How sweet it is!
The founders of a combination bar-and-bakery in Crown Heights are bringing their often-drunken dessert recipes to the masses with the “Butter and Scotch” cookbook, launching on Sept. 12 in Williamsburg. The two women say that they created the book — and the business of the same name — by taking classic recipes and having fun with them — especially with the book’s half-dozen recipes for “Jell-ohh” shots that more by-the-book bartenders might look down on.
“We’re all about screwing things up — in a really delicious good way,” said Keavy Landreth, who lives in Bedford-Stuyvesant. “You can turn any cocktail into a Jell-O shot — there is zero pretension and we’re going to do whatever we want and that’s fun.”
Landreth said that she and co-founder Allison Kave started their cookbook as soon as they opened Butter and Scotch in 2012.
“We started working on it the day we opened our doors,” says Landreth. “The day we opened we started taking notes and jotting down recipes — and it all went into the book.”
Landreth structured the book after the daily offerings at the bar, dividing the chapters into brunch, happy hour, night, and late night recipes.
“We wanted something that represented our shop, and we thought it would be fun to do a day-to-night,” said Landreth. “We have such a range — we’re open almost 24 hours a day, which is very strange for a bakery or bar.”
The cookbook rose from 75 recipes to 113 during the writing process, incorporating breakfast biscuits, salted cookies, tequila-infused cakes, and boozy milkshakes. All types of bakers, even kids, will find a recipe they will want to make in the book, said Landreth.
“We hope that everyone — even novice bakers — can figure them out,” said Landreth. “We definitely have some recipes that are more complicated than others, but in general we gear more towards simplifying recipes and making something as delicious and simple and possible.”
The release party will be at the New York Distilling Company, which can hold more visitors than the 30-seat Butter and Scotch. Guests can sample recipes from the book, including Jell-O shots, the Honeychile Rider cocktail, and s’mores.
“Butter and Scotch Cookbook Release Party” at New York Distilling Company [79 Richardson St. between Lorimer and Leonard Streets in Williamsburg, (347) 350–8899, www.butte
