CADBURY INSPIRED EASTER CHOCOLATE CREAM EGG MARTINI

Because I have never been able to capture the Cadbury Bunny that lays those eggs ...

I have a thing for Cadbury Chocolate Cream Eggs. Yes, the ones with the creamy filling that looks like a runny egg. I absolutely love them and they only come out at Easter and I go a whole year without my Cadbury Cream Egg fix. So I fixed my fix and created this Chocolate Cream Egg cocktail.

As you can see in my cocktail photo below I made a fun caramelized sugar decoration to top off my personal version of this Cadbury inspired Chocolate Cream Egg Martini. Admittedly these are not that easy to do and take some time so feel free to ignore and just garnish with just the mini Cadbury Cream Egg candy.

Yes, of course, I included the surprise "yolk" . . . . look very close, at the bottom is a squirt of caramel to simulate that unique candy element!

THE
CHOCOLATE CREAM EGG
MARTINI

INGREDIENTS
1 Oz. Dark Crème de Cacao
1/2 Oz. Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
1 Oz. Bailey's Caramel Irish Cream
Splash of Whipped Cream Vodka
1 Oz. Heavy Cream
Chocolate Syrup
Mini Cadbury Cream Egg
Optional: Caramelized Sugar Decoration

GLASS: Cocktail (martini) or Coupe

TOOLS: Cocktail shaker.

DIRECTIONS:
Chill your cocktail glass in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Remove the glass from the freezer and quickly drizzle the chocolate syrup across the glass in several directions, then replace the glass in the freezer immediately to set the chocolate drizzle and chill the glass.
Fill the cocktail shaker with ice then add the Crème de Cacao, Godiva Chocolate Liqueur, Bailey's Caramel Irish Cream and the whipped cream vodka and shake until well chilled.
Take out your chilled glass and pour a good sized dollop of the caramel sauce into the bottom of your glass for the "yolk"
Gently pour your cocktail over the caramel sauce then place the caramelized sugar decoration over the glass and lay the mini Cadbury egg on the sugar garnish.

HOW TO MAKE THE
CARAMELIZED SUGAR GARNISH
Line a cooking sheet with parchment paper.
Melt 2 cups of sugar with 1 cup of water in a stainless steel saucepan on medium high until the mixture turns a golden brown. It takes a while for the mixture to reduce down but once it does it can turn color extremely quickly and burn, be sure to keep an eye on your mixture as you don't want it to get too dark.
Once your caramel has turned a deep amber, remove from the heat and quickly start drizzling designs with a fork on your parchment paper.

Warning: Working with hot sugar is dangerous and can cause burns.

Updated 4-2019

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4 EASTER COCKTAIL SHOTS - Easter Eggs, Peeps and Booze!

FOUR FUN COCKTAIL SHOTS FOR EASTER!

Because who doesn't love Easter Peeps and Eggs in Booze?

SPRING GRASSHOPPER
3/4 oz green creme de menthe
3/4 oz white creme de cacao
1 Tbsp. Mint Ice Cream
1/4 C. of Dark Chocolate Chips
Green Sugar Crystals

Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave. Dip the glass rim into the melted chocolate and then into the green sugar crystals. Add 1/2 cup of ice to a cocktail shaker and pour in the green Creme de Menthe, the white Creme de Cacao and the ice cream. Shake until well chilled then pour into the shot glass and serve.

SHOOT THE PEEP!
1 oz. Hpnotiq
1/2 oz. Cake Vodka
Splash of Wild Orchid Elixir
Cake Favored Marshmallow Peep

Add 1/2 cup of ice to a cocktail shaker, pour in the Hpnotiq and the cake vodka. Shake until well chilled then pour into your shot glass. Top off with the cake flavored marshmallow peep and serve.

EASTER EGG SHOT
3/4 Oz. Pomegranate Vodka
3/4 Oz. Chocolate Vodka
Multi-Colored Easter Jelly Beans

Add 1/2 cup of ice to a cocktail shaker, pour in the pomegranate and chocolate vodkas. Shake well then pour into a mini martini glass (aperitif glass) then drop in some of the Easter jelly beans.

MARCH HARE SHOOTER
1 oz. Hpnotiq Harmonie
1/2 Oz. Coconut Rum
Splash of Hibiscus Elixir
1 Tsp Coconut Cream in bottom
Purple Coconut Rim

Dye some coconut flakes purple, then do a light toast on them in the oven. Rim your glass by dipping in some coconut cream then into the toasted coconut flakes. Add 1/2 cup of ice to a cocktail shaker, pour in the Harmonie and the coconut rum and shake until well chilled. Pour into your glass and serve.

Looking for some larger cocktails?
Here's
ALL MY EASTER COCKTAILS!

Updated 4-2019

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A BLUE EASTER MARTINI full of BUNNIES!

BLUE BUNNY HOP EASTER MARTINI

Because I found these fun little edible bunny candies & I had just an ounce or so of Hpnotiq!  Throw in some tropical elements and you've got a fun Easter cocktail!

RECIPE FOR THE BLUE BUNNY HOP MARTINI

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CITRUS, MINT, ORANGECELLO, LEMONCELLO = SPRING COCKTAIL!

