Caputo’s is known for many things. Our exceptional cheese program, enormous amounts on craft chocolate, and our 20 years of award winning sandwiches are among them. What you may not know, however, is that we’re taking cocktails and bar menus just as seriously as we are our cheese caves and chocolate brands. Our own home bars are spilling over with the necessary and essential cocktail components. One of the most important pieces of the cocktail puzzle? Bitters.

If you’ve enjoyed a cocktail lately, there’s a good chance Dale Degroff had a hand in restoring it’s popularity. The art of the craft cocktail has slowly been revived since its near extinction from the time of Prohibition. During his time at the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center, Mr. Degroff helped to restore the respected position of bar-tending while also helping to resurrect America’s appreciation for  the classic, balanced cocktails of decades past. After countless mixology awards, two published books, and a decade later, we can now bring a piece of Dale Degroff home with us by way of his own handcrafted bitters.

Dale Degroff teamed up with noted absinthe distiller T.A. Breaux in France to create a spiced bitters highlighting both allspice and anise with a warm backbone of many more spices. The result is an aromatic, warm concoction perfect for classic rum and whiskey cocktails. From sazeracs to rum punch, the possibilities are endless. If we had to pick just one bitters to keep on hand at home, this would be one of the top selections. What’s more, these bitters are just as useful in the kitchen as they are at the bar. Finish any grilled or seafood dish with just a dash for enhanced complexity of whip into pastry creams and meringues in the place of vanilla extract for an intriguing new take on your favorite desserts. You’ll be amazed by how often you find yourself reaching for these bitters, and we don’t blame you, we’re doing it too.

Moms deserve a day of spoiling, and it is our duty to do so. After all the dirty diapers, temper tantrums, homework help, fighting over curfew, learning to live alone, and then finally realizing she was right all along, it’s fair to say she is owed more than a few indulgences. Here’s what our moms are getting this year:

Take a Class

There is nothing cliche about giving Ma the gift of continued education, especially when said education revolves around chocolate, cheese, and other delicious ways to enjoy herself. Our summer schedule is filling up quick, but there’s still plenty of time to get in on the fun. The best part about this gift is joining her for some quality family time and reaping the benefits of both chocolate education and chocolate consumption with her!

The Chocolate Box

If Mom is a busy one these days and can’t join you for a class, upscale chocolate never hurt anyone. Chocolatier Blue started in Alpine, Utah, but has since relocated to Berkeley, California. Despite the move, Chocolatier Blue uses Salt Lake made Solstice Chocolate for each filled chocolate. There is not a better filled chocolate in the country and you know your mom deserves the best there is. Select from a range of box sizes and flavors, we’ll fill them to order so you can select which flavors your mom will like best.

Dessert – Flowers & Cacao Pavlova

There’s always something incredibly satisfying about cooking for mom, and doing it well. This beautiful dessert is a welcome treat for any gathering and perfect to wow mom with. Added bonus, the hardest part can be done in advance so mom doesn’t have to see you struggle or hear any expletives that might leave your mouth during the process. You can arrive with premade components, easily assemble them, and present a treat fit for any mom.

Brunch – Baked Adelle

Any holiday is a good time for cheese.  ANY DAY is a good day for cheese, but especially Mother’s Day. Wrap our favorite bloomy rind cheese in puff pastry, douse it with your favorite jam (mine is Amour’s Apricot Rose for this recipe) and serving a warm, gooey, bubble of cheesy goodness to your mom, and the rest of your family if she decides to share it.

Bar and Bitters

Remember all those nights your mom spent worrying about you for one reason or another? No? I’m sure she remembers, and I’m sure she could use a drink to recover from those long, stressful years. If your mom appreciates a well-made cocktail, get her the ingredients to make her own at home! Luxardo cherries, countless bitters, and assorted bar syrups are a great place to start. Plus, one she hones her skills, maybe she’ll share those cocktails at the next family gathering. One can hope, right?

There you have it. Our top gifts for the best moms out there. Hey Moms, happy Mother’s Day! We hope you get showered with love and spoiled with treats!

