All Star Game: Gourmet hot dogs, baseball-themed cocktails, and more

The MLB All Star Game festivities are coming to town, and downtown restaurants are getting in on the action creating special menu items for the big game and the big fans that will come along with it.

The District American Kitchen and Wine Bar at the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown shares tips to create a gourmet hot dog, an apple pie pop tart, and a cotton candy martini.

Corn Dog Recipe
1 cup cormeal
¾ cup ap flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tbsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1.25 cups buttermilk
¼ cup water
1 egg
12 Schreiner's Cheese dogs
Black pepper to taste
Kosher salt to taste

Combine all ingredients and mix well.

Violet Mustard
Yields 2 ½ cups

Ingredients:
1 bottle red wine
½ oz garlic
3 oz shallots
1 oz red wine vinegar
8 oz whole grain mustard
8 oz Dijon mustard

Preparation:
1. Saute shallots and garlic
2. Deglaze with red wine and reduce until almost dry
3. Puree mixture in blender
4. Fold in whole grain and Dijon mustards
5. Chill and serve

Apple Pie Pop-Tart
Dough:
1 cup butter
1-1/4 cup sugar
½ tsp. salt
3-1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla

Filling:
1-1/8 cup sugar
½ cup butter
1-1/4 cup almond flour
2 Tbs. flour
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs
4 granny smith apples

Preparation
To make the dough, cream the butter and sugar and salt together, add the flour and mix till combined.

Add the eggs and vanilla and mix till dough comes together. Place the dough on the counter and need till it is all combined and smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

To make the filling combine the butter, sugar, salt, cinnamon and vanilla together and cream until all the butter is smooth. Add the almond flour and all purpose flour and mix until smooth.

To assemble the pop tarts, roll the dough out to about 1/8" thick and cut into squares about 5"x 4", each pop tart will need two squares, a top and a bottom. Peel and slice the apples and toss in cinnamon. Brush the squares of dough with egg wash and then spoon a small amount of the almond filling onto each one. Spread out the almond filling and then lay the sliced apples over the top. After the apples are placed on the filling lay another piece of dough on top. Pinch the edges together and brush the top with egg wash. Bake the pop-tarts in the oven at 350 degrees about 30-40minutes until they are golden brown. Drizzle with icing and serve. Recipe makes about 15 pop-tarts.

Cocktails - $5 specialty menu featuring three homerun elixirs listed below.

Home Run Water Melon Cooler
1 ½ oz Bacardi Dragon Berry Rum
1 ½ oz Watermelon Puree
½ oz Simple Syrup
½ oz Lemon Juice
*Serve on the rocks or frozen. High ball glass.

Grand Slam Peach Margarita
1 ½ oz Tequila
½ oz Triple Sec
1 oz Peach Puree
1 oz Sweet and Sour
*Shake well. Serve on the rocks or frozen. Offer Salt. Rocks Glass.

Ball Park Cotton Candy Martini
1 ½ oz Bacardi Dragon Berry Rum
½ oz Blue Curacao
½ oz Lemon Juice
One bag of cotton candy

Place a fluff of cotton candy inside a martini glass. Shake well and pour over the fluff of cotton candy. Martini Glass.