Chocolate at Home: Champagne Truffles

On Christmas morning we had Champagne.  Because that's just how my family rolls.  Kidding, we had sparkling wine in our mimosas because that's how my family really rolls.  But then after all the mimosa drinking was done, there was some sparkling wine left in the bottle.  And you should never throw out something so delicious.  So I took the precious liquid home and found this fantastic recipe for truffles.  The only difficulty is that the truffles are remarkably rich, so you will find it difficult to hoard them for long.  These were meant for sharing, because sharing is caring.

Note:  Yes, some of the truffles in the picture are coated in powdered sugar.  No, I don't recommend it.  If the truffles sit for any period of time, the sugar melts into the underlying chocolate, leaving you with a slightly wet, haggard-looking ball of chocolate.  However, I absolutely condone dipping these in melted chocolate to form a shell, which is then rolled in powdered sugar once it solidifies.  Trial/error.

Champagne Truffles
Adapted from Chocolate at Home by Will Torrent as seen on Leite's Culinaria

7½ ounces chopped milk or semisweet chocolate
4½ ounces chopped dark or bittersweet chocolate
⅓ cup heavy cream
Pinch salt
¼ cup good quality Champagne
2 teaspoons brandy, preferably Cognac
¾ cup good quality cocoa powder (such as Valrhona)

Combine the chopped chocolates in a bowl.

Dump the cream and salt in a small saucepan or pot over low heat and bring to a gentle boil. Immediately pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate. Stir briefly and then set aside for 3 minutes to allow the chocolate to melt. Stir again to ensure the chocolate is melted and smooth. (If the chocolate is not completely melted, it can be gently rewarmed in a microwave at 50% power in 5-second increments or in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water.)  Add the Champagne and brandy to the melted chocolate and stir until you have a smooth, shiny ganache. Set aside to cool at room temperature for 3 to 5 hours. (Alternately, you can cover and stash the ganache mixture overnight in the fridge.)

Gently form the ganache into 1- to 1½-inch diameter spheres and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Sift the cocoa powder into a bowl and spread half the mixture on a rimmed baking sheet or large plate. Line another rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Gently place each truffle on the baking sheet with the cocoa and sift the remaining mixture in the bowl over the top and sides so each truffle is evenly coated. Carefully transfer the coated truffles to the lined baking sheet to set before serving. Repeat with the remaining truffles. Place the truffles on a plate, loosely cover, and refrigerate for up to several days. For the most insanely creamy Champagne truffles experience, bring to room temperature prior to indulging.

Makes 40 to 50 truffles

Nutritionist Meets Chef: Honey Roasted Parsnips

When it's the middle of winter, you're a bit limited in your choice of vegetables, especially if you're trying to be even halfway conscious of eating according to the seasons.  Yes, that beautiful green butter lettuce and ripe red tomato look delicious, but they certainly didn't grow anywhere in the general vicinity or without lots of human intervention.  So I decided to try a root vegetable I was not entirely familiar with: the parsnip.  Looks like a big cream-colored carrot.  Tastes like...a little carrot-y, a little yucca-y, a little sweet, a little nutty.  The honey roasting in this recipe definitely helps them develop a nice, brown glaze which may help in talking small children into giving them a chance.

Honey Roasted Parsnips
From Nutritionist Meets Chef blog

2¼ pounds parsnips
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup honey
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Peel the parsnips and cut them into halves or quarters.  You want your parsnips to be even in size so that they roast evenly.  Place the cut parsnips in a bowl, add the olive oil, honey, and salt and pepper, to taste.  Mix with your hands until the parsnips are all evenly coated in honey and oil.

Place the parsnips in an ovenproof dish in one layer and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tender and slightly golden.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Heston Blumenthal: Oxtail Stew

I've been secretly plotting to make this recipe for, oh, about a year now.  No, I am not crazy.  You see, Heston Blumenthal recipes require planning.  They require the acquisition of large lists of ingredients.  They require me to try and find oxtails for something approaching a reasonable price, as the butchering world has now decided that they're very fancy indeed.  They also require a day with the right temperature for optimal enjoyment.  So basically, today was a day ordained by the stars for imbibing oxtail stew.  And yes, it was everything I've always wanted in an oxtail stew.  Deep, rich flavor; fall-apart tender beef; delicious gravy.  Recommended for those who like kitchen projects or impressing people (like your parents).

Note: I used Pinot noir for the red wine, Chardonnay for the white.  I have attempted to convert the British weights into American equivalents, but honestly, just use your kitchen scale.  It can do grams.  And it's so much more accurate.