If you’re ringing in the New Year with your closest friends and family, you’ll likely need a few nibbles and bubbles to help with the festivities. Here are a few quick ideas perfect for pairing and sharing on the last night of 2015:

Harbison

This lovely, little cheese comes to us from Jasper Hill Farm in Vermont. Harbison is a small-format, soft-ripened cheese wrapped in tree bark pulled from the woods surrounding Jasper Hill. The result is a creamy, sweet paste with notes of wood and herbs. Cut the top rind off and serve with a spoon at your party; scooping out this paste is a transcendent experience. PairHarbison with crackers, fruit, and champagne.

Luxardo

Take your champagne game up a notch this year with one simple addition. Drizzle a 1/2 teaspoon of Luxardo syrup into champagne flutes, top with sparkling wine, and garnish with a Luxardo cherry. Boom. Bubbly game on point.

Robiola

Is it obvious yet that I love soft-ripened cheeses and sparkling wine together? If not, let me spell it out: I LOVE SOFT-RIPENED CHEESE WITH SPARKLING WINE.

From the same Piemontese producers who brings us Rocchetta and La Tur comes a sweet, mushroomy due latte cheese called Robiola Bosina. Cow and sheep’s milks are blended to form a thin square of soft-ripened cheese. The soft rind gives way to a creamy, oozy paste that coats the mouth. Pair with Prosecco for the ultimate Italian-inspired New Year.

Chocolate

Does there really have to be a reason for eating chocolate? The answer is no.

I love a few nibbles of really exceptional chocolate once the New Year’s toast is over. Why not make your chocolate local? Our Utah Dark Chocolate Collection has some of our favorite locally-made bars for your nibbling pleasure. Want a little more? Stop by one of our locations for a few samples to help you decide on your own curated selection of fine artisan chocolate.

Lentils

Italians will traditionally eat lentils cooked with pancetta and sage and topped with cotechino on New Year’s Eve. The small round shape of both the lentils and cotechino signify wealth to Italians. Plus, it’s an incredibly tasty way to welcome 2016.

Bitters

Here’s another way to raise the bar with your average sparkling wine this year. Have fun mixing bitters and other ingredients for festive sparkling wine cocktails. Not sure where to start? Our Essential Bitters Collection will get you going with our most popular, coveted, and easy-to-use bitters.

Local Collection

Whether you need a hostess gift, a quick party pack, or tried and true treats, we’ve got ready-made collections to get your party started. Choose from any of our gift collections to give to your favorite hostess or as a starter pack for your own party. You can’t go wrong with the goodies we’ve put together for you.

There you have it, friends. I hope you’ve all had a marvelous 2015, and I hope 2016 is even better—and tastier!

You’re still not sure what to give, and you haven’t started shopping yet? That’s OK, we won’t tell a soul. In an effort to inspire your food gifting, here’s what some of your favorite faces from Caputo’s are giving to their friends and family this year.

Don’t see your favorite monger here? Drop by before the holiday—we’re open through the afternoon of Christmas Eve—and them for their personal recommendations. We’re certainly not lacking in opinions around here.

So, here you have it: each of our gift picks for 2015:

Matt Caputo
President and ultimate boss-man

“For the food and/or beverage geek, Workhorse Rye’s bitters are glorious. Whether it be Passionflower, Salted Cacao, Aromatic Coffee Bitters, or one of the ever-changing seasonal varieties, each Workhorse Rye bitters is crafted with unrivaled skill. Each recipe creates an immersive experience whose transcendental effects are hard to shake off. For example, the Passionflower Bitters—made with the soothing botanicals passionflower, hops, echinacea, chamomile, violet leaf, blackberry leaf, and valerian root—lulls the imbiber into a dreamlike state, where they are transported to a warm and friendly Eastern European apothecary from the mid-1800s. Luckily, you won’t want to wake up from this dream.”

Yelena Caputo (above)
VP, and ultimatest boss who oversees said boss-man

“Luxardo cherries are the ultimate gift no matter the time of year. It’s my go-to hostess gift, my go-to holiday gift, and my own go-to treat. I’ve not met a single person who hasn’t loved these candied cherries and the many, many uses they serve. I stock them in both bar and pantry for cocktails—hello, perfect old-fashioned—and garnishes, desserts, and pan sauces. These offer a taste of luxury and perfection which everyone should experience.”

