Page SECTION EASTER HERALD Wednesday March IMS When you think elegant desserts do you think spir its Do you think of crepes flaming with Grand Marnier rumsoaked babas chocolate fondues spiked with cherryfla vored brandy creamy fruit infles redolent withiherry If so youre not alone for its generally acknowl edged thai cordials and brandies add that spe cial something to a dessert turn ordinary into the extraordinary and provide the absolutely right finish ing touch to a wellplanned and wellexecuted dinner The variety of sweet rtles cakes and staggering Among the most popular liqueurs are Antarctic almond Anisette lico rice Cointreau orange Cremc Cacao choco late Creme de Cassis eur- rant Creme de Mem be mint Drambuie Scotch whisky which has been fla vored with herbs spicei and honey made from heather Framboise rasp berry Grand Marnier orangeflavored liqueur which has been blended with cognac Kahlua coF- fee cherry Mar- aschjno cherry and Triple Sec orange What precisely is a liqueur Patrick Jr in Tht World Encyclope dia of Food Facts on File Inc defines it as any sweetened flavored alco holic beverage usually drunk after a meafas a digestive but sometime served as an ingredient in a cocktail The makeup of a liqueur is run her defined by S law which requires and cordials to minimum of percent sugar or other sweetener There are five basic cate gories of liqueur depend ing on what their flavoring ingredient is either fruit peel herb seeo Those liquors made will fruits peel or arc usually dominated by a sin gle flavor orange rasp- On the hand liqueurs made with and herbs are generally combinations of flavors Chartreuse probably the most renowned of these is be made up of well over different fla voritie ingredients Wtplc we drink liqueur today purely for the plea sure of it what belter way to wind up a good din ner they originated as the Middle They learned men often monks who guardedtthe secret their preparation jealo i and who often cap with adding flavorings to their recipes in order to outdo each and themselves In this way a wide vari ety of liqueurs based on diverse flavorings from flowers fruits seeds bark etc came into being Two of most well- known of these liqueurs are DOM Benedictine and Chartreuse both produced in monasteries both heady combinations of a multi plicity of ingredients whose precise formula it known only to a handful people Brandy drink came into existence in medieval times when the grapegrowers of France to avoid paying excessive export duties which were computed according to quantity not quality chose to distill or burn their wine The result was called in Dutch burned wine a name which posterity has shortened to brandy Flavored brandies came about during the Renais sance when enterprising individuals strove la con ceal the harsh taste of the brandy distilled at that time with ihe mellowing flavors gleaned from suth fragrant ingredients rose petals rosemary oraage Do wen and anise Today carefully blended and aged brandies one thinks a fine cognac need no extra Ingredients disguise their distiniive Connoisseurs of fine liqueurs and good food will be quick to seize upon a recentlypublished book Grand FinaUi Barrons Education Series Inc by Dick Tacuber which takes as Its subject des serts and sweets flavored with liqueurs rums and The following recipe reproduced from Grand FinaUi is indicative of what liqueur and dessert lovers have to look forward when their favorites are Joined together CRUST tracker tablespoons I tablespoon grated until smooth As each batch is blended pour it into a large mixing bowl and after the last batch is processed with the last the cream cheese stir the total mixture to blend thor oughly Crumble half the toasted almonds and stir them into the mixture Pour the cheese mix ture into the baking pan fill ing almost to the top Set the baking pan into the larger roasting pan and pour not water around it to come half way up the aides Place cake In the oven and bake for minutes To check for shake the pan lightly for cheesecakes for the firms up as the cake While the cheesecake is baking prepare the topping Combine the sour cream sugar and and stir Crum ble remaining almonds with your fingers and stir Ihcm into Ihe topping When the cheesecake ii done change ihe oven jetting Working quickly slide the oven rack forward to lhat add the lopping TOPPING cups 48 tour 1 tablespoon 15 ml 1 Preheat the oven to 2inch bak ing pan Alio select a large roasting pan which will how your baking pan Place the almonds in a hat pan put In hint of browning Testing temperature for minutes Carefully remove cheesecake pan from the water bath and set it wire reck to cool to room temperature Refrigerate for or more hours to set before serving Did You Know CooaltKccsfr Cookies and keep la coffee cam with and other dishes are sIM- fs buckwheat com eras clover caraway Hut beam kale pumpkin pea- Easter Buns Combine confectioners sugar and water Make crosses on each bun with confectioners sugar glaze Yield I dozen MOLASSES STICKY BUNS 3 tablespoons batter butter an 2Inch baking pan Add sugar and molasses mix well Set aside Combine remaining I tablet pooot sugar cinna mon and raisins Unroll crescent rolls in two sections Sprinkle with sugarcinnamon mixture reroD Cut each roll a four pieces Place cutsidedown in prepared pan Bake In a P oven to minutes until brown Cool jn pan S minutes Place cookie rack on wax paper invert pan On rack Yield 8 buns