What you’ll need.
50ml vodka
150ml Soda water
Cubed ice
How to make it.
Add 1/2 a orange in chunks to a chilled glass and muddle and smash with a muddler, pestle or spoon.
Fill glass with ice.
Add vodka and top up with soda water.
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Unicorn Freak Shake.
Absolutely perfect for those hot sunny days in the garden.
What you’ll need.
30ml Strawberry Vodka,
30ml White chocolate liqueur,
Strawberry ice cream,
Garnish. E.G; whipped cream,
glitter sugar sprinkles.
How to make it.
1. Rim the edge of your glass with frosting and sprinkles, set aside. 2. In a blender, combine ice cream, milk, strawberry vodka and white chocolate liqueur until smooth.
3. Pour it into your garnished glass and top with whipped cream and the glitter sugar sprinkles.
Sit back and enjoy, a very naughty but very nice treat
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Sweet Caroline.
Based on the song that’s become something of an unofficial anthem for England fans, we have a sweet and fizzy one for you here.
What you’ll need.
Bombay Bramble blackberry and raspberry gin
Pineapple juice
How to make it.
Add a single shot of this berry-flavoured gin, a single shot of pineapple juice, then top with prosecco.
A few frozen berries would top this off beautifully.
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Espresso Martini.
Learn how to make this classic coffee cocktail. Our easy recipe uses freshly brewed espresso, a dash of coffee liqueur anda simple sugar syrup.
What you’ll need.
For the sugar syrup
For the cocktail
ice
100ml vodka
50ml freshly brewed espresso coffee
50ml coffee liqueur (we used Kahlua)
4 coffee beans (optional)
How to make it.
STEP 1 Start by making the sugar syrup. Put the caster sugar in a small pan over a medium heat and pour in 50ml water. Stir, and bring to the boil.
STEP 2 Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool. Put 2 martini glasses in the fridge to chill.
STEP 3 Once the sugar syrup is cold, pour 1 tbsp into a cocktail shaker along with a handful of ice, the vodka, espresso and coffee liqueur. Shake until the outside of the cocktail shaker feels icy cold.
STEP 4 Strain into the chilled glasses. Garnish each one with coffee beans if you like.
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Pancakes.
Prep time 10 mins,
Cook time 15 mins,
Total time 25 mins,
Recipe type: Breads,
Cuisine: International,
Serves: 5.
Ingredients.
1 cup flour,
3 tsp. baking powder,
¼-1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
1 tbsp. white granulated sugar,
1 egg,
2 tbsp. oil or melted unsalted butter,
1 tsp. vanilla extract,
½ tsp. ground cinnamon,
½ – ¾ cup evaporated milk.
Instructions.
1. In a small bowl, sift the flour. Add the baking powder, cinnamon. salt and sugar. Mix well. Beat egg and vanilla with hand beater or a fork.
2. Blend in the oil or butter and ½ cup of the milk. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour the liquid, mix well.
3. Add the rest of the milk for thinner batter. Grease heated griddle or frying pan if necessary. Pour about ⅓ cup of the pancake mix into the griddle or frying pan and spread.
4. When bubbles appear on top, flip over and cook until other side browns. Remove and place on paper towel. Serve with maple syrup, honey or jam.
Notes,
Variations:
1. Buttermilk pancakes: substitute 1 cup buttermilk for milk. However, decrease the baking powder amount to 1 tsp. and add ½ tsp. baking soda.
2. Cornmeal pancakes: substitute ½ cup cornmeal for ½ cup of flour.
3. Wholewheat pancakes: substitute wholewheat flour for flour. Use brown sugar.
4. Seasoned herbed pancakes (my favorite): remove the sugar, vanilla and cinnamon from the basic recipe and add chopped chive, celery, chadon beni to taste.
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Traditional Coconut Drops.
Prep Time, 15 mins,
Cook Time, 15 mins,
Total Time, 30 mins,
Course: Breads,
Cuisine: Caribbean,
Servings: 8.
Ingredients.
2 cups grated coconut,
1 cup all purpose flour packed,
½ cup granulated or brown sugar,
1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder,
2 tbsp butter,
½ tsp cinnamon,
½ tsp nutmeg,
½ tsp coconut essence,
½ tsp. vanilla essence,
1 small egg,
Instructions.
Preheat the oven to about 400 degrees F.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the coconut.
Cut in the butter and mix into the flour. Add the essence to the egg and beat lightly.
Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the liquid. Mix into a stiff dough.
Drop about 2-tablespoon full of dough on a well greased sheet.
Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden in the oven at a lower temperature, 200 degrees F.
Remove and leave to cool before serving. Bake for approximately 15 minutes.
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Hops Bread.
Prep time 100 mins,
Cook time 20 mins,
Total time 2 hours,
Recipe type: Breads,
Cuisine: Caribbean, Creole,
Serves: 10 hops.
