Chasing Summer Strawberry Punch

In a last ditch effort to keep warm, I've escaped North for the weekend.  It's warm up here, like Winter never arrived. They are still wearing singlets!  

And in celebration, I've whipped up a jug full of Strawberry Punch. 

Ingredients 

1 punnet strawberries (you could use frozen if you can't find fresh)

1 cup Orange Juice

4 cups Raspberry Softdrink

1 cup Sodawater

1 cup Galliano

1 cup Candy Liqueur

Method

Whizz up your strawberries with soda water for 20 seconds speed 5.

Pour in remaining ingredients and mix for 15 seconds, speed 3.

Pour into a large jug with ice..

Serves 6

You can omit the alcohol for a mocktail version, I won't tell anyone.

Chasing Summer is the perfect name for this one. 

Cheesecake Martini

You've heard of deconstructed cheesecake right? Well this is exactly that, but with Vodka.  Because Vodka goes with everything!

It's a bit like licking the bowl after you put your cheesecake in the fridge to set and it could definitely be the drink you whip up in your Thermomix to make use of the leftover cheesecake filling.  Now that's a good idea.

Ingredients 

80gm cream cheese

150gm vanilla ice cream

1 shot vodka

Tiny squeeze of lemon

Milk and sugar to taste

2 Kingston biscuits to garnish

Method

Add cream cheese, ice cream, vodka and lemon juice to your TM bowl. 

Mix on speed 6 for 20 seconds.

Taste and add sugar to taste.

You can add a splash of milk to thin the texture if you prefer.

Crush a Kingston biscuit onto a plate, rim your Martini glass with the mixture that is stuck to the top of your TM lid (life hack here, a martini glass fits perfectly) and roll in biscuit crumbs.  You can pop into the freezer a few minutes to set if you like.

Garnish with half a biscuit.

Baby it's Cold Outside

Break out the flanelette sheets and bed socks, Winter is coming!  

Game of Thrones references aside, you will need something to warm your insides while binge watching the latest episodes.

So I present you with Hot, Vanilla Buttered Rum.  

Ingredients

1 vanilla bean scraped

125gm salted butter

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Method

To make Vanilla Butter

Mix butter, vanilla seeds, brown sugar and cinnamon in TM bowl 20 seconds speed 6.

Transfer to a jar and store in your refrigerator during winter.

To make a Vanilla Buttered Rum,

Add 1 tablespoon of your vanilla butter to a mug with 30ml of Rum.

Top up with boiling water and add a little brown sugar to taste.

Mix it all together and sip until your all toasty warm.

Now look, it's not a complex drink, it is just hot water and rum, but I think it could be both comforting and warm.  Almost like I imagine the God of Tits and Wine!