Oxtail Stew
From Heston Blumenthal

2 star anise
5 cloves
10 allspice berries
Zest of 1 orange
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
6 medium carrots
6 medium onions
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided use
Peanut oil
4 large leeks
1 head celery
1 bulb garlic
7 tablespoons tomato paste
12 ounces fresh white button mushrooms
6 to 8 ripe tomatoes, halved
¼ cup sherry vinegar
½ cup dry white wine
5½ pounds oxtail, jointed
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup port
2 (750 mL) bottles red wine
Bouquet garni consisting of thyme, bay, and rosemary (be generous with the herbs)
15g unrefined sugar (½ ounce)
150ml red-wine vinegar (5 ounces)

At least two days before serving, prepare the marinade. Place the spices, orange zest, and black pepper in muslin and tie into a little parcel. (Although this is not essential, it is not especially pleasurable to chew on a whole peppercorn.) Peel, top and tail the carrots, then quarter them lengthwise. Peel and quarter the onions (by keeping them in larger pieces, it's easier to remove them later).

Take a casserole large enough to contain all the ingredients for the stew and place it over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons of the butter and about the same quantity of peanut oil. Add the carrots and, when they begin to brown, add the onions and continue cooking until both the carrots and onions have turned a light golden brown.

Chop the leek and celery and add to the pan. Cut the head of garlic in half, then add this, too (there's no need to bother peeling it or anything). Cook on medium heat for another 10 minutes, then stir in the tomato paste. Cook for a further five minutes, stirring all the time, then remove from the heat and set aside.

Finely slice the mushrooms and in another pan sauté them in 5 tablespoons of butter until they have released all of their liquid and turned brown. Drain off the excess fat and add to the vegetable mix in the large pan.

Take a casserole or frying pan that is large enough to accommodate the tomatoes, flesh-side down, in one layer with a little more of the peanut oil. Place the pan on medium heat and leave until the pan side of the tomatoes turns dark brown. Add the sherry vinegar and stand back - if you do not, it will feel as if someone has just sprayed horseradish up your nose. Leave the vinegar to boil off, then add the white wine. Bring to the boil and reduce until a syrupy mush is left. The pan will need to be stirred while the wine is reducing. Scrape this mix into the pan with the other vegetables.

Pat the pieces of oxtail dry and toss them in the flour. Dust off any excess flour, then season generously. Heat a couple of tablespoons of peanut oil in a large casserole. Add the oxtail and brown over high heat, turning regularly. Do this in several batches, to facilitate even browning. If necessary, change the oil in the pan so that the pieces of oxtail are not being browned in burned oil. Drain the browned pieces of oxtail on kitchen paper and add them to the pot of cooked ingredients.

Place the pan in which the meat was browned on high heat and, after a few minutes, pour in the port. Bring to the boil, the whole time scraping any meat residue off the bottom and sides of the pan, and as soon as the liquid boils, flame and reduce it by half. Add the red wine and repeat the process, again reducing by half. The alcohol will be difficult to ignite unless it is boiling.

Add the spice parcel and the bouquet garni, and return to the boil. Reduce the heat and leave to simmer for five minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Add this to the other pan containing the meat and vegetables, carefully combining the ingredients, and leave to marinate in a cool place for 24 hours. It is important that the meat is completely covered by the marinade, so it might be necessary to add a little cold water.

Preheat the oven to 200°F. On the top of the stove, place the casserole on high heat and bring the liquid to the boil, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to stop the contents burning. Skim off any impurities that rise to the surface, remove from the heat and lay a pierced piece of parchment paper on the surface of the liquid in the pan.

Place the pan in the oven for a minimum of seven hours, checking occasionally and topping up with water if the level of liquid has dropped too much. And I mean seven hours - this is the minimum time that should be set aside to cook the oxtail; longer will be even better.

Once cooked, remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool. When warm, carefully remove the pieces of oxtail with a slotted spoon and place them on a tray.

Return the pan to the heat for five to 10 minutes, and then pour into a smaller pan through a double layer of dampened muslin. Reduce this liquid to somewhere between ¾ cup and 1 cup, then remove from the heat and leave to cool a little before putting back the meat.

Cook the sugar in a small pan on high heat until it caramelizes - on no account let it burn, so watch it carefully - then add the red-wine vinegar, stir, reduce to a syrup and add this to the reduced cooking liquid with the oxtail. Stir carefully to combine, then leave to stand for five to 10 minutes before serving. You may need to reduce the liquid to a sauce consistency.