Adri Pachelli
Cooking Instructor and self-proclaimed office monkey

“My dad and brother have a huge obsession with salami. My grandparents had a knack for finding (ahem, smuggling) some of the best cured meat options available long before the days of Creminelli and other artisan salami. Now that I’ve been here at Caputo’s for almost a decade, I have one job at holiday gatherings: bring the salami or don’t bother coming at all. Just kidding, I’m sure they’d still let me inside.

I have to bring Chili Beak this year as well. I go through a jar almost every two weeks and my family’s roots in New Mexico lend us all to having a great appreciation for heat. Chili Beak, however, is both spicy and incredibly delicious. I can’t help but share my obsession.”

Ashlee Mason
Market Manager and cheese slayer

“If you’re looking for a unique and delicious stocking stuffer, consider the humble nougat (or torrone, as it’s called in Italian). It’s a treat dating back to the Roman Empire that consists of little more than sugar, egg whites, and honey. Whether you want to savor the floral La Florentine torrone bon bons, munch on the perfectly crunchy Mandorlato scaldaffero, or feast on an entire bar of Relanghe hazelnut nougat (which I may or may not do on a nightly basis) is entirely up to you! It might be my personal mission in life to bring nougat and halva (a tahini-based nougat from the Middle East) back in vogue, and we have an entire section dedicated to the chewy treats. So come in, stuff those stockings full, and INDULGE.”

Antonia Horne
Affineuse aka maker of all tasty things from our cave cheeses

“I like to give my aunt a bottle of high quality oil and vinegar for the holidays, something nice enough that they wouldn’t buy for themselves. Viola is always in my kitchen and is my favorite condiment oil, and Villa Manodori is my favorite vinegar. I also love giving these because it’s a gift that keeps on giving. Rather than one nice meal, my family is able to enjoy a taste of luxury each time they pull these bottles out of the pantry.”

Michael Eldridge
Deli & Catering Manager and party monger

“After 15 years in New York, this is my first Christmas in Salt Lake City and with Caputo’s. Beautiful snow, great food, many fun events to plan and cater, great food, happy customers with a lot of Christmas spirit…did I mention great food? Then this happens: Today, one of our deli regulars gives me a warm handshake and wishes me a Merry Christmas and I realize…it’s December 18th! Only a week until Mr. Claus’ Monster Truck Event of Giving. I have more than 20 family members and friends in the Big Apple who need gifts, and none of them are easy to buy for (read: They are snobs). I breathe deeply…and remember I have a Christmas miracle on hand.  I work 10 feet away from the best market in Salt Lake City, a mecca of chocolate and cheese and charcuterie, none of which my East Coast-biased peeps can find without risking a death-defying shopping run. And Caputo’s ships overnight. I step across the threshold into the market, and I am met by Ashlee, the GM—the Han Solo to, me, Chewbacca. She seems to know my plight. She takes me by the fur and helps me run the gift basket creation gauntlet.  She’s throwing down Solstice Wasatch Blend Chocolate, Durci Defiant Viajero Chocolate,  Barolo Creminelli, locally roasted La Barba coffee (in stores only!),  and truffle honey. All in less than twelve parsecs. I hold my gift baskets, breathe deeply, and recover from the panic and explosion of mixed metaphors I just survived.  Gift cards?  Please. In brownstones all over New York City, they shall praise my name. And then, they’ll go to the website to figure out what they want me to buy them for New Year’s Eve parties.  I’ll be ready.”

“Ask Matt Caputo” is a new, ongoing feature where Matt answers commonly asked questions from the market. This week, he discusses bitters as a cure for a distressed stomach.

Q: I over-ate this Thanksgiving. And with holiday parties and Christmas coming up, I’m wondering if I should look into aromatic bitters to ease my pain. Will they make a difference?

A: Well, I actually have quite a bit of experience with eating too much. If there is one thing I love it is food, and during the holidays, I can’t stand the thought of not having each and every one of my old favorites. On top of that, how could I pass up a new gastronomic experience. Shun a new dish just because I am full? Pah! No chance.

As the years go by, it is slowly but surely getting more difficult to put up with the physical aftermath, though. Over the past year, I have had more opportunities than I am proud to admit to test the curative powers of aromatic cocktail bitters.

