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a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the honey, half-and-half, and almond liqueur, and beat until incorporated. Gradually beat in another 1 to 2 cups of the confectioners’ sugar until the frosting is thick and creamy.
    Spread the frosting over the cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with dried lavender buds, if using.
    SHAKE IT UP: Substitute finely ground walnuts for the almond meal, and walnut liqueur, such as Nocello, for the almond liqueur. Or, substitute honey liqueur, such as Bärenjäger, for the almond liqueur.
    NOTE: To make a 9-inch layer cake, grease two 9-inch round cake pans with butter or spray them with nonstick spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper, and butter or spray the paper. Dust with flour and tap out the excess. Divide the batter between the pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans for 20 minutes. Then remove them from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Prepare a double batch of the frosting. Place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread with one-third of the frosting. Top with the remaining cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting over the top of the cake and around the sides.

Almond
Iced Tea
    5 black tea bags, preferably orange pekoe
    6 cups cold water, divided
    1 cup almond liqueur, such as amaretto
    1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges
    Place the tea bags in a large heatproof pitcher. Bring 4 cups of the water to a boil in a saucepan or pot. Pour the boiling water over the tea bags and allow the tea to steep for 1 hour. Remove the tea bags and stir in the remaining 2 cups of cold water and the almond liqueur. Serve over ice, garnished with a lemon slice.
    M AKES
8
DRINKS

PIES AND TARTS
À LA BOOZE
    A few years ago, just before Thanksgiving, my friend Bryan and I attended a lecture and demonstration at the Brooklyn Public Library about holiday pies. More specifically, it was about how to make the perfect piecrust. Subjects addressed included the importance of cold butter and ice water, the merits of food processors versus old-fashioned pastry cutters, pie weights versus beans, and different crimping techniques for the edges. At the end of the demonstration, everyone in the audience (me, Bryan, and about a hundred little old ladies) got a sample of pie in a little paper cup.
    It was all very inspiring. So inspiring, in fact, that on Thanksgiving morning I decided to deviate from the tried-and-true piecrust I’ve been making for years and try out the recipe from the demonstration. Disaster ensued. Ten minutes into the baking time, the edges of the dough melted off my beautiful apple pie and began to smolder and burn in a puddle on the bottom of the oven. I ended up serving the pie with “the crusts cut off,” like a child’s peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
    Was it a bad recipe? I don’t think so. In retrospect, I believe I just didn’t let the doughchill long enough. But my point in relaying the story is this: When it comes to making perfect piecrusts, don’t stress over the minor details. Just learn what works best for you and stick to it.
    The piecrust I use is an amalgamation of two recipes, one from Bon Appetit and one from Cook’s Illustrated . The former has the perfect ratio of flour, butter, and water, while the latter incorporates a bit of alcohol for flaky results. I played around with both recipes for years until I finally reached a quick, easy, and foolproof version that I’m completely married to and use for all my pies.
    But because the prospect of making piecrust from scratch can be more than a little daunting (especially for novice home bakers), I’ve also included a number of recipes in this chapter for pies and tarts with graham cracker, cookie, and press-in crusts. The fillings are sauced with assertive or sweet alcohols, such as scotch or framboise, which stand up to flavorful fruits and complex chocolate. Some recipes are