Serves 6

Farallon: Wild Hamachi Sashimi with Coconut-Green Curry Vinaigrette and Ginger

I just happened to have some leftover hamachi in my freezer.  Because I just happened to have to buy a metric crap ton of it in order to make a recipe.  Because apparently only restaurants want sushi-grade hamachi.  So being the budget conscious consumer that I am (*cough cough* not *cough cough*), I figured I should probably find another use for the remaining hamachi.  After scouring the internet intensely for 20 minutes, I came across this recipe.  Now, it's certainly not something that is going to make me drop another $30-ish to make again, but I think it made admirable use of the leftover fish in my freezer.  Plus, it just looks super fancy for guests.

Wild Hamachi Sashimi with Coconut-Green Curry Vinaigrette and Ginger
From Chef Mark Franz of Farallon restaurant, as seen on Epicurious, June 2007

Coconut–green curry vinaigrette:
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ white onion, very thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon Thai green curry paste
1 stalk fresh lemongrass, root ends trimmed, 1 or 2 tough outer leaves discarded from stalk, and roughly chopped
1 (13½-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup white wine, preferably Sauvignon Blanc
¼ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (from 1 medium lime)
½ teaspoon sea salt

Fried ginger:
1 cup vegetable oil
2 (2-inch) pieces fresh ginger (about 1 ounce total), peeled and very thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Scant ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Hamachi:
8 ounces fresh sushi-grade hamachi from a reputable fishmonger, well-chilled and very thinly sliced

Make coconut curry vinaigrette:
In large skillet over low heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add onion and sauté until translucent and softened, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, curry paste, and lemongrass and continue cooking, uncovered, until aromatic, about 5 minutes. Add coconut milk and wine, increase heat to moderately high, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to moderate and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Stir in heavy cream, remove from heat, and let cool about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, remove lemongrass and discard. Transfer mixture to blender, add lime juice, and pulse until smooth, about 30 seconds (use caution when blending hot liquids). With motor on low, add remaining ¼ cup olive oil in slow, steady stream and process until fully incorporated. Stir in salt and set aside.

Fry ginger:
In heavy medium saucepan over moderately high heat, heat vegetable oil to 300°F. Fry ginger, stirring occasionally, until light golden brown, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer ginger to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

To serve:
Divide hamachi evenly among 8 chilled plates. Drizzle ¼ cup vinaigrette over and around fish, sprinkle with fried ginger, and serve.

Makes 8 servings

Screen Doors and Sweet Tea: Inside-Out Sweet Potatoes

Just a warning before I begin.  This recipe may include some mild language, momentary sensuality, and may not be appropriate for children under the age of 21.

Okay, holy crap guys.  If you grew up eating sweet potatoes covered in marshmallows like I did, you will recognize the genesis of this recipe.  But this ball of sweet, gooey, oozing perfection is so much more delicious, it's in a whole different ballpark.  They take some time to put together, but when the kiddos (kiddos: anyone under the age of 110) crack these open and find the sweet spot at the center, it's worth all the trouble.

Note: I added the bourbon and still served these to children.  I know, I'm a horrible person.  But I also added vanilla bean paste, and that was fantastic.  So I say go with both the bourbon and the vanilla.  Also, I found these much easier to form when my hands were clean and slightly wet.  This will involve rinsing your hands after forming each ball.  Told you it took time to put together.

Inside-Out Sweet Potatoes
From Screen Doors and Sweet Tea by Martha Hall Foose

6 sweet potatoes
1 cup crushed cornflakes
1 large egg
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch ground cloves
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon sherry or bourbon, or if kids will be partaking, vanilla extract
8 large marshmallows
Canola oil, for frying (1½ cups)

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Pierce each sweet potato several times and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat. Bake for 40 minutes, or until tender and easily pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Allow the sweet potatoes to cool in their jackets. When cool enough to handle, halve the potatoes, scoop out their flesh, and mash with a fork or potato masher until smooth.

To make the inside-out sweet potatoes, place the cornflake crumbs in a shallow dish or pie pan. Beat the egg with 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl.

Combine the mashed sweet potatoes with the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking powder, flour, orange juice, and sherry, bourbon, or vanilla extract.

Working with your hands, encase each marshmallow in some of the sweet potato mixture, forming a ball. If the sweet potato mixture seems too soft to hold its shape, stir in some of the crumbs to thicken it. (You can cover and refrigerate the sweet potato-smothered marshmallows for up to several hours.) Dip each ball in the egg and then roll it in the crumbs. Refrigerate just until the oil is hot.

Lower the oven temperature to 200°F. In a 2-quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it registers 375°F on a deep-fry or candy or instant-read thermometer. Place a wire rack over newspaper or paper towels.

