Showing posts with label Gingerale. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gingerale. Show all posts

TOAST THE HOLIDAYS . . . with a Cranberry Martini

It’s easy, festive and a great way to toast the season! 
Adjust the amounts to your liking but these are general guidelines I follow . . .

Cranberry Martini (Crantini)  
Equal amounts of cranberry juice and ginger ale 
A shot of vodka to about 1 to 1 1/2 cup of juice and gingerale)
Garnish with frozen cranberries if desired
  1. Pour the ingredients into a cocktail sharer or mixing glass with ice.
  2. Shake or stir well
  3. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 
  4. Garnish, if desired, with frozen cranberries. Or, add lime or lemon wedge or peel.

Cran-Ginger Granita -- a light dessert

   Yum! Easy, festive and delicious. For the holidays, we prepared this light dessert and served it with an assortment of our Christmas cookies. It was a refreshing way to end a somewhat heavy meal.
     However, Barry warns, “Don’t eat it too fast or you’ll get brain freeze!”


Cran-Ginger Granita     Makes 8 servings
3 cups cranberry juice drink, divided
1/2 cup granulated sugar or use less (1/3 cup is plenty for me)
1 (12 oz.) can ginger ale

1.     Combine 1 cup cranberry juice drink and sugar in a 2-qt. saucepan. Cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool completely.
Heat just long enough to dissolve sugar.
2.     Combine cran-syrup with remaining 2 cups juice and ginger ale.
3.     Pour into 3 ice cube trays, and freeze about 1 1/2 hours or until almost frozen (may take longer).
A good use for ice cube trays! If you don't have any, pour a shallow layer of liquid into a pan.
4.     Transfer cubes to a blender or food processor, and pulse until slushy.
Blending incorporated air and lightens the color of the granita.
5.     Pour slush into a 9” x 9" pan, and freeze about 3 1/2 hours or until frozen.
6.     To serve, scrape granita (in pan) with tines of a fork until fluffy. Spoon into dessert glasses, garnish with a mint leaf if desired, and serve immediately.
Scraping the fork across the frozen mixture creates a fluffy, icy dessert.