February Wine Tasting ~ Muscat

The wine of the month on the BakeSpace Wine Club is Muscat in all it's forms.

First, I'm pleased to say that I started out in this Wine Club, knowing nothing about wine, other than I didn't like it. That was in November. Now three months later, I'm learning that there are wines that I actually enjoy. Also, I'm just learning more in general about wine.

I still stress out with food pairing. I mostly just go with the guidelines I find online or on the bottles.

Since Muscats seem to be mostly dessert wines. I thought Valentine's Day was the perfect day for my February Wine Tasting Party.

The tasters this month are of course, Jon & me (Marguerite aka Spryte)

Yikes! That is NOT a flattering picture of me!

Returning tasters and original members of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the BakeSpace Wine Tasting Club.... Ericka and Drew. Ericka also took the notes this time.... thanks Ericka!!


Also returning tasters... Whitney & Jeff... (isn't she pretty in pink with her hearty scarf for Valentine's Day??)


And our newest taster... Daniel =)


Since Muscats seem to mostly be dessert wines, I decided to go mostly dessert. At first I thought I was totally cool with that, then I realized, that it was hard for me. I don't think I've ever served 'just dessert'. I had also planned to serve cheese & fruit, but still felt like something was missing. At the last minute I added Open Faced Roast Beef Bites and Heart Shaped Mini Pizzas. I also made Oreo Truffles, Donna's Toasted Pecan Baby Cakes and Linzer Cookies. I dipped strawberries in the melted chocolate leftover from the truffles. I had Smoked Gouda and crackers. Cornichons. Sliced Pink Lady Apples, Blackberries and Red Grapes. I had planned to do a Baked Brie with Spiced Brandied Blueberry Jam and Walnuts in Puff Pastry, but I ran out of time. Even without the brie, it ended up being a pretty nice spread.

We started the evening with a sparking Muscat that I picked.

Name: Harlem Vintage Jaillance Clairette de Die
Price: $14.99
Year: I couldn't find a year anywhere on the bottle.
Photo of bottle:


Short intro from the wine maker about the wine: A sparkling and sunny wine from the Drôme, Cuvée Impériale Tradition goes just as well at aperitif time as with the rich dishes of Périgord cuisine or chocolate desserts. Slightly sweet and lively on the palate, it has been described as “like drinking a mousse of peach blossom.” An HV favorite!

There was nothing on the bottle.

Review:
~Marguerite - It's smells like cat pee... yes... that's what I said... I think a lot of white wines smell that way to me.... I made the mistake of saying that at a sampling at the wine store once!!

After a bit more smelling... I decided it smelled mildewy.

Tastes fresh & appley. Light champagne color. I really like it! Really! Ericka said that made it sound like I didn't really like it... but I did! Really!! hehehe

~Jon - champagny

~Ericka - that is kind of appley

~Drew - Yeasty... a breakfast drink

~Daniel - Sweet, mildly acidic

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And on to the next wine... a sexy little bottle that Whitney picked out.

Name: Eos Estate Late Harvest Muscato Tears of Dew
Price: $19.99
Year: 2007
Photo of bottle:


Short intro from the wine maker about the wine:
NOSE: Apricots permeate the senses with richness with subtle characters of peaches and lilies.

MOUTH: The fruit from the nose radiates throughout the palate with added flowers reminiscent of a spring meadow filled with color.

FINISH: The light acidity cleans the palate from the sweetness while retaining the airy fragrances.

There was nothing written on the bottle.

Review:
~Marguerite - thick... sticky (yuck... I hate sticky things!) reminds me of mead... very honey tasting. I won't drink this again. WAY too sweet for me.

~Jon - Honey... high test, vapory, very strong... flowery

~Ericka - Smells like some kind of cleaning fluid

~Drew - pear, kinda syrupy, yeah... like mead

~Whitney - really nice amberish color, very smooth

~Jeff - like cough syrup, like schnapps almost

~Daniel - sweet, nauseatingly sweet

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And Mustcat number 3! Also picked out by me. A little more spendy than I usually buy. But this is what happens when you ask for advice from the wine guy at the store. I told him I wanted to try an Orange Muscat and he 'had one in the back' It was from the same winery. Before he gave it to me, he asked my menu and suggested I go with the Black instead. Who am I to argue? (and they were both the same spendy price!)