Fry the inside-out sweet potatoes one or two at a time for 3 to 4 minutes, turning as needed, until lightly browned. Remove with a spider or slotted spoon, and place the drained balls on the prepared rack and transfer to the oven to keep warm while frying the remaining batches. Serve warm.

Baked Variation:
If you have the oven space and want to save a few calories, you can skip the deep frying. Instead, follow steps through forming the sweet potato balls and then preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with Silpat or parchment paper and generously spray the inside-out sweet potatoes with nonstick cooking spray. Bake until browned.

Makes 8 servings

Daring Gourmet: Roasted Garlic, Herb, and Lemon Cornish Game Hens

I think I hate making roasted birds.  That's saying a lot, since I basically love cooking anything and everything.  I just hate the way I roast the darn things according to the recipe, and then insert required thermometer, get assured they are at temperature, and then WHAM!  Still pink when cut.  Which inevitably leads to microwaving them into submission in a panic and dry meat like a desert.  My hate is never-ending.  BUT.  That being said, this recipe actually makes fully cooked birds that are still tender.  And they were actually tasty.  They may have made a small dent in my hatred of roasting birds.  Maybe.

Note: I don't think my mom's broil function on her oven works.  I promise these will be much browner and crispier in your oven.  #ovenfail

Roasted Garlic, Herb, and Lemon Cornish Game Hens
From Daring Gourmet blog

4 Cornish game hens, patted dry with paper towels
8 thin slices unsalted butter
4 sprigs each of fresh rosemary and thyme (or herbs of choice) plus some extra leaves of each
4 large cloves garlic, peeled
1 lemon, scrubbed well and cut into quarters
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup chicken broth

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Pat the hens dry with a paper towel. Use your index finger to loosen the skin on the top of the hen and slip a thin slice of butter under the skin on top of each breast. Add a few rosemary and thyme leaves (or herb of choice). Repeat for each hen. Put a quarter of a lemon in the cavity of each hen along with a clove of garlic and a sprig of fresh rosemary and thyme (or herb of choice). Truss the hens by tying the wings and legs.

Rub each hen all over with some extra virgin olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place then hens on the rack of a roasting pan lined with aluminum foil, spacing them out so they are as far apart from each other as possible. This will enable their skins to get browned and crispy.

Place the hens in the preheated oven and roast for 25 minutes.

While the hens are roasting, combine the chicken broth and wine in a bowl.

After the hens have been roasting for 25 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Pour the broth/wine mixture over the hens and continue to roast for 30 minutes, basting the hens with the juices at the bottom of the pan every 10 minutes or less. The hens are done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°F and the juices run clear. If you prefer darker skins, turn up the temperature to broil for a couple more minutes, watching closely to prevent burning.

Carefully remove the hens and pour the juices from their cavities into the roasting pan. Transfer the hens to a warmed platter, remove the trussing string, and tent with aluminum foil to week warm. Pour the juices from the roasting pan into a saucepan and boil for about 5 minutes until the liquid is a thin sauce-like consistency. Serve the hens whole per guest or cut in half lengthwise and place cavity-down on each serving plate. Drizzle the sauce over the hens and garnish with fresh herb sprigs and a slice of lemon. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings

Modern Snack Bar: Crab and Shrimp Quiche

I know a lot of people aren't super fans of quiche.  I get it.  Really, I do.  I've had some bad quiche in my time.  Flavorless sponge in a crust.  But I can promise you that this quiche is NOT bad quiche.  This quiche is packed full of flavor and fabulous seafood.  And it's smothered in cheese.  Did I mention that?  You really can't go wrong on the quiche front with this one.  It was even luxurious enough to feel like a treat on Christmas morning.

Note: The egg filling is ridiculously thick (not that I mind), so it doesn't really work its way down through the shrimp and crab if you pour it on top.  Since I didn't want baked shrimp and crab with quiche on top, I gently folded the shrimp and crab into the egg mixture before dumping it all in the pie shell.

Crab and Shrimp Quiche
From Modern Snack Bar, New York, NY, as seen in Saveur magazine, Jan/Feb 2014

1¼ cups flour, plus more for dusting

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
3 tablespoons ice-cold water

½ pound small shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed
¼ pound jumbo lump crabmeat, picked of shells
2 ounces shredded Cheddar
2 ounces shredded mozzarella

¾ cup mayonnaise

¾ cup sour cream
2 tablespoons finely chopped basil

¼ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
5 large eggs
Freshly ground white pepper, to taste

Pulse flour, butter, and salt in a food processor until pea-size crumbles form. Add water; pulse until dough comes together. Flatten dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap; chill 1 hour.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12-inch round. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim edges and crimp; chill 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 375°F. Using a fork, prick dough all over. Line dough with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans; bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Remove paper and weights; let cool. 

