Cherry Gin Smash

 

MMMMMMMMmmmmmmm! This recipe from Country Living magazine is over-the-top yummy, and it could easily be a non-alcoholic cocktail as there is only 2 oz. of gin in it.  It will be on my Memorial Day menu along with marinated-tofu-and-pepper kebabs, grilled asparagus, and cherry pie.  Thank you, Country Living!

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

6 fresh sour or Bing cherries, pitted

1/2 t. sugar

juice of 1/2 fresh lime

2 oz. gin (optional)

ice

ginger ale to fill glass

lime wedge (for garnish)

 

Method:

In a cocktail shaker, combine the pitted cherries and the sugar.  Muddle with a pestle until cheries release their juice.  Add juice of 1/2 fresh lime and, if using, 2 oz. gin.  Add 2 cubes of ice to the shaker, and shake vigorously.  Strain into a glass with ice.  Tope cherry mixture with  ginger ale and garnish with a lime wedge.



 

 

Sparkling Spider Cocktail

Here's a lovely autumn drink to serve at your Halloween party tonight, courtesy of The Food Network magazine.  The recipe is theirs, but the name came from us!

 

 

Ingredients:
sparkling apple cider
cinnamon schnapps
sparkling white wine

Method:
In flutes or coupes, fill your glass 1/3 - 1/2 full of sparkling apple cider.  The balance will be alcohol, so determine your amount of cider with that in mind.  Next, add 2 splashes of cinnamon schnapps, and top it off with sparkling white wine.  Beautiful and seasonal!

 

Happy Halloween!

Watermelon Margaritas

Here's another great idea for produce from the farmer's market.  I modified a recipe from The Commercial Appeal, and they cited Arlen Gargagliano's Mambo Mixers as their source.  In any case, we made this with a luscious watermelon we picked up at last Saturday's farmer's market, and it was fun and refreshing!

Ingredients:

4 T. fresh lime juice plus 1 lime wedge and 2 full-moon lime slices for garnish

2 t. Kosher salt OR 2 t. granulated sugar (for the rim - you choose)

3 oz. tequila (El Mayor is a good brand that isn't expensive.)

1.5 c. watermelon, seeded and diced

1.5 t. Cointreau (or other orange liqueur)

2 c. ice cubes

Method:

Rub the rims of 2 chilled (optional) margarita or cocktail glasses with the lime wedge.  Pour the salt or sugar (whichever you chose) on a plate and press the rim of the glasses into it, turning gently until the rims are evenly coated.  Shake off excess.

Combine the lime juice, tequila, watermelon, orange liquer, and ice cubes in a blender.  Process until smooth.  Pour into the prepared glasses.  Garnish with lime slices, and serve.  Serves 2.



Hot Chocolate Mix

Even though we've had a pretty warm winter, there have been chilly mornings and evenings that were still just right for hot chocolate.  Here's a recipe I got from Martha Stewart that allows you to make your own hot chocolate mix.  As her publications point out, you can make this mix and have enough to last you through the hot chocolate season.  It's economical, and it allows you to make vegan hot cocoa.

Ingredients:

3 1/2 c. sugar

2 1/4 c. cocoa

1 T. salt

plant-based milk, for serving

Method:

In a large bowl, sift the ingredients together.  Store them in an air-tight container.  To serve, pour 1 c. plant-based milk into a microwave-safe mug.  Zap the milk to the desired temperature, then add 3 heaping tablespoons (or more or less, to taste) of the mix and stir well with a fork to break up all the powdered lumps.

To make a larger batch, heat the plant-based milk in a saucepan, taking care not to boil it.  Add 3 T. of the mix per cup of milk used.

Lemon-Drop Sipper

I know making adult beverages doesn't really count as "cooking", but this is a recipe I modified and love. The original was from The Ultimate A-To-Z Bar Guide by Sharon Tyler Herbst and Ron Herbst. This cocktail recipe book is so fun! It has zillions of recipes, advice on all the proper barware and glasses to use for each drink, toasts, and witty drinking quotes. I modified this recipe to be weaker, because I'm kind of lame with drinking hard liquor. Make it stronger if it suits you.

juice of one large lemon
1 T. sugar
1/4 c. vodka
2 ice cubes

Put the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake like mad to try to dissolve the sugar. Strain it out into a cocktail glass (think martini glass), leaving the ice behind. Yum!