As one would learn in our Intro to Bitters class, the history of these elixirs includes wild claims from the producers, purportedly curing everything from flatulence to impotence and absolutely everything in between. Luckily, the FDA cracked down on the “snake oil” side of bitters a long time ago.

However, from my experience, there is certainly truth to bitters ability to aid in digestion. Anytime I have overeaten or I am not feeling tip top in the tummy, I have a nice big glass of sparkling water with a healthy dose of Peychaud’s. Within a few minutes, I feel notably better. It almost never fails. Put 10 to 12 dashes in a small white wine glass, and that ought to do. Yeah, I take it in a wine glass. Why not? It smells incredible.

Obviously, I am no doctor, scientist, or herbalist, so I will leave it to them to tell you exactly which ingredient in these bitters is doing exactly what. But this practice should not seem that strange. Monks, apothecaries, and even grandmas from all around the world have long known the digestive value of things with bitter flavors.

Disclaimer: While Matt Caputo is a Certified Cheese Professional and specialty food fanatic, he is not a medical professional, doctor, or certified nutritionist. Please consult with your doctor or other qualified health care professional before making any healthcare decisions, diagnostics or treatment decisions based on Matt’s answers.

Holidays got you stressed? Join the club! I have an awful habit of last-minute shopping with the expectation I’ll find the perfect gift for everyone. You’d think I would have learned better by now, but I have exactly zero gifts purchased and many, many lists of gifting ideas, which continue to grow.

My goal this weekend is to actually take care of some of these gifts. I’ll be making many, many batches of my rosemary brittle for my favorite baristas, bartenders, and coworkers. While the brittle is cooling, I’m planning on getting my e-shop on. I’m not much for online shopping, but I’ve found the perfect mood booster to get me through my task: GIN.

Gin cocktails are some of the first I began drinking and making for myself. I love the pine and juniper flavor profile, and I especially love it during the cool months when I’m craving a lighter libation. Gin, of course, loves rosemary. What better combination than gin and rosemary in a festive riff on the classic gimlet?

Gimlets have a storied past, but are most often a simple mixture of gin, simple syrup, and lime. As discovered in the brittle, rosemary plays very well with sweet partners. It only makes sense to gussy up your gimlet with Addition’s Rosemary Cocktail Spice. Make these for your own frenzied online holiday shopping, for your upcoming holiday parties, or for Santa. I hear his sleigh has a self-driving upgrade this year.

Gin Gimlet with Rosemary
Makes one cocktail

• 2 ounces gin (I prefer Hendricks or Ransom)
• 1 ounce simple syrup
• Juice of 1/2 of a lime
• 1 blast Addition Rosemary Cocktail Spice
• fresh rosemary sprig, optional, for garnish

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake gin, simple syrup, lime juice, and Addition Rosemary until combined and chilled, usually 20 seconds. Strain into a chilled coup glass and garnish with a freshly-slapped sprig of rosemary. Imbibe immediately.

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. My name is Adri, and I am the queen of procrastinated gifting. Try as I might, I have yet to finish my to-do list for gifts on time. Each holiday season is the same for me: I realize my gift list is 30% accomplished and 9% wrapped, I run all over the city looking for gifts at picked-over stores and pop-up shops (arms flailing above my head the whole time), and then I go back to home base: Caputo’s.

Here’s what I know: Everyone likes to eat. Call me crazy, but food is the perfect gift, time crunch or not. Everyone has to eat, so why not let your friends and family eat the very best and most delicious treats available? Here’s your guide to the very best last-minute gifts. One gift for each of the 12 days of Christmas, a la Caputo’s:
1. Utah Dark Chocolate Collection – You can never go wrong gifting chocolate, especially in Utah. The Beehive State is internationally recognized as a well known hub for fine chocolate, in both sales and creation. Utah is home to five bean-to-bar chocolate companies that are putting themselves on the fine-chocolate map with their artisan bars and dedication to creating the best chocolate possible.  Give your pals a taste of Utah with this perfect collection of fine dark chocolate, all made in Utah.

