OLD FASHIONED SUGAR RECIPES

Steps:

• In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; mix well. Using fork or pastry blender, cut in 1 cup margarine until mixture is crumbly. In small bowl, beat eggs. Gradually add sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla and lemon extract, beating until light. Add to flour mixture in large bowl. Stir by hand until dough forms. (If necessary, knead dough with hands to mix in dry ingredients.) Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 1 hour for easier handling.
• Heat oven to 375°F. On lightly floured surface, roll out 1/3 of dough at a time to 1/8-inch thickness. (Keep remaining dough refrigerated.) Cut with 2 1/2 to 3-inch floured cookie cutters. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. If desired, decorate with decorator sugar or multicolored candy sprinkles.
• Bake at 375°F. for 6 to 11 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets. Cool 15 minutes or until completely cooled.

Steps:

• Add half the whiskey and 2 ice cubes to a rocks glass. Stir. Add the sugar syrup, Angostura bitters and 2 more ice cubes. Stir. Add the rest of the whiskey and 2 more ice cubes. Stir.
• Add 2 more ice cubes, then pinch the citrus zest so the aromatic oils spray over the drink, then drop it into the glass. 3 TWISTS Rum old fashioned The silky-sweet rums of Latin America are particularly good for this – try the amber-coloured Ron Zacapa from Venezuela. Instead of Angostura bitters, try using Angostura orange bitters, and garnish with an orange twist. Tequila old fashioned Anejo tequila has lots of vanilla and caramel notes that work very nicely in an old fashioned. For the sweetener, use agave syrup instead of sugar syrup, although agave syrup tends to be sweeter, so you may need slightly less. Garnish with a lemon twist. Smoky old fashioned To add a hint of smoke, infuse your sugar syrup. Simply make a 2:1 sugar syrup and while it’s still warm, put a Lapsang Souchong teabag in the syrup and leave to infuse for half-an-hour. Then make your old fashioned as normal.