Did you know that September is Bourbon Month?  You only have seven more day to celebrate it, but don't worry because I'm about to share with you the right way to do it.  I partnered up with my one of my favorite people and friends,  Lindsey, from Maker's Workshop to bring you the ultimate bourbon dinner, guaranteeing to fulfill all of your bourbon dreams.

There is Bulleit Bourbon in every recipe and Billet and Blade was kind enough to send us handcrafted serving pieces that made for a beautiful presentation. 

I've decided that cooking with bourbon might be almost as good as drinking bourbon.  You can drink it while you cook of course, so why wouldn't you want to cook with bourbon?  Lindsey and I partnered up to bring you the ultimate bourbon night.  Everything from bourbon infused butter, bourbon vinaigrettes, bourbon and spiced walnuts. infused bourbon cocktails, and a chocolate bourbon surprise...I know, you are getting excited just thinking about it right?

Let me just state for the record, that even though September is coming to a close and it won't officially be bourbon month anymore, I highly suggest celebrating it throughout the fall months.  This menu was perfect for transitioning us right into fall mode and we spent the evening talking about life, sipping on our spiced apple bourbon ciders and maybe eating one or two bourbon balls for dessert.

Bourbon is the perfect reason to gather friends, have fellowship, and of course eat some yummy food too.

HONEY BOURBON BUTTER PANINIS with BACON, BRIE, and HONEYCRISP APPLES

Ingredients:

• One Ciabatta Bread Loaf, cut into 4 sandwiches
• 2 Honeycrisp apples, sliced thin
• 2 Lbs. Bacon
• Spinach or kale (I used a green that is basically a mix of spinach and a mustard green from my market)
• Brie (you need about 4 slices per Panini)
• 1/2 Cup Butter, softened at room temperature
• 1 Tbsp. Honey
• 2 Tbsp. Bulleit Bourbon

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place bacon on a lined baking sheet and cook for about 20 minutes until desired crispness.  Flip halfway through the cook time.
• Whip your butter, honey, and bourbon until combined well.
• Liberally brush the insides and outside of each ciabatta sandwich.
• Layer your bacon, apples, greens, and brie.
• Preheat your Panini press, and press until cheese has melted and bread is toasted.  you could also use a regular skillet and use an iron skillet to press the Panini with a couple of cans of beans to weight the skillet down.
• Cut the sandwich in half one more time and serve immediately.

HONEYCRISP SALAD with GOAT CHEESE,  SPICED BACON and BOURBON WALNUTS, and a BOURBON DIJON VINAIGRETTE

Ingredients:

Salad-

• Spring Mix Lettuce (or a mix of your favorite lettuces)
• 2 Honeycrisp apples
• Spiced Bacon and Bourbon Walnuts
• Goat Cheese

Spiced Bacon and Bourbon Walnuts-

• 5 Slices of Bacon, diced and cooked until crispy
• 2 Cups of Walnuts
• 1 Egg White, whisked until frothy
• 2 Tbsp. Bulleit Bourbon
• 1/4 Cup of Maple Syrup
• 1/2 Tsp. Cayenne
• 1/2 Tsp. Cumin
• 1 Tsp. Cinnamon
• 1/8 Tsp. Ground Cloves
• 1/8 Tsp. Nutmeg

Bourbon Dijon Vinaigrette-

• 1/3 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• 3 Tbsp. Bulleit Bourbon
• 1 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
• 1 Shallot, chopped small
• 1 Tsp. Salt
• 1/2 Tsp. Pepper
  
• 1/2 Cup Vegetable or Canola Oil

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine your maple syrup and bourbon to the frothy egg white and whisk again until combined.  Mix in your walnuts and spices and stir until combined well.
• Spread the seasoned nuts on a parchment paper or silpat lined baking sheet and bake about 15 minutes.
• Add your crisped bacon pieces at this point and stir to combine.
• Bake for another 5-10 minutes until walnuts are crunchy.  Let cool completely, and this can be done in advance.
• To make the vinaigretts, combine all ingredients in a mason jar and shake well.  Let sit for at least 30 minutes before serving.
• In a large bowl, add your lettuce mixture, your apples, goat cheese, and the walnuts.  Dress the salad right before serving.

Don't worry we aren't going to leave you hanging, tomorrow I'll be sharing the details on a yummy apple spiced bourbon infused cider and those bourbon balls that you and your friends won't be able to stop talking about! 

Make sure to head over to Maker's Workshop for some more information on Billet and Blade, one of our favorite makers who work magic happen with wood!