Reduce oven to 325°F. Arrange shrimp over bottom of crust; sprinkle with crab. Whisk half each the cheddar and mozzarella, plus mayonnaise, sour cream, 1 teaspoon basil, the Old Bay, eggs, salt, and white pepper in a bowl; pour evenly over top of shrimp and crab. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses and basil; bake until filling is set, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let quiche cool in pan, then unmold and cut into slices.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Aaron Sanchez: Mexican Brownies

What do you have for dessert after a Tex-Mex feast?  Well, you could do flan.  Or tres leches cake.  Or sopapillas.  Or you could just make something fantastically chocolatey that makes everyone groan with delight and forget to eat their dinner.  We obviously voted for the latter.  This brownie recipe is incredibly chocolatey (if you use the Valrhona cocoa I recommend), and the cinnamon adds just the right spice.  We actually thought there wasn't enough cayenne pepper, so feel free to be a little heavy handed with that one.

Note:  The frosting recipe comes from an old Hershey's booklet, and my family honestly feels like it's a perfect chocolate icing for most occasions.  And we also felt like the only way you could make these brownies even more fantastic than they already were was to slather them in this frosting.  Your personal level of hedonism is up to your discretion.

Mexican Brownies
Adapted from Aaron Sanchez

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
⅔ cup good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder (such as Valrhona)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground Mexican cinnamon (canela)
¼ teaspoon pequin chili powder or cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon baking powder

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides. Press the paper into the corners of the pan and lightly grease the paper with butter.

Melt the butter in a nonstick saucepan over medium-low heat; do not boil. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Add the sugar, eggs, and vanilla to the saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon until combined.

Add the cocoa, flour, cinnamon, chili powder, salt, and baking powder and mix until smooth. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out fudgy, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack, then use the parchment paper to lift out the brownies before slicing.

Makes 18 brownies

Chocolate Frosting
From Hershey's

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1⅓ cups powdered sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Mix together the butter, vanilla, sugar, and 2 tablespoons of milk until smooth. Add cocoa powder and enough milk to make the frosting spreadable.

Pillsbury: Bacon-Jalapeño Popper Pinwheels

For our Tex-Mex Christmas Eve this year, we rounded up a whole bunch of delicious little tidbits involving hot peppers, avocados, and salsa.  And somehow my sister managed to find a recipe that would please her crescent roll-loving hubby and meet the requirements of the dinner.  Jalapeños?  Check.  And you know that I never complain about the inclusion of bacon in just about anything, so these puppies are all win-win.

Bacon-Jalapeño Popper Pinwheels
From Pillsbury

6 ounces jalapeño cream cheese spread (¾ cup from an 8-ounce container)
⅓ cup chopped cooked bacon
1 (8-ounce) can Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

Heat oven to 375°F. In small bowl, mix cream cheese and bacon until well blended; set aside.

Unroll crescent dough; separate into 4 (4x6-inch) rectangles, pressing perforations to seal. Spread cream cheese mixture on each of the dough rectangles to within ½-inch of edges. Starting with 1 short side, roll up rectangle; press seam to seal. Cut roll into 6 slices, and place slices cut side down on greased large cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough rectangles.

Bake 15 to 17 minutes or until light golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm.

Makes 24 servings

Rick Bayless: Make-Ahead Margaritas

Not being a huge fan of bottled margarita mix, but also being a resident of the great state of Texas (residency requirement: drink margaritas and eat queso), I have searched high and low for a good margarita recipe.  Funny that I should find it in a book by a white guy in Chicago who cooks the hell out of Mexican food.  Hey, I'll take what I can get.  This recipe mixes up a slightly sweet and deliciously sour margarita that is also strong enough to make you loose and breezy on one, maybe two glasses (depending on the size of those glasses).  And since it makes a whole pitcher at a time, you don't have to worry about shot of this and that per glass when you're a couple margs in.

Make-Ahead Margaritas
From Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen

1⅔ cups Sauza Hacienda Reposado tequila
¼ cup plus 1 teaspoon Patron Citronge orange liqueur
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (about 2 large, juicy limes)
Finely grated zest of 1½ limes, about 1½ teaspoons
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup water
Lime wedges
Coarse (or kosher) salt

Mix the tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice, lime zest, sugar, and water in a glass or plastic pitcher until the sugar dissolves.  Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours (but no more than 24 hours).  Strain into another pitcher.

Rub the rims of 8 martini or margarita glasses with a lime wedge, then dip the rims in a dish of coarse salt.  Serve the margaritas either straight-up or on the rocks in the prepared glasses.

Makes 8 margaritas