We often have a tendency to gild the lily when it comes to recipes. (I've seen many a sad cookie chockablock with wayward ingredients. It's painful.) So, typically, I try to keep the integrity of a recipe in check.
But that doesn't mean that variations are verboten. Sometimes something small can make it your own. Or as Ina Garten likes to say - turn up the volume!
I recently did just that with a Brown Butter-Cinnamon Crumb Cake recipe that caught my eye. The addition of fresh blueberries...
...didn't distract from the gorgeous crumb and added a sweet, summery burst of berry flavor to the cake.
And cocktail recipes also offer a chance to tweak and adapt to your taste. Case in point: a recipe for a Straw Dog cocktail from Death & Co, which called for a fresh strawberry and Scotch, among other ingredients. I had neither at hand. (Also, to be honest, I don't really care for the peaty taste of Scotch.) But, then I found a variation that appealed...
...a spin on the recipe, found on Food52...
It substituted the strawberry for a slice of ripe peach and the Scotch for Bourbon.
Oh, hellz-to-the-yes! This drink is freaking brilliant!
Soon, I'll be at it again - adapting the classic Negroni by switching out Campari for Forthave Spirits Red. Will it be delicious? Will I need to stir up a second drink with Campari to compare-and-contrast? All quite possible.
But, no gilding the lily here. Variations are one thing. Lilies belong in gardens and occasionally in vases. No gilding necessary.
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