ROANOKE – Becky Ellis from Bubbly Bee is here with some fun recipes for Sparking Winter Cocktails so you can continue to celebrate into the New Year.
Pear and Prosecco Cocktail
Serves 6
Pear simple syrup:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup finely chopped peeled pear (or Asian Pear)
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup (2 ounces) pear liqueur
Ingredients to finish the cocktail:
6 thin pear slices (or Asian pear slices) Cindy put the pear slices in the pear simple syrup to keep them from turning brown while she prepared our cocktails.
1 (750-milliliter) bottle prosecco, chilled
Combine water, chopped pear, and sugar in a small saucepan; bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes. Pour through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a measuring cup; discard solids. Stir in liqueur. Divide evenly among 6 champagne flutes. Place 1 pear slice in each glass, and top with prosecco.
Prosecco Raspberry Christmas Punch
Serves 4
The citrus spice sugar mixture requires it to sit overnight to infuse the citrus spice flavors into the sugar.
6 tablespoons fine sugar
Peel of one Meyer lemon
Peel of two Mandarin oranges
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
6 ounces fresh raspberries + (reserve a few of the raspberries to use for garnish)
1/2 cup gin
1.5 ounces blood orange liqueur
1.5 ounces Cointreau
1/4 cup Meyer lemon juice
1 bottle Prosecco
Citrus peel twists for garnish
Ice
In a small container with a tight-fitting lid combine the sugar, lemon and Mandarin orange peels, cinnamon stick and star anise. Seal the container and refrigerate overnight. Turn the container over several times while it is in the refrigerator to mix the sugar, spice and citrus.
Place raspberries in cocktail shaker. Muddle raspberries with the back of a wooden spoon. Add gin and stir gently. Add citrus sugar mixture, lemon juice, Cointreau and blood orange liqueur. Fill shaker with ice and shake to combine all ingredients. Pour mixture through fine mesh strainer into a pitcher. Add prosecco and stir gently. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve. Serve in champagne flutes garnished with raspberries and citrus peel twists.