Recipe of the Week; HOT BUTTERED RUM

Doesn't drinking melted butter sound great? And doesn't adding a splash of rum to your butter sound even more tempting?

Recently I was planning a sled-riding party, and I decided that the adults might want something with a little more kick to it than just plain 'ol hot chocolate. This, and the tail-end of the holiday season got me thinking about Hot Buttered Rum, and naturally I began to wonder of its origin.

As usual, here's the skinny on this delicious (but not skinny) drink followed by two simple recipes. Bottoms up!

"Winter cocktails like the hot toddy and hot buttered rum are popular spiced rum drinks that have origins in Europe and Colonial America. A cocktail made with boiling water, sugar and spices is traditionally referred to as a "toddy," and made with whiskey or sherry. Warm alcoholic beverages, like toddies, have their origins in Europe where wines and ciders were mulled with spices to take the chill off cold winter days.

After molasses began being imported to Colonial America from Jamaica, and distilleries opened in New England in the 1650's, colonists began adding distilled rum to hot beverages such as toddies and nogs, creating beverages such as hot buttered rum and eggnog, among others.

In the contemporary United States, the term "hot toddy" and "hot buttered rum" can be used interchangeably, although variations of each will occur regionally.

Spiced rum drinks are especially popular during the winter months. Charles Coulombe, author of "Rum: The Epic Story of the Drink that Conquered the World", writes that rum has always been an "important component of American holiday celebrations", and given the Puritanical ban on outright celebration of religious holidays, hot toddies and spiced rum drinks share an association with American civic holidays, such with New Years and Thanksgiving.

Hot buttered rum is made by blending a buttered rum batter with dark rum - rum which has been barrel aged for a considerable length of time to retain a deeper, molasses flavor. Use of light rum or spiced rum is also an option and may be preferred by those who appreciate the mild or spicier taste, respectively. Recipes for buttered rum batter, dating at least as far back as a 1917 publication of the The Ideal Bartender, include butter, nutmeg and sugar at the very minimum."

TRADITIONAL-STYLE HOT BUTTERED RUM

1 cup dark brown sugar
4 oz unsalted butter, room temp (NO substitutes- use the real thing!)
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp salt

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients thoroughly. Refrigerate in an sealed air-tight container for up to two months. This mixture can also be frozen for up to one year before using. Makes eight servings.

Preparing a Hot Buttered Rum Cocktail

2 Tbsp refrigerated hot buttered rum batter
6 oz boiling water
1 1/2 oz dark rum
1 Tbsp light cream (optional)
nutmeg and cinnamon stick for garnish

In a pretty hot beverage mug, combine hot buttered rum batter with boiling water, stirring well until dissolved. Add in rum and cream, if using. Garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg. Serves one.

Non-Alcoholic Hot Buttered Rum

2 Tbsp refrigerated hot buttered rum batter
2/3 cup boiling water
1/3 cup vanilla ice cream
whipped cream (optional)
nutmeg for garnish

In a pretty hot beverage mug, combine hot buttered rum batter with boiling water, stirring until well dissolved. Stir in ice-cream and mix until incorporated. Top with whipped cream, if using, and garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg. Serves one.