"Chef's Diary" » Beverages

French Martini

Brigita — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 02:46:52 +0000

Ingredients

50ml/2fl oz vodka
15ml/½fl oz raspberry liqueur
35ml/1½fl oz fresh pineapple juice

Preparation method

Place the vodka, raspberry liqueur, pineapple juice into a cocktail shaker with some ice and shake vigorously.
Strain the mixture into a Martini glass and serve.

Homemade Irish Cream

Brigita — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 05:49:30 +0000

Ingredients

250ml/9fl ozsingle cream
1x 397g/14oz tin condensed milk
350ml/12fl oz Irish whiskey
1 tsp Camp coffee essence
3 tsp chocolate sauce
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp almond essence

Preparation method

Sterilise the bottles for the liqueur: wash in very hot water or on the hot cycle of a dishwasher. Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3. Place the bottles on a baking tray and dry in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Leave to cool.
Pour all the ingredients into a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds. Add extra Camp or chocolate to taste.
Pour into sterilised bottles and store in the fridge. (The liqueur will keep for up to two months.) Shake well before using.

Mojito Coctail

Brigita — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 11:20:33 +0000

Ingredients

Serves: 1

10 fresh mint leaves
1/2 lime, cut into 4 wedges
2 tablespoons caster sugar
1 cup ice cubes
45ml white rum
125ml soda water

Preparation method

Prep: 10 minutes

Place mint leaves and 1 lime wedge into a glass. Use a muddler to crush the mint and lime to release the mint oils and lime juice. Add 2 more lime wedges and the sugar, and muddle again to release the lime juice. Do not strain the mixture.

Fill the glass almost to the top with ice. Pour the rum over the ice and fill the glass with soda water. Garnish with the remaining lime wedge.

Fizzy Sorbet Cocktail

Brigita — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 08:47:18 +0000

Ingredients:

o Assorted sorbets (we used lemon, coconut, peach and hibiscus)

o Chilled champagne or sparkling wine

Method:

1. Place 6 martini or wine glasses in freezer for 30 minutes or until very cold.

2. Fill chilled glasses with 5 or 6 mini-scoops of assorted sorbets, then top each with champagne.

Note: For non-alcoholic version use sparkling grape juice instead of champagne.

Berries in Champagne Jelly

Brigita — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 09:55:44 +0000

Ingredients:

1l Champagne (or Sparkling white wine)

1 1/2Tbsp powdered gelatine

1 cup sugar

4 strips lemon zest

4 strips orange zest

250g small strawberries

250g blueberries

Fresh cream and mint leaves for decoration (optional)

Method:

Pour 500ml Champagne (or Sparkling white wine) into a bowl and let the bubbles subside. Sprinkle 1 1/2Tbsp powdered gelatine over the Champagne in an even layer and leave, without stirring, until the gelatine is spongy. Place another 500ml Champagne in a large saucepan with 1C sugar, 4 strips lemon zest & 4 strips orange zest, and heat gently, stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved.

Remove the pan from the heat, add the gelatine mixture and stir until dissolved. Leave to cool completely, then remove the lemon and orange zest. Divide 250g small strawberries, hulled and halved & 250g blueberries among eight 125ml stemmed wine glasses and gently pour the jelly over the top. Refigerate for 6 hours or overnight, or until the jelly has fully set. Remove from the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving.

For a true Christmas look add on top a layer of fresh cream and mint leaves just before serving.