2. Local Standouts Gift Collection – This is the ideal choice for the locavore in your life. We’ve hand selected seven items that are not only made locally, but they’re world-class artisan products. From bean-to-bar chocolate to smoky and savory chili oil, this is sure to please you local-lovin’ pals.

3. White Truffles – I’m quite sure that I would prefer truffles to diamonds, and I know I’m not the only one. This is it. The most luxurious and ultimately wonderful gift for your foodie friend, or you can use it as the focal point of you holiday meal. Just the aroma knocks you off your feet, so imagine what your finished entree will do.

4. Creminelli Salami – Utah is home to not only some of the best American artisan chocophiles, but also to some of the most die-hard locavores I’ve ever met. Cristiano Creminelli started his small production in the basement of our downtown store in 2007. Now, he and his company are a national example of the Slow Food movement. The flavors are a true delight, and I love sharing a piece of Utah with my friends and family. Creminelli salamis don’t need to be refrigerated until their packaging is opened, so you can rest easy when mailing these as a gift or when you travel on long road trips to see your family this holiday season.

5. OmNom Holiday Chocolate – Time for an ol’ holiday saying: When in doubt, gift chocolate. Here’s your stocking stuffer for 2015, in a sexy little package no less. Hate wrapping? No need here. OmNom is the king of packaging, and you won’t want to hide these bars for anything. Omnom’s seasonal holiday flavor this year combines dark cherries and caramel roasted almonds. This is the stocking stuffer you can give to everyone.

6. Craft Cocktail Collection – There’s something incredibly attractive about shaking a cocktail shaker around like a mad person…or like you know what you’re doing. If your loved ones are getting into the craft-cocktail movement and experimenting at home, this is the perfect gift. We’ve put together some of the most-often used and well-known products to get your home bar started. If these bitters and bar components are good enough for the best mixologists in the world, they’re perfect for your holiday gifting.

7. Cheese Cave Tasting Sampler – Our market was founded on our love of cheese, and that adoration has only grown stronger. We’re one of five retail locations in the entire country with a cheese cave program. One cave just wasn’t cutting it for us. We need more room to to add additional wheels of cheese into their ideal aging environment (it makes them as absolutely delicious as possible). Our second cheese cave is fully stocked since last holiday season with plenty of projects and affinage happening every second.  Wanna know what the cave is all about, or want to share your knowledge? This is the perfect choice. Four of our favorite cave-aged cheeses come bundled and ready to eat. Hopefully they share with you!

8. Panettone – I’ve professed my own personal love for panettone from the proverbial rooftops of the world (read it here). This is a classic holiday treat and tradition that’s perfect for giving. No fruitcake here; this is entirely different. Light, sweet, transcendent, and the perfect match for coffee and digestifs alike. We have the very best Italian brands in stock. Just be sure to get yours before they’re all gone!

9. Chocolatier Blue – The ultimate in filled chocolates live right here at Caputo’s. Not only does Chocolatier Blue use locally-made Solstice Chocolate, they make products that are utterly divine. One taste will convince anyone of their superiority. The good news for you is that there are plenty of sizes to choose from. There’s a perfect size for each person depending on how naughty or nice they’ve been this year.
10. Caputo’s Gift Basket – On the go? We’ll have these made and ready to go at our downtown, Holladay, and 15th & 15th locations this month. Take the guessing and legwork out of your food gifting this year. We’ve done it for you. Classic favorites and best sellers are packaged and ready to go for you at a moment’s notice.

 
11. Balsamico Tradizionale – I become speechless(I know, so weird) when these babies come up in conversation. If the essence of Italy had to be squeezed into one tiny bottle, this is it. It’s the ultimate gift for your foodie pals and loved ones. Talk to your favorite mongers at your nearest Caputo’s location for our their preferred uses, but make sure you save some for summertime vanilla gelato and strawberries. ADDED BONUS: This is on sale for a HUGE discount. We’ve discounted it enough that you could buy a bottle for a gift and one for yourself as a reward for being such a fantastic gifter.

12. Class Certificates – Give the gift of food (or drink!) knowledge. It’s the perfect gift for a couple or a friend who might be new to either cooking or the Salt Lake valley. Pick up a certificate for the amount of the class, plus the optional beverage pairing, and let them choose the best class for their calendar and tastes. We’ll help you give the exact dollar amount or round up so your giftee can pick up a special little treat after the class. Choose from cheese or chocolate tastings, cooking classes, or whiskey classes. You read that right: whiskey classes! Remember that bucket list from SL Mag? Send them to the class!