Enjoy the Spring Weather

with this refreshing

CITRUS MINT MARTINI

What could be better than putting some Spring into your cocktail glass with some fresh mint and some great, homemade Orangecello and Lemoncello?

This was perfect for watching our beautiful sunsets on the deck here in Arizona and I'll bet you could find a great place to relax and enjoy a few of these and some nature busting out with Spring yourself.

Get the Recipe for My

CITRUS MINT MARTINI

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PECAN RECIPES & COCKTAILS for PECAN DAY!

HAPPY NATIONAL PECAN DAY!

Go a little nuts with these yummy pecan candies, recipes & cocktails today!

All my

PECAN COCKTAIL RECIPES

And if that's not nuts enough for you.....
MY MOM'S BOURBON PECAN PRALINES!

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SPRING - The Harbinger of a Fresh & Healthy Cocktail Hour!

HAPPY SPRING 2013!

ENJOY A FEW OF MY

SPRING COCKTAILS

Spring 2013 has arrived and with it the bounty of Mother Nature brings some real happy to Happy Hour with seasonal fruits, herbs and vegetables.  It's a perfect time to emphasize the health and flavor benefits of bringing the garden into your cocktail glass with martini recipes muddled, mixed and made marvelous with fresh produce and a little imagination.  Spring is the time of renewal and rebirth and there's no reason that can't be applied to cocktail hour!

I have never been one to use bottled cocktail mixes.  Why would anyone choose artificial flavors and colors over the real thing?  Why pollute your martini or cocktail with chemicals when fresh ingredients are so much more flavorful and loaded with nutrients? Starting in early Spring, I hover over my little herb garden and haunt my local farmer's markets for seasonal goodies for creating new and interesting cocktails and liquor infusions. When I come home, the contents of my shopping bag will often become my martini of the day!

It takes only a few minutes to create a delicious and healthy cocktail from fresh ingredients, not that much longer than it takes to open up a bottled mix, and the results are well worth the effort.  The ritual of mixing up a cocktail is also a bit Zen, part of the complete Happy Hour experience of sipping and sharing with friends at the end of a stressful day.

Even edible flowers can be incorporated into cocktails with the use of floral essences, edible flower petals and edible flower syrups and vinegars!  Micro greens are another great way to bring Spring to your cocktail hour.  Think of your garden and farmer's market when you get out your cocktail shakers this year and get some spring in your sip.

There's a lot of Spring just waiting to jump into your cocktail shaker so be smart about what you bring into your body. If you are what you eat, then maybe you are what you drink as well.

À VOTRE SANTÉ  - To Your Health!

A Few Healthy Cocktail Tips:

• If you don't have a local farmer's market or have a difficult time finding good quality fresh ingredients where you live, frozen produce can be a good substitute, often holding as much or more nutritional value than "fresh" produce that has traveled for a week and sat in a grocery store!
• You can often substitute local honey or agave syrup for simple syrup, thus gaining nutrients from your sweetening ingredient.
• Reduce fruit juices into syrups for sweetening your cocktails not only is healthier, it adds more flavor.
• Replacing heavy creams and half & half with almond milk, soy milk and even non-flavored yogurts can up the health value of a cocktail.
• You can serve Mocktails, non-alcoholic cocktails for guests who don't imbibe

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The SAINT PATRICK'S DAY COCKTAIL - SHOT O' GOLD

 The St. Patrick's Day Cocktail

A Wee Dram & a Teensy Bit O' the Leprechaun Gold!

Get the recipe and complete instructions for this molecular cocktail:

SHOT O' GOLD

Sure, and you wouldn't begrudge me a wee bit o' Irish Whisky and Bailey's on St. Patty's Day, would ya now?

May ya be in heaven half an hour 'afore the divil knows yer dead!

Sláinte!

Updated March 2016

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PEARS HELENE COCKTAIL for National Pears Helene Day

Pears Hèléne, or Poires Belle Hèléne, is a classic pear and chocolate dessert created by the famous Chef Auguste Escoffier in 1864 and named in honor of the operetta La belle Hélène by Jacques Offenbach.  Basically it is a pear poached in simple syrup (sugar syrup) then served with a chocolate sauce and garnished with sugared violets and slivered almonds. Modern versions often add a scoop of ice cream.

Sadly, I had no sugared violet's on hand but I didn't miss them a bit.

THE
PEARS HÈLÉNE
MARTINI

INGREDIENTS

1-1/2 Oz. Pear Vodka
1-1/2 Oz. Pear Puree
1/2 Oz. Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
1/2 Oz. Heavy Cream
1 Pinch Sea Salt

Garnish
Chocolate Dipped Pear Slice dipped in Chopped Almonds

DIRECTIONS

Place the pear infused vodka, pear puree, Godiva Chocolate Liqueur, the heavy cream and the sea salt into a cocktail shaker with a cup of ice and shake until well chilled.  Strain into a chilled glass then garnish with the chocolate and almond dipped pear.

March 15th is National Pears Hélène Day.

