Cocktail Hour at Copywriters’ Kitchen: Frozen Whiskey Sours and Savory Cheddar Wafers

It’s Friday afternoon. Let’s be civilized, unplug all electronic devices and sit down for a proper cocktail.

I’m making frozen whiskey sours. They’re heavenly with the Savory Cheddar Wafers I just pulled from the oven.

Relax. Monday morning you can get up an hour earlier and check your Tweets. Work will, of course, be waiting. And the economy—well, lets not talk about it.

Á propos, purists recommend Sazerac Rye but these Sours taste lovely even with cheap bourbon.

Let’s put on Fela Kuti and throw back a few…

Frozen Whiskey Sours

For each cocktail, you’ll need:

2 ounces bourbon whiskey
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tablespoon powdered sugar or more to taste
1 maraschino cherry plus 1 teaspoon maraschino juice
3-4 ice cubes
Thin lemon slice, cut in half

1. Put all ingredients into a blender and blend on high speed for 30 seconds.
2. Pour into an on-the-rocks glass—the cherry will be battered, but still recognizable—and garnish with lemon slice.
3. Repeat.

Savory Cheddar Wafers

These are adapted from the wonderful circa 1976 Junior League California Heritage Cookbook of my childhood. They. Are. Heaven.

The neat thing—as we used to say in 1976—is you can shape the wafer dough into logs, wrap in wax paper and store in the fridge pretty much indefinitely.

Then when you and the gals—or guys—are ready for cocktails, simply thin slice the dough and pop them in the oven. In less than 10 minutes you’ll have hot, savory wafers.

Even if you don’t remember burnt orange Crockpots, maxi-coats and Peter Frampton, you’ll love Savory Cheddar Wafers—the perfect foil for Whiskey Sours or your favorite winter cocktail.

Savory Cheddar Wafers

1 cube unsalted butter
½ pound cheddar cheese, grated and softened to room temperature
1 cup flour
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
around ¼ cup poppy seeds

1. Put butter and grated cheese in a medium bowl and let sit until softened.


Yes, you can zap in microwave to soften—but only 5 seconds at a time. Butter should be soft, not melted.



2. When soft, whip butter and cheese together until creamed.


Cream butter and cheese for a minute or two. Mixture will retain a little curdiness.



3. In a medium bowl—or directly in a large Pyrex measuring cup, my preference—mix flour, salt and cayenne pepper.
4. Add flour mixture to butter and cheese mixture, blending with a mixer, a wooden spoon or your fingers.


I mix with a mixer first, then—at point pictured above—worked the dough with my fingers...

5. Gather dough together and press into a ball.


...or reasonable facsimile.



6. Divide dough into two portions.
7. Roll one portion of dough into roll about 1” in diameter.


Be sure to chill dough well before attempting to handle. Dough is very rich.

8. Wrap dough roll in wax paper and twist ends.
9. Repeat with other portion of dough.


Wrap dough logs tightly in wax paper and twist ends to seal.

10. Chill dough in refrigerator for at least 4 hours—to speed chilling time, place in freezer for ½ hour—or until ready to bake.
11. When ready to serve, preheat oven to 400 degrees.
12. Slice roll into ¼” slices and place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet.


Use a sharp knife to cut thin wafers before dough softens.



13. Sprinkle slices with poppy seeds.


Take a pinch of poppy seeds and roll them over the wafer.



14. Bake for 6-8 minutes.
15. Cool for a minute or two on the cookie sheet, then remove wafers to a plate.


The wafers bake quickly in a 400 degree oven—check them after 5 minutes. Bottoms should be golden, not brown.



16. Serve immediately or cool completely and store in a tightly covered container.

Makes about 3 dozen wafers.

Tagged as: 1970's cocktail appetizers, Copywriters' Kitchen recipe, Frozen Whikey Sour Recipe, old fashioned cocktails, Savory Cheddar Wafer Recipe

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