Kentucky Derby recipes and decorations are sure to get family and friends racing to any party thrown in honor of the popular horse race.
Throwing a theme party doesn't need to be difficult and frustrating. There are a number of different popular party themes. The Kentucky Derby is a very popular sporting event for many to watch. It is a great time for family and friends to get together and have a good time watching this event. Below are a few recipes to help get the party moving, as well as a few decorating tips.
Horseradish Cheese Spread
Yield: 2 ½ cups
Ingredients:
- 1 pound processed cheese, cut into cubes
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup horseradish
Directions:
- Melt cheese in the top of a double boiler or a microwave
- Stir in mayonnaise and horseradish
- Pour into a small crock or ceramic bowl; chill.
- Serve with crackers and carrot sticks.
Kentucky Derby Mint Julep
Yield: 10 servings
Ingredients:
- 4 to 5 mint sprigs
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 2 cups cold water
- ¾ cup lemon juice, fresh, if possible
- Ice cubes
- 1 ½ quarts ginger ale
- Mint leaves and thin lemon slices for garnish
Directions:
- Rinse mint and discard stems.
- Place sugar, water, and lemon juice in a medium bowl; stir in mint leaves.
- Allow to stand for 30 minutes.
- Fill a strainer with ice cubes and strain the liquid over the ice to chill.
- Half-fill tall, chilled, and sugar-rimmed glasses with ice, then fill 2/3 with the lemon mixture. Add ginger ale.
- Garnish with mint leaves and lemon slices.
Kentucky Bourbon Bites
Yield: 3 dozen
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 pound powder sugar
- 1/3 cup bourbon
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
Directions:
- Cream butter by hand, then alternately blend in powdered sugar and bourbon by hand (not mixer).
- Fold in pecans.
- Drop by 2/3 teaspoonfuls onto wax-paper-lined cookie sheets.
- Cover with wax paper and refrigerate until set.
Winner’s Circle Cake
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 package (18 ½ ounces) chocolate, double chocolate, or fudge cake mix
- 1 box ( 3 ½ ounces) instant chocolate pudding mix
- ½ cup sour cream
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup salad oil
- ½ cup warm water
- ½ cup walnuts, finely chopped
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate morsels
- White chocolate, melted
- Rose petals and greens for garnish
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- Place cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, eggs, salad oil, and warm water in a large electric mixing bowl. Mix at low speed until ingredients are well blended. Beat at medium speed 3 minutes more.
- Gently mix in walnuts and chocolate morsels.
- Turn the batter into a lightly greased and floured 10-inch bundt or tube pan.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cake stand 5 minutes, then turn out of the pan onto a cooling rack.
- Drizzle melted white chocolate on top of the cake.
- Place the cake on a cake plate; decorate the base with rose petals and greens.
Decorative Touches
- Use either authentic or plastic horseshoes, spray-painted gold as decorative accents wherever possible.
- Tie a rolled-up napkin around a horseshoe and place on each dinner plate, or put them all in a large wicker basket on the buffet table.
- Arrange real, plastic, or silk roses in vases on buffet and dining tables.
- Set up the bar to look like a betting cage.
- Fill a new horse’s feed bag with snacks or silverware/napkin bundles.
Copyright Ryan Lesnau. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.
Ryan Lesnau - Ryan Lesnau is a Saint Cloud-based freelance writer with over 5 years of experience writing. He has written for several different ...
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