VOICEOVER VIDEO with INGREDIENTS &DIRECTIONS

Updated 3-2021

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CHEESY DOODLE-TINI for National Cheez Doodle Day

OH, YES, I DID!

The CHEESY DOODLE-TINI

for National Cheez Doodle Day

 Yes, that is a Cheez Doodle Martini - or to be more accurate that is a Cheetos Martini because you can't get Cheez Doodles out here in the wild, wild West.

And quit laughing because it was really good!!! Ok, so I didn't blend up a bunch of cheezy doodles and pour booze on them, but I did crush them up and put them on a mayonnaise rim of a lovely bacon vodka and tomato water cocktail!!

What's Tomato Water?

It's the water inside a tomato and it's lighter and cleaner than tomato juice with all the same tomato flavor.  You simply suck it out of the tomatoes by cutting them up and squeezing the water out of them!  I cut mine up, did a very rough blend in my Bullet blender than poured that into a metal strainer and squished until I got the water out!

Then you're ready to rumble with bacon vodka and Cheetos/Cheez Doodles!

 The
CHEESY DOODLE-TINI

INGREDIENTS:
1 Oz. Homemade Bacon Vodka
2 Oz. Heirloom Tomato Water
1 Tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
Mediterranean Black Salt Flakes
Crushed Cheese Snacks & Mayonnaise Rim
Mini Heirloom Tomatoes

DIRECTIONS:
Dip your glass rim in some mayonnaise, then into the crushed doodles.
Chill the glass in the freezer while you make your cocktail.
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice then pour in the bacon vodka and the tomato water and shake until chilled.
Pour into your glass then garnish with the mini tomatoes, a few extra doodles sprinkle a few flakes of the black salt on the tomatoes and serve.

Ha! Bet you thought I wouldn't dare, didn't you??
What can I say? It was National Cheez Doodle Day, I had a bag of Cheetos!

Try out my other
BLOODY MARY RECIPES

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Updated 9-2016

BAKED SALMON CUPCAKES

BAKED SALMON CUPCAKES!

Oh, OK, They're Not Really Cupcakes, they're Salmon Cakes....

I eat a LOT of salmon, especially now the doctor found a heart blip in my EKG.  So I'm always looking for ways to use the leftovers.  I rarely eat a whole piece because it's so rich and, like my Mom used to say to me, my eyes are bigger than my stomach, lol.

Here's a great, easy way I found to use leftover salmon.  Unlike the Salmon Spread I made with my leftover Baked Salmon with Blueberry Salsa, this one isn't loaded with cream cheese and sour cream....sigh.  BUT the upside is these are freaking great! So great, in fact, that I plan to do them using un-leftover salmon - I'll just double the recipe! (Is un-leftover a word??)

Yes, I used Best Foods Light Mayonaisse in the sauce.....but if you don't have a blip you don't have to. And, yes, I ALWAYS use Best Foods aka Hellmans mayo, it's the best bottled mayo on the market! And no, they don't pay me to say that....but, if they'd like to send me free mayo.......(insert wink here)

SALMON CUPCAKES

INGREDIENTS
1 to 1-1/2 Cups of Baked Salmon, Shredded
1/2 Package of Stove Top Chicken Stuffing
1 Egg
2 Tablespoons of Mayonnaise
1/2 Stalk of Celery, Diced
1/4 C. of Onion, Diced
1/4 C. of Red Bell Pepper, Diced
3 T. Roasted Garlic, Smashed
Kosher Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper to Taste

DIRECTIONS
Spray a 6 part muffin tin with cooking oil. Pre-heat oven to 375° F. Combine all these ingredients in a large bowl. Divide up evenly into your muffin tin. Press down to compact the "muffins". Bake for 20 minutes or until the interior reads 160° F. I got 5 "cupcakes" from this by filling my muffin tins all the way to the top.

FROSTING aka SAUCE
INGREDIENTS
3 Tbsp. Hellman's Mayonnaise (aka Best Foods)
1/2 Tsp. Dill Weed
1/4 Tsp. Lemon Zest
1-2 Tsp. Agave Syrup
1/2 Tsp. Chipotle Sauce
1 Tsp. Capers

DIRECTIONS
Blend these together and chill until time to serve the Baked Salmon Cupcakes.

Enjoy and keep an eye on your blips!!!

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MARTINIS for NATIONAL PEANUT BUTTER LOVERS DAY

Happy National Peanut Butter Lover's Day!!

Peanut Butter Martinis

and not a one of them will stick to the roof of your mouth!

And a few Peanut Butter Treats:

PEANUT BUTTER MOUSSE IN CHOCOLATE CUPS
PEANUT  BUTTER FILLED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Cheers and Bon Appetweeto!

Updated 8-2021

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GETTING INTO TRUFFLE, Liquor Infused Chocolate Truffles

I promised Booze Infused Chocolate Truffles and here they are!  My kitchen was dotted with it, my body was bathed it and every flat surface in my house was piled with little round bites of alcohol saturated chocolate - but I did it!!

Here are the Recipes and complete instructions for THREE, count them, Three Delicious CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES including Lemoncello Coconut Truffles, Kahlula Truffles and Spicy Rum Cherry Truffles!

 

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