Skinny Margarita

Save the calories and sugar - this margarita is fresh, homemade, and much skinnier than the original.

Ingredients

• 1 cup lime juice
• 1 cup water
• 20 drops liquid stevia
• 6 oz tequila
• 2 oz fresh-squeezed orange juice
• Ice
• Salt for glass rim (optional)

Instructions

1. To make a pitcher of margaritas, stir all ingredients together and taste for sweetness.
2. Add additional stevia, if desired.
3. Serve over ice in salt-rimmed glasses.

Notes

Yields: 4 servings
Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride

Classic Lime Margaritas

• 
• Classic Lime Margaritas
• For the homemade margarita mix:
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (~8-12 limes)
• For the margarita:
• 3/4 cup silver tequila (recommended, or less to taste)
• 1/2 cup orange liqueur
• lime wedges/slices for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat water and sugar in a small sauce pan until completely dissolved and the water is clear. Let cool.
2. Pour into a pitcher with lime juice. Homemade lime mix done!
3. Add tequila (the recipe above is a full shot/1.5 oz per serving, can reduce to 1/3-1/2 cup if you feel it's a little stiff) and orange liqueur, to your preference.
4. Pour over ice and garnish with lime slices.
5. To make frozen margaritas, freeze the lime mix into ice cubes. Blend the ice cubes with chilled tequila and orange liqueur until uniformly slushy.

Notes

Yields: 4 6-ounce servings

Pineapple Margaritas

Pineapple Margaritas

For the homemade margarita mix:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (~8-12 limes)
• For the margarita:
• 3 oz tequila
• 2 oz orange liqueur
• 4 oz pineapple juice
• 3 oz margarita mix
• Salt or sugar, for rim (optional)
• Lime wedges, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat water and sugar in a small sauce pan until completely dissolved and the water is clear. Let cool.
2. Pour into a pitcher with lime juice. Homemade margarita mix done! It will keep a couple of weeks covered in the fridge and also freezes nicely into ice cube trays.
3. To make the margarita, add margarita mix, tequila, orange liqueur, and pineapple juice to a pitcher.
4. Stir to mix well.
5. Serve in salt- or sugar-rimmed glasses, over ice.

Notes

Yields: 2 drinks

Cranberry Margaritas

A festive cranberry margarita recipe perfect for holiday dinners and parties.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup 100% cranberry juice* (see note below)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar, divided* (see note below)
• 1 1/2 cups (6 oz) fresh or thawed cranberries
• 3/4 cup fresh lime juice (5-6 limes)
• 3/4 cup tequila
• 1/2 cup orange liqueur

Instructions

1. Pour the cranberry juice into the blender, reserving 1 Tbsp.
2. Sprinkle 3 Tbsp sugar onto a small plate.
3. Use the cranberry juice to coat the rims of 4 to 6 glasses (6 to 8 oz each) and then dip the glasses into the sugar. Fill with ice and set aside.
4. Reserve 12 cranberries and place the rest in the blender along with the water, sugar, lime juice, tequila, and orange liqueur.
5. Blend 30 seconds, or until smooth.
6. Pour through a strainer to catch the cranberry pulp.
7. Pour the strained margarita into glasses and garnish with reserved berries.

Notes

Yields: 4 servings

BourbonPumpkin Pie Milkshakes

BourbonPumpkin  Pie Milkshakes

makes 2 shakes

2 cups vanilla ice cream

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup cream or half and half

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup pureed pumpkin

1/2 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs

2-3 ounces of bourbon

frosting + sprinkles (or cinnamon sugar) for glasses

Add all ingredients to a blender and mix until combined. Rim glasses with a light coating of frosting then dip in sprinkles. Pour in shake and sprinkle cinnamon on top. Top with whipped cream if desired. Serve!

Fresh Strawberry Margaritas

Fresh Strawberry Margaritas

recipe for one margarita, can easily be multiplied

2 ounces Grand Marnier

1 1/2 ounces Tequila

2 ounces lime juice

2 1/2 ounces strawberry simple syrup [recipe below]

lime + fresh strawberries for garnish

salt + sugar for the rim

Rim the ridge of your glass with a lime wedge and dip in a mix of margarita salt + sugar [I used about 3 tablespoons salt to 2 teaspoons sugar]. Fill the glass with ice. In a cocktail shaker, combine tequila, grand marnier, simple syrup and lime juice with ice, and shake for about 30 seconds. Pour over ice and squeeze in lime slices and add a few strawberries.

For strawberry simple syrup: combine equal parts sugar and water, bring to a boil and let sugar dissolve, then turn off heat and let cool completely. Combine 1 cup simply syrup + 1 1/2 cups slices strawberries in a blender and blend until combined. I don’t mind strawberry seeds, but if you’d like you can strain the mixture over a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds.

This recipe can be easily doubled, quadrupled, etc. Since everyone’s tastes differ, add simple syrup 1/4 cup at a time and go from taste. I also suggest buying the lime juice if you plan on making a pitcher (or 2) considering you’d have to squeeze a billion limes to get enough juice.

Fresh Strawberry Margaritas

Fresh Strawberry Margaritas

recipe for one margarita, can easily be multiplied

2 ounces Grand Marnier

1 1/2 ounces Tequila

2 ounces lime juice

2 1/2 ounces strawberry simple syrup [recipe below]

lime + fresh strawberries for garnish

salt + sugar for the rim

Rim the ridge of your glass with a lime wedge and dip in a mix of margarita salt + sugar [I used about 3 tablespoons salt to 2 teaspoons sugar]. Fill the glass with ice. In a cocktail shaker, combine tequila, grand marnier, simple syrup and lime juice with ice, and shake for about 30 seconds. Pour over ice and squeeze in lime slices and add a few strawberries.