Ingredients.
4 cups flour,
1½ tbsp. dry instant yeast, * 2 tsp. sugar,
1¼ cups water,
1 tsp. salt,
Instructions.
1. Sift flour in a medium sized bowl. Add sugar, yeast, and salt. Mix the dry ingredients well.
2. Form a well in the middle of the ingredients and pour the water all at once. Mix with a fork thoroughly before kneading.
3. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes adding flour if necessary to make a medium stiff dough.
4. Grease the bowl and the top of the dough. Cover and allow the dough to rise for about 25 minutes.
5. Punch down the dough and form into balls. Place the balls on a grease tray and cover with a damp cloth, and allow to rise for about 1 hour or until it double in size.
6. Bake in a preheated oven 400°F for 20 minutes.
7. Note: ¾ cups of flour and ¼ cup of whole wheat for this recipe.
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Saltfish Buljol.
Prep time 10 mins,
Cook time 30 mins,
Total time 40 mins,
Recipe type: Seafood, Breakfast,
Cuisine: Creole,
Serves: Serves 3
Ingredients.
½ lb saltfish (salted pollock or shark),
1 medium-size onion, chopped,
2 tbsp hot pepper sauce or half a hot pepper (or add pepper to taste),
1 sprig chive chopped,
½ lemon or 1 lime,
2 tbsp olive oil,
3 medium sized tomatoes chopped.
Instructions.
1. Boil, clean and debone the Saltfish. Break into small pieces and wash to take out excess salt. Take up handfuls of saltfish and squeeze out water.
2. In a separate bowl add onion, chive, tomatoes, olive oil, lemon juice and pepper to saltfish and mix thoroughly.
3. Refrigerate or serve right away.
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Frybake and Saltfish.
Prep time 40 mins
Cook time 40 mins
Total time 1 hour 20 mins
Recipe type: Seafood
Cuisine: Caribbean
Serves: 4 – 5
Ingredients.
SALT FISH
½ – ¾ lb. Salt fish (or 1 cup dried saltfish, boneless, skinless)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small onion, chopped finely
¾ lb. tomatoes, chopped
½ tsp. chive, chopped
½ tsp. thyme, chopped (Spanish or fine leaf)
2 tbsp. olive oil or coconut oil (to fry the saltfish)
1 small hot pepper, finely chopped (optional)
FRYBAKE
3½ cups flour
½ cup wheat flour
4-5 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1½ cups water
1 tbsp. sugar, (brown sugar)
Oil for frying (bake)
Instructions
1. For Saltfish,
2. Boil the salt fish for about 10 minutes to remove some of the salt.
3. Remove skin and bones; wash and squeeze the saltfish and break into small pieces.
4. Cook the onions, garlic, tomatoes, chive and thyme in oil until slightly brown.
5. Add the flaked salt fish and hot pepper and cook for 10 minutes.
6. For Bake,
7. Add the water all at once, if dough is still dry when mixed, add enough water to make smooth dough. Cover with a damp towel and allow to rest for ½ hour.
8. Divide dough into small balls (makes about 12 balls). Roll ball of dough out on a floured board to ¼ inch thick in a round shape.
9. Fry in hot oil (do not deep fry), turn once and drain on kitchen paper. Serve cool.
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Fairy Bread Martini.
Childhood favourite fairy bread gets a cocktail makeover with the addition of Baileys and vodka – cheers to that!
What you’ll need.
120 grams of chopped white chocolate
2 slices of white bread
2 tablespoons of mixed coloured sprinkles
Red gel food colouring to tint
6 Ice cubes
185 ml or ¾ of a cup of thickened cream.
80 ml or 1/3 of a cup of baileys irish cream
60 ml or ¼ of a cup of vodka
How to make it.
· Step 1
Place 2 serving glasses in the freezer to chill. Place 50g chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on High for 40 seconds or until melted and smooth. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool.
· Step 2
Spread 2 teaspoons of the melted chocolate over 1 side of each bread slice. Sprinkle 1 bread slice with 3 teaspoons of the sprinkles. Sandwich with the remaining bread slice, chocolate-side down. Use a 3cm round pastry cutter to cut 4 rounds from the sandwich. Thread sandwich rounds onto 2 toothpicks.
· Step 3
Use the food colouring to tint remaining melted chocolate pink. Transfer to a plate. Place remaining sprinkles on a separate plate. Dip the rim of each glass into the chocolate then in sprinkles to coat. Return glasses to the freezer until needed.
· Step 4
Meanwhile, place remaining chocolate and 60ml (1/4 cup) thickened cream in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on High for 1 minute or until melted and smooth. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool.
· Step 5
Place ice cubes in a cocktail shaker. Pour in the chocolate mixture, liqueur, vodka and remaining cream. Secure lid on shaker. Shake until well combined. Pour into prepared glasses. Serve immediately with fairy bread skewers.