Delicious Brunch Cocktail!

There is a restaurant near me that makes something called the World's Best Brunch Cocktail ever - its a mix of fresh OJ, champagne and St. Germain (elderflower liquor). I love this drink but the price tag on it is more of a treat than a regular $4 bloody mary or mimosa (I love this brunch!) When I had some girls over a few weeks ago I decided that I could easily replicate it and maybe make it even better! I didn't have any regular oranges on hand but I did have a blood orange. I love the way that blood oranges look but its rare that I actually pick out a good one - they seem to be more prone to being dry and tasteless than standard oranges. As luck would have it though...I finally got a good one!

Mix:
1 oz elderflower liquor
1 oz fresh blood orange juice 
Top with 2 oz dry champagne or sparking wine
Garnish with a twist of the rind

Chocolate Graham Cracker Drink

This delicious chocolate martini was stolen from a local restaurant.  We couldn't help but snapping a pic of the menu as we were leaving and then recreating it at home! I love fancy drinks but often times at the end of dinner I am too stuffed to enjoy them. But a fun girl's night at home is the perfect opportunity to celebrate with one of my favorite foods....chocolate!

In a martini shaker combine 1 part each of Bailey's, Amaretto and Chocolate Liquor  with ice and shake. Pour into a glass rimmed with brown sugar  and graham crumbs and garnish with a mini- graham cracker.

Glogg

A few days before my final holiday party of the year (Jan 15th) I stumbled upon a recipe for a traditional Swedish Glogg. I have actually had the pleasure of being in Sweden around Christmas time and attending a traditional celebration (what ever you do be careful with the aquavit!) so I knew that this would be a fun drink to serve my guests. I was lucky to have most of the spices on hand from baking so a quick trip to the liquor store was all I needed. While there are a few time consuming steps needed this isn't very complicated and it is definitely a fun drink for the cold weather. You may be tempted to just dump everything into one pot and let it just simmer together but taking the time to make the brandy caramelize is definitely worth it! After spending most of our holiday season digging out from snow storm after snow storm it was wonderful to come inside to a hot cup of this "medicine".

 

This recipe will make about 5 x 750 ml bottles of glogg but don't worry, if you aren't having a party you can always bottle it and store it as it ages very well. In fact, if everyone is a good girl and boy next year this might replace the annual cookie baking that I do for gifts and turn things up a notch! One warning - this is highly alcoholic - despite its sweet taste and spicy warmness it has a kick..... so make sure you have a glass of water and a few advils before bed if you find your self "taste-testing" it too often throughout the night. If you want to combine baking with Glogg making you can always use the fruit that has been strained out in the end to make a delicious bread - just be careful to remove all of the spices as it isn't fun to bite into a chunk of cinnamon stick!

click through for the recipe! 

7/5/10 - Mint Mojito Sparkler

Tis' the season for yummy fruit based drinks, but if syrup-based margaritas and daiquiris are too much too handle try a lighter spin on another summer classic! This fresh tasting Mojito takes the traditional ingredients and gives them a bit more bubble while removing some of the sugar. I love adding seltzer to all of my drinks. It doesn't change the flavor profile and the added bubbles make me feel like I am sipping on an expensive cocktail. Don't worry if the only experience you have making drinks is cracking open a cold beer....this drink is easy enough for everyone!

Mint Mojito Sparkler (makes 2 large martini glass full)

3 shots Light Rum (Bacardi)

20 fresh mint leaves

2 tsp sugar  + extra to coat rims

1 lime + 2 wheels to garnish 

1 c plain or lemon lime seltzer

1) In a drink shaker, add the mint, ice, juice of 1 lime and 2 tsp sugar - either muddle or place cap on and shake vigorously
2) Add rum and mix till frothy
3) Rub rim of martini glass with lime rind - dip into sugar to coat
4) Carefully strain 1/2 of mixture into each glass and top with seltzer
5) Garnish with lime & fresh sprig of mint

1/11/10 - Hot Buttered Rum

Our favorite guest bartender Mary was over to make another exciting concoction for us. This time it was something warm and seasonal. Given the freezing temps outside which just won't go away I think it was a perfect night for it. Hot Buttered Rum is basically a mixture of dark Rum with a "batter" (ie butter, sugar & spices). We liked this drink more when we added some cream to it (whipped cream and ice cream to be exact!) and since drinking butter isn't exactly low cal anyway you might as well go all out and enjoy!

The above picture is our first batch.....and you will have to trust me that the second one came out even better (or maybe it was just that after 2 shots of rum everything tastes better?)

Hot Buttered Rum Batter
1/2 c butter (1 stick)
1/4 c sugar
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp all spice

1) cream butter with sugar and add spices to taste

To make the drink add 1-2 tbsp of the batter to a cup, 2 oz of dark rum (we used Meyers), 4 oz tea or hot water (we used cinnamon spice herbal tea) and top with whipped cream and a cinnamon stick. For the second batch we used half as much tea (so only 2 oz) and added some coffee creamer (all we had in the house!) and a small scoop of pumpkin ice cream as well (vanilla or cinnamon would be great too)