For strawberry simple syrup: combine equal parts sugar and water, bring to a boil and let sugar dissolve, then turn off heat and let cool completely. Combine 1 cup simply syrup + 1 1/2 cups slices strawberries in a blender and blend until combined. I don’t mind strawberry seeds, but if you’d like you can strain the mixture over a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds.

This recipe can be easily doubled, quadrupled, etc. Since everyone’s tastes differ, add simple syrup 1/4 cup at a time and go from taste. I also suggest buying the lime juice if you plan on making a pitcher (or 2) considering you’d have to squeeze a billion limes to get enough juice.

Watermelon Mojitos

• 
• Watermelon Mojitos
• 2 1/2 to 3 pounds watermelon flesh, pits removed
• 
  
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 
  
• 1/4 cup packed mint leaves, plus more for garnish
• 
  
• 2 1/2 cups white rum
• 
  
• 1/4 cup agave syrup

Directions:

In a blender, puree watermelon, fresh lime juice and mint in batches until smooth.

Strain into a pitcher.

Mix in rum and syrup.

Serve in glasses filled with ice.

Garnish with watermelon & mint leaves.

 

Classic Lime Margarita

The refreshing classic margarita made with fresh limes - no bottled mixes here!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (10-12 small limes, fewer if larger)
• 1/2 cup silver tequila
• 1/2 cup orange liqueur
• lime wedges/slices for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat water and sugar in a small sauce pan until completely dissolved and the water is clear. Let cool.
2. Pour into a pitcher with lime juice, tequila, and orange liqueur.
3. Pour over ice and garnish with lime slices.
4. To make frozen margaritas, freeze the limeade into ice cubes. Blend the ice cubes with chilled tequila and orange liqueur until uniformly slushy.

Notes

Yields: 4 6-ounce servings

Pina Coladas

Piña Coladas
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Serves 3-4
Ingredients:
6 oz. light rum
½ cup coconut cream
2 tbsp. milk
1 cup fresh chopped pineapple
1½ cups frozen chopped pineapple
2 cups crushed ice

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree on high speed until smooth and well combined. Pour into tall glasses and garnish as desired with fresh pineapple.

Source: slightly adapted from Culinary Musings

Pomegranate Blueberry Mocktail

Pomegranate Blueberry Mocktail
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Ingredients:
¼ cup fresh or frozen blueberries
3 oz. pomegranate soda
3 oz. pomegranate juice
2 oz. white grape juice
Lemon slices, for garnish

Directions:
Add blueberries to a tall glass and mash slightly.  Fill glass with ice, if desired.  Combine the soda, pomegranate juice and white grape juice.  Pour the mixture into the glass with the blueberries and garnish with a slice of lemon.

*To de-virginize, add 1 oz. vodka and ½ oz. pomegranate liqueur.

Source: Preggatinis by Natalie Nelsen

Pina Coladas

Piña Coladas
Printer-Friendly Version
Serves 3-4
Ingredients:
6 oz. light rum
½ cup coconut cream
2 tbsp. milk
1 cup fresh chopped pineapple
1½ cups frozen chopped pineapple
2 cups crushed ice
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree on high speed until smooth and well combined.   Pour into tall glasses and garnish as desired with fresh pineapple.
Source: slightly adapted from Culinary Musings

Hot Chocolate

Hot Chocolate
16 oz milk
4 Tbsp Hot Chocolate Mix (recipe follows)
2 Tbsp of Bailey’s Mint Chocolate (optional)
Dulce de Leche (optional)
Whipped cream (optional)
Heat milk in small saucepan over medium heat until scalded. Whisk in mix and Bailey’s (if using) until smooth. Serve with whipped cream and a drizzle of dulce de leche.
Yields: 2 servings
Hot Chocolate Mix
2 vanilla beans
4 cups granulated sugar
24 oz high-quality semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
9 oz dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups Dutch process cocoa
Split and scrape vanilla beans and place in a large bowl or jar with the sugar. Work seeds into the sugar with your fingers. Bury the pods under the sugar. Cover tightly and let stand overnight (or up to months–vanilla sugar keeps forever) at room temperature.
In a food processor fitted with metal blade, process semisweet chocolate and dark chocolate until finely ground, using 4-second pulses. Process in batches, if necessary (I started out with large bars so I first processed the chocolate using the grater attachment and then switched to the blade.)
Remove pod from sugar. Add ground chocolate and cocoa powder to sugar and whisk to blend, making sure to combine well. Store mix airtight at room temperature for up to six months.
Yields: 76 2-Tbsp servings, or 12 3/4-cup servings (pictured)
Adapted from: Gourmet, 2005

Cranberry Margaritas

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1/4  cup  sugar
• 1/4  cup  hot water
• 1 1/2  cups  cranberry juice
• 3/4  cup  tequila
• 1/2  cup  fresh lime juice (about 6 limes)
• 1/4  cup  orange liqueur

Preparation

1. Stir together sugar and 1/4 cup hot water until sugar is dissolved. Stir in cranberry juice and next 3 ingredients.
2. Pour desired amount of cranberry juice mixture into a cocktail shaker filled with ice cubes. Cover with lid, and shake 30 seconds or until thoroughly chilled. Remove lid, and strain into chilled cocktail glasses. Repeat procedure with remaining cranberry mixture. Serve immediately.
Note: For testing purposes only, we used Triple Sec orange liqueur.

Southern Living, DECEMBER 2008