Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Midweek Kitchen Confessions 6: I make a mean one

Cherry Pie-tini, that is.

I perfected my recipe over the weekend when I made cherry pie. Essentially, what I did was make my own grenadine, except waaaayy better. Here's how it goes *click here for printable version*:

Use the drained cherry juice (from the cans of cherries) that you didn't need for the cherry pie
Add enough fresh squeezed lime juice to make 1 cup of liquid
Add a splash of almond extract

Strain through a fine sieve to remove cherry bits and lime pulp

Combine with 2 c. sugar

Bring to a boil and let sugar dissolve

Cool completely*

Put lots of ice in a martini shaker. Use GOOD vodka in portions either 2 to 1 (vodka to syrup) or 3 to 1, depending on how sweet you like your cocktails and how much you like to be able to taste the booze in your booze. Shake like crazy. Strain into martini glass. Resist the urge to garnish this with a maraschino cherry. The syrup has a completely different flavor and they clash wildly. If you need a garnish, stick a lime wedge on the side.

I'm not exaggerating AT ALL when I say this tastes just like cherry pie, except it has booze. My favorite!


Sláinte!

P.S. Cherry pie is beautiful!




P.P.S. Prima thought the syrup smelled like cherry limeade. With a little more lime juice, you could certainly use this as a concentrate for that. Why pour that extra cherry juice down the drain when you can make something yummy with it?

*A simple syrup will, if refrigerated, keep for several months. I don't know if the presence of juices (as opposed to water) would change that. Anyone?

3 comments:

pinky said...

I don't know if it is because you are mine that you like cherries. But...I love cherries almost beyond chocolate. And with chocolate. The last time I had leftover cherry juice, I just drank it straight. Now you have given me other ideas...one can create wonderful drinks with the juice...starting with your recipe for grenadine.

Miriam Latour said...

That cherry pie looks absolutely orgasmic.

Melissa said...

They BOTH look amazing