Having grown up in New Mexico—where the state tree is the piñon pine—piñon-based sweets were a common and welcomed holiday treat. Candies, chewy brown sugar rolls, and toasted nuts are part of the holiday tradition. I lucked out as kid with both this sweet, local tradition and a large Italian family who had a habit of over-enthusiastically celebrating the holidays with copious amounts of sugary morsels. Pignoli cookies and piñon brittle were always favorites of mine, and they are some of the first treats I begin making as the holidays approach.

The excitement around here for our bitters selection is as palpable as that of a child on Christmas Eve. Every week brings us a new discovery and tasty new applications for them. December’s bitters Craving, Addition Rosemary cocktail spice, captures the essence of the holidays and begs to be used in both drink and treat. Mixing rosemary’s assertive, pine-like aroma and pine nuts from my past seemed like a natural, albeit necessary, union.

I love giving homemade treats to co-workers and friends. It feels more personal than store-bought candies, and I love the opportunity to spend time in the kitchen with a few friends. Pine nut brittle is an incredibly easy gift that is made even more delicious and sophisticated by the addition (no pun intended) of rosemary. Freshly chopped rosemary and fleur de sel give this adorable gift a lovely, complex flavor.

Make a batch for gifting and a batch for yourself. Beware of doubling this recipe, though. A double batch will require two separate parchment-lined cookie sheets, and evenly dividing the caramelized sugar is quite a challenge. It’s possible to evenly separate them, of course, but two batches come together just as quickly.

Stay tuned for more holiday treats and gifting ideas, and I hope everyone is as excited as we are for the upcoming celebrations!

Rose-Merry Pine Nut Brittle 
Makes enough for one small dinner party, or 8-10 gift bags

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup pine nuts
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons Addition Rosemary
• 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons fleur de sel 

In a large skillet, melt sugar over high heat, stirring constantly. Once sugar has melted, lower heat to medium high and stir until sugar is a dark golden brown. Stir in half the salt, pine nuts, Addition Rosemary, and butter. Stir to toast the pine nuts for about five minutes. Pour mixture out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spread to deisred consistency and top with fresh rosemary and the second half of salt. Allow to cool for one hour. Break into pieces and keep in an air tight container or pack into gift bags (like above).

It’s time, my friends. We’re all getting ready to travel, to cook, to deal with in-laws, and to enjoy Thanksgiving. Our menus are set, our plans have been made, and I just can’t wait.

With so much preparation required for such a meal, I love making as many things in advance as possible. The easiest one? Cranberry sauce. Cranberry sauce is my second favorite Thanksgiving meal component. It sits right behind stuffing, because, duh, stuffing. I’ve tried every kind of recipe that exists for this necessary component, and I still love the most classic ones. I don’t want my cranberries shrouded in some boozy port reduction or over-powered by spices and citrus. I want cranberry. The turkey wants cranberry, too. Just ask him.

Beehive Bitters makes my favorite bitters, Spiced Orange. The flavors are balanced, bright, and perfect for both cooking and cocktail-ing. Warm baking-spice flavors play a key role next to the bright, tangy orange note. Since both of these are classic additions to cranberry sauce, it only makes sense to add them right in to the recipe. You can make this sauce up to four days in advance before the texture becomes more jelly-like, but it will keep for over a week. Make this today, and save yourself the stress, there will be plenty of other things to worry about once Thursday rolls around.

Now, since the best part of the weekend after Thanksgiving is all the leftovers, here’s what I’m doing with my leftover cranberry sauce. I make my sauce with just a bit more water than is necessary. I’ll drain off the excess into a jar and use it as a flavored simple syrup for cocktails. For the sauce, I love to spread ricotta over freshly toasted bread and top with cranberry sauce and grated orange zest. Boom, Black Friday breakfast.

Enjoy the holiday, and enjoy your cranberry sauce!