Name: Quady Elysium Black Muscat
Price: $21.99
Year: 2005
Photo of bottle:


Short intro from the wine maker about the wine:
This rose-like aroma led Quady to name the wine Elysium, Greek for heaven. Elysium is used to either accompany or replace dessert. It pairs well with blue cheeses, desserts containing red fruits (such as summer pudding), vanilla, dark chocolate and ice cream desserts. Particularly delicious is pouring the wine onto vanilla ice cream to make an Elysium Sundae.

Review:
~Marguerite - this one is thick too... tastes like liqueur... berry liqueur... would really make a nice sangria

~Jon - very sweet, same vapory as Eos, mixed berries

~Ericka - smells like Welch's grape juice

~Drew - strong, almost fortified, would make an excellent sangria (everyone pretty much agreed with this)

~Whitney - great pop, nice little after dinner wine, raisiny

~Jeff - old Italian men drink this

~Daniel - sweet, but nothing balancing it

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Next up! Ericka's selection!

Name: Elmo Pio Provincia di Pavia Muscato
Price: $7.99
Year: no year on this bottle either
Photo of bottle:


Short intro from the wine maker about the wine:
Elmo Pio Muscado is a light and delicious white wine that explodes with flavors reminiscent fresh peaches and strawberries. There is a touch for fizzante which adds to this remarkably enjoyable wine from Italy's famous Pavia region.
This wine is best served with friends and fun.

Review:
~Marguerite - the color is very clear almost like water.. really light flavor, fruity

~Jon - like the first wine, champagny with no after taste, finer bubbles

~Ericka - less dry than the first one, more up front, good for making white sangria

~Drew - this is good, but I don't love it

~Whitney - hmmm... not note from Whitney, but I think she agreed it would make a nice sangria.

~Jeff - no after taste

~Daniel - drier and less acidic than the first

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And last but not least... from Whitney's favorite winery...
Name: V. Sattui Winery Muscat
Price: $18.75
Year: 2006
Photo of bottle:



Short intro from the wine maker about the wine:
With very pronounced scents of peaches and apricots, and a haunting, sweet-melon muskiness that gives the grape its name, our Muscat is lower in alcohol than most table wines and has enough lively acid to balance the high level of residual grape sugar.

Review:

~Marguerite - pale yellow.. smells yellow

~Jon - tastes something in the after taste that he might call objectionable

~Ericka - smells like Chardonnay... really different from the others... more flavor, but not more sweet, like the mead-like one.

~Drew - no notes from Drew

~Whitney - oaky

~Jeff - yellow is not a smell

~Daniel - this is a favorite

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Our picks in order of favorite to least favorite. These were hard to compare since some were very different. But here ya go!

~Marguerite - Harlem Vintage Jaillance, Elmo Pio Muscato, Quadry Elysium, V. Sattui, Eos

~Jon - Elmo Pio Muscato, Harlem Vintage Jaillance, Eos, and tied for last V. Sattui & Quadry Elysium

~Ericka - Elmo Pio Muscato, V. Sattui, Harlem Vintage Jaillance, Eos, Quadry Elysium

~Drew - Harlem Vintage Jaillance, V. Sattui, Quadry Elysium, Eos, Elmo Pio Muscato

~Whitney - Eos, Quadry Elysium, V Sattui, Elmo Pio Muscato, Harlem Vintage Jaillance

~Jeff - Elmo Pio Muscato, Quadry Elysium, V Sattui, Eos (didn't try Harlem Vintage Jaillance)

~Daniel - V Sattui, Harlem Vintage Jaillance, Elmo Pio Muscato (would rather be sober than drink Eos or Quadry Elysium)

A few more pics from the evening... all food this time...












Have you check out the BakeSpace Wine Club yet??

