ELIJAH CRAIG BOURBON RECIPE CONTEST...and the winner of the gift certificate is... None other than Elton & Barbara Craig from Olathe, KS for their Bourbon- Apricot Sauce! Yes, that is their real last name and yes, they suspect they are related to Elijah Craig. Our runner up is Lindsay Weiss of Overland Park, KS for her Bourbon-Spiked Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. Bourbon-Apricot Sauce(for chicken, pork chops or pulled chicken or pulled pork)Ingredients:1 cup apricot fruit spread or preserves2 cloves chopped garlic2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce1 Tbs. cider vinegar1 tsp. lemon juice2 Tbs. Elijah Craig bourbonSeason with salt and ground black pepperCombine ingredients and cook over low to medium heat 25 minutes.Can be used as a glaze when grilling or baking chicken or pork chops and as topping on pulled chicken or pork. Delicious!Bourbon-Spiked Brown Butter Chocolate Chip CookiesIngredients:2 1/2 cups quick oats1 cup dark brown sugar, packed1/2 cup white sugar1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter3 eggs, room temp1 teaspoon vanilla1 tablespoon Bourbon2 1/2 cups flour2 teaspoons baking soda1 teaspoon baking powder1 teaspoon salt2 cups bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips1 cup chopped pecans, lightly toastedTo toast oats, place in a large, dry nonstick skillet over medium-high heat on your stove top. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5-7 minutes or until they are golden brown. Cool completely. Combine sugars in a large bowl with a wooden spoon. Brown butter in a saucepan over medium heat. (Here's a quick tutorial if you need it.) When butter browns to a dark golden brown, remove from heat and pour over sugars. Stir butter and sugars together, and set aside to cool for 15 minutes. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add eggs, vanilla and bourbon to the butter and sugar mixture and use an electric mixer to combine. Gradually add in the dry ingredients and chocolate chips & pecans. Mix until just combined, and then stir in the oats. Dough will be very thick. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 8-24 hours. (This is for flavor - I think it tastes better after refrigeration, but you don't HAVE to wait. Cookies will be flatter if you bake immediately and you may need to shave a minute or so off bake time since they won't have any chill.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and let dough sit at room temperature so it's easier to scoop. bake 2-3 tablespoon-sized dough balls for 10-12 minutes. Do not over bake, these should appear a little underdone in the center when you first take them out. These are the only cookies I've ever made that taste slightly BETTER when cooled. When warm, the bourbon taste is stronger.Mark Reichle and Nancy Miller Southmoreland on the Plaza
