Old Fashioned
    1 (¼-inch thick) orange wheel
    1 brandied cherry (or substitute maraschino)
    ½ ounce simple syrup (page 15)
    2 dashes Angostura bitters
    2 ounces bourbon
    1 ounce club soda
    1 cinnamon stick
     
    Muddle the orange wheel, cherry, simple syrup, and bitters in a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker with ice and add the bourbon. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass over ice. Top with the club soda and garnish with the cinnamon stick.
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    Double Limoncello Poppy Seed Cookies
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    A FTER A STICK - TO - YOUR RIBS MEAL , the idea of a colossal dessert can sometimes be overwhelming. Instead, set out a plate of these delicate cookies along with some fresh fruit and small glasses of limoncello, the sweet-tart lemon liqueur from Italy that is said to aid digestion. They keep well for up to a week, so a batch would make a great hostess gift, too.
    FOR THE COOKIES:
    ¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
    ⅔ cup sugar
    1 large egg
    Freshly grated zest of two large lemons
    2 teaspoons limoncello
    1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
    ½ teaspoon baking soda
    ¼ teaspoon salt
    1 tablespoon poppy seeds
    FOR THE GLAZE:
    1 cup confectioners’ sugar
    2 tablespoons limoncello
    Preheat the oven to 350°F.
    TO MAKE THE COOKIES , beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, lemon zest, and 2 teaspoons of limoncello. Beat until combined.
    In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until combined. Add the rest of the flour mixture and beat until combined. Add the poppy seeds and beat on low speed just until combined.
    Drop heaping teaspoons of the dough onto ungreased cookie sheets, spacing the dough balls about 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes, or until they are just beginning to brown at the edges.
    Cool the cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, and then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
    TO MAKE THE GLAZE , combine the confectioners’ sugar and limoncello in a small bowl. Stir until smooth.
    Drizzle the glaze over the cookies and let stand until set, about 15 minutes.
    SHAKE IT UP: For lemon-cherry poppy seed cookies, substitute cherry liqueur, such as kirsch, for the limoncello in the glaze. Add a drop of red food coloring, if using. For a gingery twist, substitute ginger liqueur, such as Domaine de Canton, for the limoncello.
    Peanut Butter and Port Thumbprints
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    S WEET, RICH RUBY PORT HAS A JAMMY FLAVOR that pairs perfectly with peanut butter. Since everyone has an opinion about what makes the perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich (Smooth or chunky? Strawberry jam, raspberry jam, or grape jelly?), I’ve left out those specifics. Use whatever you prefer—just don’t try to cut off the crusts.
    2 cups all-purpose flour
    ½ teaspoon baking soda
    ¾ teaspoon baking powder
    ¼ teaspoon salt
    ½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
    1½ cups packed light brown sugar
    ½ cup granulated sugar
    2 large eggs
    1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    1 cup peanut butter
    1 cup roasted and salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
    ¾ cup jam or jelly
    3 tablespoons ruby port
    In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
    In a large bowl, beat the butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then beat in the vanilla and the peanut butter. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Stir in the chopped peanuts. Transfer the dough to the