Beehive Bitters Cranberry Sauce
Serves 4-6

Cook time: 15 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Bonus Points: Local Bitters, Make Ahead

• 12 ounces fresh cranberries
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/3 cup water
• Spiced Orange Beehive Bitters

Bring sugar and water to a boil. Add cranberries and reduce heat to medium. Continue to gently boil for about 10 minutes and remove to a serving bowl. Remove 1/3 of liquid to be used for other recipes (ahem, cocktails). Stir in 2 dashes of bitters, add more to taste. Serve at room temperature or keep refrigerated until the day of your meal.

Beehive Bitters Cranberry Cocktail
Makes 1 cocktail

Cook time: Less than 5 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Bonus Points: Local Bitters, Make Ahead

• 1 teaspoon cranberry simple syrup from cranberry sauce
• 1 dash Spiced Orange Beehive Bitters
• 6 ounces Prosecco or other sparkling wine
• Spiced Orange Beehive Bitters
• 1 orange, for garnish

Pour prosecco over cranberry syrup and bitters in a cocktail glass. Add more to taste if desired. Garnish with an orange wheel and fresh cranberries.

Caputo’s Chocolate Week comes at the perfect time of year. Our annual Chocolate Fest puts me in the mood and mindset for the holidays and festivities, but it also gives me a chance to start testing desserts for the family dinners and fun holiday parties to come. My family has a knack for making enough food to feed an entire village, but we do our best to minimize the menu as much as we can every year. We always make the usual pumpkin, pecan, and apple pies, and these are also often accompanied by another cream-based or chocolate-based pie.

This year, I wanted to find a way to incorporate a chocolate dessert without making yet another deep-dish pie. Chocolate pies rely heavily on cocoa powder for flavor, but I like having more control of the nuances. Basically, I want a chocolate pie with a third of the volume, no cocoa powder, and to be made exclusively with chocolate bars.

Meet the chocolate tart. Thin, sweet pastry dough holds a thin layer of rich, luxurious chocolate and a dollop of bitters flavored whipped cream. My first attempt was so successful it garnered a happy dance and a phone call to the family. Solstice’s Wasatch Blend bar made an earthy, balanced tart base that was enlivened with a Beehive Bitters spiced orange whipped cream. It was festive, delicious, and a quarter of the size and effort of our usual chocolate pie.

Save this recipe for your upcoming holiday parties. You can also use your favorite chocolate bars and bitters to make this your own.

Wasatch Blend Chocolate Tart
Serves 8-12

Tart Dough

• 8 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon Beehive Spiced Orange bitters
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Mix all ingredients with a stand or hand mixer until there are no dry patches. Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight until firm. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough out to about 1/4 inch thickness or until there is an excess of about 3 inches in diameter to fit an 8-inch tart shell. Press dough into the shell and bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool before removing the tart ring from the shell.

Chocolate Ganache Filling

• 10 ounces heavy cream
• 7 ounces Solstice Wasatch Blend, or two dark chocolate bars, 70% cacao or higher
• Fleur de sel sea salt

Simmer a small pot of water. Set a metal or glass bowl over it, making sure there is air between the bottom of the bowl and the simmering water. Pour cream into bowl and heat until it’s warm enough to melt the chocolate. Add chocolate and stir to melt. Once the chocolate is melted, use an immersion blender or whisk to combine. Whisk until your ganache is fully blended. Stir in fleur de sel in small pinches, to taste. Set aside to cool for about 15 minutes, then pour into the tart shell. Chill until ready to serve, but remove about 15-20 minutes before serving

Bitters Whipped Cream

• 10 ounces heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
• 2 teaspoons Beehive Spiced Orange bitters

In a medium bowl, whisk heavy cream, confectioner’s sugar, and bitters until whipped, but still loose. We don’t want stiff peaks, but enough volume to hold cream together when we top our chocolate tart with it. Adjust sweetness and flavoring with bitters before serving.

More from Chocolate Week:

A Primer on Solstice Chocolate

Solstice Drinking Chocolate Recipe

Caputo’s Solstice Chocolate Mini-Tartlets

A Retrospect of Past Chocolate Festivals

Recipe: Adri’s Festive Wasatch Tart

The Menu for Chocolate Fest Featuring Solstice Chocolate

Ask Matt Caputo: What is the Best Process to Taste Fine Chocolate?