First Published: January 10, 2014 1:09 PM EST Credit: Access Hollywood
Caption Aida Mollenkamp’s Golden Globes cocktail & kettle corn
LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Nobody throws a party like the Golden Globes!
And, of course, every great party needs the perfect cocktail!
Celebrity chef and paid spokesperson for Moet Aida Mollenkamp stopped by Access Hollywood Live to share her recipe for the official cocktail to toast the big award show!
Moet Golden Night Cocktail
(Makes: 6 cocktails/Enough simple syrup mixture for 8 cocktails)
- 1/4 cup unrefined granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 20 whole cardamom pods, crushed using the back of a knife or a mortar and pestle
- 1/4 cup pear brandy
- 1 (750 ml) chilled Champagne
- 2 small ripe Forelle or Seckel pears, for garnish
Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan, stir to dissolve the sugar, add the crushed cardamom pods and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer the simple syrup for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and allow to steep and cool for 20 minutes.
Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the simple syrup, discard the seeds and pods, and place the simple syrup into a liquid measuring cup. Add the Williams pear brandy and stir to combine. (The pear-cardamom simple syrup mixture can be made up to 2 days ahead and the Asian pears can be peeled up to 2 hours ahead.)
Just before serving, cut the pear off the core and slice pear lengthwise into 1/8-inch thick slices. (Separate slices into stacks of three and spread slightly to make a fan. If cutting slices ahead of serving time, coat them with a little lemon juice to prevent them from browning.)
To serve, add 1/2 ounce of the pear-cardamom simple syrup mixture to 6 white wine glasses or 6 Champagne coupes (this makes enough syrup for 8 cocktails). Add 4 ounces of chilled Moet & Chandon Imperial Brut Champagne to each glass, filling each glass about halfway. Garnish each glass with three pieces of fanned pear slices and serve.
Toasted Coconut Kettle Corn
(Makes about 10 cups popcorn/enough for 6 to 8 people)
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (aka coconut chips)
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil (or a neutral, high heat oil such as canola)
- 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
- 1/3 to 2/3 cup granulated sugar (1/3 cup is just sweet and 2/3 cup is very sweet)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Heat oven to 350F and arrange a rack in the middle. Spread coconut on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until golden, about 5 minutes; set aside. (Coconut can be toasted up to 2 days ahead of time – store at room temperature in an airtight container.)
Place the coconut oil (or canola oil) and a 3 to 5 popcorn kernels in a 4-quart large saucepan or pot and set, covered, over medium-high heat. Once a kernel pops add the remaining popcorn kernels, sugar, and salt. Stir for 10 seconds to evenly coat all the popcorn (be careful since there is hot sugar and oil in the pan) then immediately cover with a lid or a splatter screen.
Cook while gently moving the pan back and forth over the burner with one hand and, in the other hand, hold the lid or splatter screen like a shield over the pot so it is ever so slightly ajar (the goal is to let steam escape away from you but to not let popcorn jump out).
About every 45 to 60 seconds, quickly remove the pan from the heat, and while still partially covering, carefully stir with a heatproof spoon or spatula, making sure to get the sugar at the bottom of the pot (to prevent the sugar from burning). Immediately return to heat and continue to cook until almost all the popcorn is popped.
Once there is a delay of several second between pops. (There will be steam coming out of the pot so point the pot lid away from you to avoid a burn – if you smell smoke, remove pot from heat and dump it onto the baking sheet.) Remove the popcorn from the heat and dump onto a rimmed baking sheet or into a large bowl, breaking up any large clumps.
Set aside to cool briefly (so you don’t burn yourself with the hot sugar), or, if you like your popcorn very crisp, heat the oven to 325F then spread the popcorn on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the popcorn is dry, about 5 minutes.
Copyright 2014 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
