LIQUID ASSETS
4 Tbsp (60 ml) sugar
2 Tbsp (30 ml) runny honey
rind and juice of 1 orange
rind and juice of 1 lemon
1 small spanspek melon, peeled and cut into thin wedges
1/2 small watermelon, cut into long strips, pips removed
1/2 English cucumber, cut into long thin strips
a few fresh cherries or strawberries
1 × 750 ml bottle Riesling wine, well chilled
1 litre soda or sparkling water
ice
mint leaves to garnish
Combine the sugar, honey, and orange and lemon juice in a small pan. Heat until the sugar has dissolved. Leave to cool.
Divide the fruit between 2 tall jugs. Stir half of the honey and citrus syrup into each of the jugs. Divide the wine between the jugs and top up with soda just before serving. Add ice and garnish with mint leaves. Serves 8
MOJITOS
When it’s mint season, the mint bush outside my kitchen window beckons me to make mojitos! Mojitos are one of my favourite drinks of the moment – a perfect combination of fresh mint, lime and rum, topped with loads of ice and some soda. Cheers!
85 ml castor sugar
a large handful fresh mint leaves
juice of 6 limes
175 ml rum
crushed ice
2 cups (500 ml) soda water
lime wedges to serve
Pound the sugar and three-quarters of the mint together in a bowl. add the lime juice and rum. leave to stand for 10 minutes.
Fill 4 glasses with crushed ice, strain the rum cocktail mixture into each, then top with soda. decorate with mint leaves and lime wedges. Makes 4
Sangria is a Spanish original that has made bar status around the world. There are many ready-made varieties, but with the addition of some macerated dried fruit and citrus slices, it makes a perfect summertime drink – and you could pass it off as your own. Take care; it may taste like cold drink but has the kick of a mule!
Instant Sangria (left), Sparkling Strawberry Punch (right)
125 g dried apples and peaches, sliced
4 Tbsp (60 ml) brandy
1 litre ready-made Sangria (red or white), well chilled
1–2 oranges, sliced
ice
Place the dried fruit in a tall jug. Pour over the brandy and leave to stand for a few hours. Just before serving, pour over the Sangria. Top with citrus slices and ice. Serve. Serves 4–6
This is perfect for our South African climate – good enough for a special occasion or as an excuse for a champagne breakfast.
1 large punnet strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced
1/2 cup (125 ml) castor sugar
100 ml brandy
2 × 750 ml bottles dry sparkling wine
1 × 1 litre lemonade
1 × 1 litre soda or sparkling water
ice cubes
a handful fresh mint
Place the strawberries in a large punch bowl, then sprinkle over the sugar and brandy. Leave to stand for 1–2 hours. Just before serving pour over the sparkling wine, lemonade and soda water. Top with plenty of ice cubes and fresh mint. Serves 12
MAGICAL MILKSHAKES
The best part of this recipe is that it’s simple to have a ready supply of condensed milk in the store cupboard – and a secret supply of ice cream stashed away in the freezer. I say ‘secret’ because in my home, if I don’t hide the ice cream, it invariably disappears before I get a look-in!
Turn the recipe into adult milkshakes, aka Dom Pedros, by adding 4 tablespoons (60 ml) each of whisky and Kahlua to the mixture.
1 × 397 g can condensed milk
1 × 397 g can water
4–6 scoops vanilla ice cream
8 blocks ice
grated chocolate to decorate
In a blender or food processor, combine the condensed milk, water, ice cream and ice. Blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into glasses. Top with the grated chocolate. (For chocolate milkshakes, replace the vanilla ice cream with chocolate ice cream.) Makes 4
4 tea bags
1 litre water
100 g hard butterscotch sweets
85–100 ml rum
1/2 tsp (3 ml) ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (125 ml) cream, whipped
ground cinnamon to sprinkle
In a pan, combine the tea bags and water, and bring to a boil. Cover and brew for 5 minutes.
Remove the tea bags, add the butterscotch sweets and cook over a low heat, stirring until the butterscotch has melted. Stir in the rum and cinnamon.
Serve in heatproof glasses. Top with a dollop of cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon. Serves 4–6
1 × 410 g can fruit cocktail in fruit juice
1 × 440 g can crushed pineapple in fruit juice
1 litre tropical fruit juice
In a food processor or blender, combine the fruit cocktail and crushed pineapple, then process until slushy. In a 2-litre plastic container, mix together the fruit with the tropical fruit juice. Freeze for a few hours, but not until it’s frozen solid.
Just before serving, process in the food processor or blender until it’s a slushy ice mixture. Pour into tall glasses and serve with long spoons. Serves 6
Heart-warming hot chocolate – a perennial favourite – is given a spicy lift with an array of toe-tingling spices.
6 cups (11/2 litres) full cream milk
185 ml caramel brown sugar
3 cardamom pods, crushed
3 whole cloves
1 piece stick cinnamon, broken in half
1 star anise
a pinch ground nutmeg
1 small dried red chilli, crumbled
1/2 cup (125 ml) unsweetened cocoa powder
50 g milk or Albany chocolate
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla essence
1/2 cup (125 ml) cream, whipped
extra cocoa powder to dust
Bring the milk, sugar and spices to a simmer in a large pan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat, cover and leave to infuse for 20 minutes. Strain.
Return the milk to the pan over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder, chocolate and vanilla essence (and more sugar if desired), whisking until well blended and the chocolate has melted and heated through. Pour the hot chocolate into 6 mugs or heatproof glasses. Top with a spoonful of cream and a dusting of cocoa powder. Serves 6
ORANGEADE
We all know the excellent combination of lemon juice, sugar and water, but turn it around and use oranges for an equally refreshing take on the citrus drink. To be really fancy, you could freeze some fresh orange juice in ice trays with a piece of mint in each cube and serve with the orangeade.
2 cups (500 ml) sugar
1 cup (250 ml) water
finely grated rind of 2 oranges
350 ml freshly squeezed orange juice
soda water
ice
Combine the sugar and water in a pan. Bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Allow to boil for a couple of minutes. Remove and leave to cool before adding the orange rind and juice. Pour into a sterilised glass bottle and store in the refrigerator.
To serve, pour 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the orange syrup into a glass, top with soda or iced water and ice cubes, and a slice of orange.
Non-alcoholic Tea Punch (left), Breakfast Blend (right)
1 litre lemon-flavoured iced tea, well chilled
2 cups (500 ml) orange juice
2 cups (500 ml) pineapple juice
1 × 440 g can crushed pineapple in syrup
1 × 100 g can granadilla pulp
1 punnet strawberries, hulled and quartered
grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
a handful mint leaves
ice cubes
Pour the lemon tea, orange and pineapple juice into a punch bowl. Add the crushed pineapple, granadilla pulp, strawberries, lemon rind and juice. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled.
Just before serving, add the mint leaves and lots of ice cubes.
This makes a wholesome start to any day.
1 cup (250 ml) carrot juice, well chilled
1 cup (250 ml) tomato cocktail, well chilled
1 cup (250 ml) good quality orange juice with cells, well chilled
2 sticks celery with leaves
Fill 2 tall glasses with half of the carrot juice each. Ensuring that you keep the juices separated, divide the tomato cocktail between the glasses, pouring it slowly on top of the carrot juice over the back of a dessertspoon. Repeat with the orange juice.
Serve, garnished with a celery stick. Serves 2