BRANDY FREEZE

December 21, 2023 Julie Sanchez

I had never heard of or tasted a Brandy Freeze till a couple of weeks ago. We were at dinner with friends…my hubby and I split a Brandy Freeze for dessert. We sucked it down in record time. This recipe is my delicious and decadent take on a cocktail which I consider dessert!

You only need ice cream, Creme de Cacao, Brandy/Cognac, and nutmeg to grate on top. (Cognac is simply Brandy made in the region of Cognac, France.)

Scoop the ice cream into a blender with the liquor and add 3 ice cubes.

Ready to blend till creamy.

Grate fresh nutmeg on top with a microplane.

BRANDY FREEZE RECIPE

Serves: 1 person
Prep Time: 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup vanilla ice cream
3/4 ounce Creme de Cacao
1 1/2 ounces Brandy or Cognac
3 ice cubes
nutmeg, grated

PREPARATION

In a blender add the 2 liquors, the ice cream, and ice.
Blend till smooth and creamy.
Use a microplane to grate nutmeg on top.

PRINT RECIPE

STRAWBERRY DAIQUIRI

July 2, 2020 Julie Sanchez

This strawberry daiquiri is both tart and mildly sweet and so refreshing. Drinking it brings back memories of the 80’s…a time where a strawberry daiquiri seemed exotic.

I prefer organic frozen strawberries, and this Whole Foods Brand is 10 ounces, which is exactly how much you need for this recipe. You can use honey if you do not have agave.

Measure 4 ounces of rum into the blender.

Add 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice.

Add 2 tablespoons agave or honey.

Add the frozen strawberries and ice. You can start off with 3 ice cubes and add more if needed depending on the consistency you desire.

Looks as good as it tastes!

STRAWBERRY DAIQUIRI RECIPE

Serves: 2 drinks
Prep Time: 5 minutes

equipment needed

Strong Blender or Nutribullet

INGREDIENTS

4 ounces rum
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (juice of 1 lime)
2 tablespoons agave (or honey)
10 ounces frozen strawberries
5 ice cubes

PREPARATION

Place ingredients in the blender putting the liquid items first. Start out with 3 ice cubes, and add more as needed. Taste for sweetness before serving.

Note: I often make these ahead of time and put them in a container and freeze them. To defrost you can leave them on the counter till they start to defrost, or you can can be impatient like me and soak the container in hot water a few minutes. You must put back into blender and blend again for a creamy smooth daiquiri.

PRINT RECIPE

FROZEN MARGARITAS

December 27, 2019 Julie Sanchez

I truly love frozen margaritas! Anyone who knows me well, knows that I have been perfecting my recipe for years. I like my margaritas tart and not too sweet. These are very strong… I am warning you now.

I like to use a combination of key limes and regular limes. Key limes are really tart and have more flavor than regular limes. I also use Cointreau instead of Triple Sec, but really you can use what you have on hand.

Juice the limes, I love my lime juicer tool from HEB. You need 4 ounces ( 1/2 cup).

Pour your lime juice in the blender, along with 2 ounces of Cointreau and 1 cup tequila.

Add 2 tablespoons agave to the mixture.

Now add 4 cups of ice. Blend till smooth, and add more ice if necessary. You do not want the mixture to be super thick; it should still be somewhat pourable. You can also taste for sweetness and add more agave if you prefer a sweeter taste.

FROZEN MARGARITAS RECIPE

Serves: 4 drinks
Prep Time: 5 minutes

ingredients

4 ounces fresh lime juice ( I prefer a combo of regular limes and key limes) (I used 4 key limes and 3 limes for this batch)
2 ounces Cointreau
8 ounces tequila
2 tablespoons agave
4 cups ice

preparation

Juice 4 ounces of lime juice. Pour into blender.
Measure 2 ounces of Cointreau into blender, and 1 cup of tequila.
Add 2 tablespoons agave to blender.
Add 4 cups of ice.
Blend on high speed till smooth and creamy, add more ice if needed. You do not want the mixture super thick.

PRINT RECIPE

BLUEBERRY GIN & TONIC

July 13, 2019 Julie Sanchez

It is really hot here in Houston in July, so we need drinks that are super refreshing. So far this summer this Blueberry Gin & Tonic is my new “go to” drink. I tried this recipe with blackberries as well, but blackberries are more difficult to crush, and I do not always have them around. Since I eat blueberries every morning, they are always in my fridge. Most recipes call for boiling the blueberries with sugar. I do not need any extra sugar in my life. Muddling the blueberries, instead of boiling them, is a fresher and healthier approach in my opinion.

My favorite tonic is Fever Tree… I buy it at Whole Foods. You need fresh organic blueberries, gin and a fresh lime.

You can also add mint leaves to this recipe, along with the blueberries.

In a glass, add a small handful of blueberries (roughly 12-15). But actually there is no need to count the blueberries, there is no way to mess this recipe up. Squeeze 1/2 of a lime into the cup with the blueberries.