Linzer Cookies

More food from Valentine's Day!



I LOVE Linzer Cookies, but for a very long time, it never occurred to me that I could make them myself.

I used to get them at the bakery in the Stop & Shop that was near my house in Beverly. They were great! I moved away and Linzer Cookies just didn't look as good anywhere else.

When I decided to have a Valentine's Day Wine Tasting Party, I also decided that Linzer Cookies needed to be on the menu!

I looked around the internet at recipes.... and mostly, they are all very similar.

This is adapted from a Southern Living recipe

Linzer Cookies
1 1/4 C butter
1 C powdered sugar
2 1/2 C flour
1/2 C almonds, toasted & finely chopped
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/4 - 1/3 C raspberry jam
powdered sugar

Beat butter and powdered sugar until fluffy.
In a separate bowl combine flour, almonds, cloves, cinnamon and lemon zest.
Slowly mix with butter mixture until just blended.
Divide dough into two equal portions and refrigerate for an hour.
Preheat oven to 325F
One dough ball will be cookie bottoms and the other will be cookie tops (and cutouts)
Using a cutter 2.5 - 3 inch cookie cutter, cut out cookie bottoms. Bake cookies on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet for approximately 15 minutes.
For the cookie tops, use the same cutter as the bottoms, but cut a smaller shape out of the center. Your cookie frames & centers will bake a little faster than your solid cookies.
Cool cookies on a wire rack.
Dust the cookie tops & cutouts with powdered sugar.
Gently warm the raspberry jam. Spread the warmed jam on the solid cookie bottoms. Top with a cookie frame and fill the cut out with more jam.
These might sound a little complicated, but they were so easy!!
Enjoy!

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Start off by toasting the almonds. You can do it in the oven or in a skillet.


Mine could have been a little toastier!


Grind them in a food processor or blender.


Beat the butter and powdered sugar until fluffy.




Combine flour, almonds, cinnamon, cloves & lemon zest.






Add to butter mixture and beat until just blended.


Divide into two equal parts and chill for an hour.




Fast forward one hour...

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough.


Cut out solid base cookies.


Bake on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.


And cool on wire rack.


Now it's time to cut out the cookie tops.


They bake a little quicker, so be sure to watch them.


When they are cooled, sprinkle them with powdered sugar.


Time to spread the bottoms with jam. Raspberry is my favorite, but you can use whatever kind you like!

Pick up the cookie and turn it over the jam spreads on the part that was against the cookie sheet.






Cover it with a powdered sugar dusted cookie top.


And add a little more jam to the cut out.


That's it!!


You could make little sandwich cookies out of the cutouts, but I just dusted them all with powdered sugar.

And apparently I don't have a picture of them!

They were all really good!! And so much easier than I thought they'd be!

Valentine's Day Appetizers

More Valentine's Day food!

So I had no idea what to serve for my Valentine's Day Wine Tasting. I knew I was serving desserts, and some fruits & cheeses, but I felt like I needed something else. Jon came home from picking up some strawberries for me and suggested that I just put out roast beef on some Pepperidge Farm Very Thin Wheat Bread.


Yay! Great idea!

Open Faced Roast Beef Bites

So I grabbed the bread and started cutting it into heart shaped pieces.






I whisked up some Garlic Oil and Tuscan Seasoning.






And brushed it on the bread hearts.









I just baked them for a few minutes until they were crispy.

I also ran the crusts through the food processor and will use the scraps as bread crumbs.

I didn't want my crispy bread hearts to get soft, so I just put them aside until a little while before my guests were arriving. Then I assembled them.


Roast Beef with slices of grape tomato and dill pickle with a nice stone ground mustard.









I felt like I still needed something else and since I was making pizza for the kids before wine tasting, I decided on little heart shaped pizzas!

Heart Shaped Mini Pizzas

I cut heart shapes from Boboli Thin Crust Pizza Shells. Then covered them with sauce, cheeses and pepperoni and baked them until they were golden and melty!















Both of these appetizers were wicked quick and easy and everyone enjoyed them!