How to Use Alcohol in Desserts

Inspired by conversations on the Food52 Hotline, we're sharing tips and tricks that make navigating all of our kitchens easier and more fun.

Today: Let your desserts live a little. 

If you've ever watched Downton Abbey, you know it's customary for the men to retire after dinner for an after-dinner glass of port. Or brandy. Or something else obscure and vaguely sweet that should be sipped slowly from tumblers in a room with many leather-bound books that smells of rich mahogany. 

While this custom is certainly no longer the norm, there is something to be said for the after-dinner drink, or digestif. Your eyes were a bit bigger than your stomach? Alcohol can help. Feeling comatose and ready to snooze? Alcohol can help. Ready to take the party to the next level? Alcohol can definitely help. 

Of course you can simply pop open another bottle of wine or pass around some snifters of Scotch, but why not have a little fun with your post-dinner drinks? In fact, why not combine your post-dinner drink with the highlight of any meal: dessert.

Adding alcohol to dessert not only kills two birds with one stone; the two actually work quite well together. They can be greater than the sum of their parts. They can -- and should -- be best friends.

Read on for a few creative, fun ways to incorporate booze into your sweets (not including pie crust). Your next dinner party -- or Sunday afternoon -- just got a lot more exciting. 

Let's start simple: The Beer Float. Yes, that beloved childhood soda fountain treat has an older, more mature cousin -- and it's just as over-the-top delicious. Skip the 2-dollars-a-pint swill of your college dive bar days and splurge on a fancy, more complex brew. We love wheat beers for summer and darker, nuttier Belgian beers for colder climes. Steer clear of IPA's: their bitterness is intensified by the ice cream. Pair with vanilla and you can't go wrong. 

Sometimes you just need to chill. This is where White Wine Granita comes to the rescue, and a Rhubarb and Gin Sorbet starts to sound fantastic.  Of course, in colder months you can sub red wine for white in the granita, or apples and rum for rhubarb and gin in the sorbet.

Adding alcohol to your frozen desserts has two benefits -- one, it makes frozen desserts about twice as fun, and two, it gives them a much smoother texture. Alcohol doesn't crystalize at 32°F (think of that token vodka bottle you keep in your freezer), and will help elevate your dessert from vaguely fruity ice chunks to a lusciouslly-textured treat.

Alcohol aids in fiery desserts as well as frozen. To achieve the perfect flambé, start with a few tablespoons of sugar in a shallow pan. Once the sugar turns amber, add slices of your favorite seasonal fruit and wait for them get some color. Add a few splashes of liquor (we recommend darker, richer spirits such as brandy or rum) and ignite with a match or  -- for the fainter of heart -- a candle lighter. 

Allow the flame to go out on its own, while allowing yourself to bask in the adoring praise of your guests. Just be sure to practice once or twice before ignition, or at least have a fire extinguisher on hand. Folks, you should definitely try this at home. To ensure flames 100% of the time, Joe Pastry suggests keeping your alcohol warm in something like this before adding it to the fruit. 

If you or your guests need a little pick-me-up, we've got the solution: coffee + the booze of your choice. While Bailey's is most definitely a classic for a reason, you can do better. Try adding a bit of sugar and some good whiskey for an Irish Coffee (with a dollop of whipped cream, of course). Experiment with flavored liquors such as Frangelico or Grand Marnier -- just be sure to keep it to about 1 shot (1.5 oz) per 6 oz cup of coffee. Your guests will definitely perk up after sipping a mugfull. 

More: If you want something with a bit more spice, or are avoiding java, this Dirty Chai Toddy is for you.

If none of these suggestions impress, fear not: we're just getting started. How about delicate crêpes filled with perfumed ricotta and doused in a lillet kumquat compote? Or your favorite seasonal fruit, macerated in vodka and sprinkled with freshly ground pepper? You can also nudge your favorite recipes in the right direction by adding rum to your tiramisu or tres leches.

In the end, these suggestions are really more like guidelines. Because when you're combining two of everyone's favorite things, how can you go wrong? Trust your tastes and your instincts, and you're sure to be the toast of the town. 

How do you have your dessert and drink it too? Share in the comments!

Flambe photo by Camille Becerra, granita photo by Sarah Shatz. All other photos by James Ransom.