Now muddle your blueberries. I just bought my muddler at Williams Sonoma, it is made by OXO. If you do not have one than simply use a fork.

My muddled mixture.

Measure 3 ounces of gin into your glass.

Add the tonic to the mixture and stir.

Strain the mixture into a pourable measuring cup. Do not press the mixture in the strainer (simply let it drip), otherwise it will cloud your drink.

If you are a perfectionist you may strain the mixture once more, since little particles can slip through. I usually am too impatient for this second finer strainer step.

BLUEBERRY GIN & TONIC RECIPE

Serves: 1 person
Prep Time: 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS

small handful of blueberries
juice of 1/2 lime
3 ounces gin
6-7 ounces tonic

OPTIONAL INGREDIENT

Mint leaves

PREPARATION

Place a small handful of blueberries into a glass.
Squeeze the juice of 1/2 lime into the glass as well.
Muddle the blueberries till they are broken up and mushy.
Add 3 ounces of gin to the glass.
Add the bottle of tonic.
Stir to combine and strain into a pourable glass. Do not push the blueberry mixture through the strainer, let it drip by itself, so your liquid does not become cloudy.
Strain again for a finer filter.
Pour into a wine glass filled with ice.
Good luck having just one.

PRINT RECIPE

CUCUMBER MARTINIS

July 18, 2018 Julie Sanchez

I had my first cucumber martini in Newport Beach. It was love at first sip. I have tried to replicate it for years and have finally achieved a cucumber martini that is both refreshing, slightly tart, and perfect for a hot summer evening. A true classic martini is too strong for me, so my version contains 2 shots of alcohol per glass, which is not weak, but this way you can have 2 martinis which is exactly what we like to do.

We always prefer tequila over vodka, but either one is perfect for this recipe. You also need tajin, which is a common Mexican condiment made of chile peppers, lime powder, and salt. My hubby sprinkles it on jicama and cucumber, and it is used the rim the glasses of micheladas and bloody mary's. Its both tart and salty but not really spicy. Tajin really makes this drink special, so do not skip this step. I use a hothouse or what they call seedless cucumber (it always comes wrapped in plastic).

Cut the ends off the cucumber and peel the cucumber.

Cut the cucumber into chunks and place it in a blender with 1 cup of water.

Blend till totally smooth.

Strain the mixture into a container that can hold 3 cups. Do not stir or force the cucumber mixture in the sieve. Let it drip on its own for about 5 minutes into a container. If you force the mixture and press it into the sieve you will get pulp into your drink, you only want the liquid not the pulp. Discard the pulp left in the sieve.

Slice and squeeze enough lime juice in a separate glass to measure 1/3 cup. Save a lime half to wet the martini glass rim later.

Add 1 cup of tequila or vodka ( but not both ) to your cucumber liquid mixture.

Add 1 tablespoon agave to the mixture and stir till combined. Then taste for sweetness. We do not like things sweet, so you need to sample for your own taste, and add more if you prefer.

Get a flat plate and sprinkle tajin around in a circle. Rub your glass with the leftover lime half over the rim and dip the rim in the tajin. You can place your glasses in the freezer at this point if you choose.

You can find tajin at HEB in the produce isle, next to the guacamole, chips, and fresh juices. I prefer the low sodium tajin.

If you are having guests you can transfer the mixture into a nice container. Pour half the mixture (which makes 2 martinis) into a shaker, add 4 ice cubes, and shake for 30 seconds. Pour, relax, and enjoy!

CUCUMBER MARTINI RECIPE

Serves: makes 4 martinis (which means 2 people in my opinion)
Prep Time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

one hothouse cucumber, peeled and chopped roughly
1 cup water
1/3 cup lime juice, 2-3 limes
1 cup tequila or vodka
1 tablespoon agave, or more to taste
tajin salt

PREPARATION

Cut the ends off the cucumber and peel. Cut into rough chunks and throw into the blender with 1 cup of water.
Blend till smooth and pour into a strainer that is large enough to hold 3 cups of liquid. Set aside and let the liquid drip out, about 5 minutes. Do not try to push the mixture through the strainer or stir the mixture, because you will get little pieces of cucumber, and all you want is the juice. After 5 minutes discard the cucumber guts in the strainer.
Cut your limes and juice the limes. Save one lime half to wet the martini glasses later. Add the limes juice to the cucumber juice.
Measure 1 cup of tequila or vodka into the cucumber liquid.
Measure 1 tablespoon agave and add to the cucumber liquid, and stir to combine thoroughly. Taste for sweetness, add more agave if you like it sweeter.
Sprinkle the tajin salt in a circle on a flat plate. Use the lime half to wet the rim of the glass. Dip the glass into the tajin salt. At this point you can freeze the glasses if you prefer.
When ready to serve pour half the mixture into a shaker with a few cubes of ice and shake for at least 30 seconds to allow the mixture to cool. Pour into 2 glasses and enjoy. Repeat and enjoy some more.

PRINT RECIPE