Sugar Plum Cocktail on a Snowy Day
How does the classic Christmas poem by Clement Clarke Moore go? Ah yes:
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads
I think the modern version goes something like this: Enjoy a few of these delightful concoctions and you just might have visions and dance on the bed in your stocking feet with your new BFF Nicky.
This is a seriously delicious cocktail that is just unusual enough to get your attention, and exciting enough to request a refill.
Planning any parties this festive holiday season? The Sugar Plum Cocktail would be an excellent choice of refreshment to treat your nearest and dearest.
Bar chef Ilise was forward-thinking enough in September to make plum-infused simple syrup and freeze it into ice cubes for easy use all year round. (This method works well with many different fruits and fresh herbs.) But for the rest of us who would never plan that far ahead (sheepishly raises hand) she has included an option to use plum jam instead. It’s just as delicious.
Let’s have some appropriate tunage to accompany the photos and recipe, shall we? We shall.
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As a wee person I danced in The Nutcracker, and as a young theatre professional I worked on the tech crew for countless performances of The Nutcracker, so you can say that I’ve heard The Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy more than a few times. This version here – by Take 6 – is one of my favorites. Give a listen and let me know what you think!
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Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.
| Printable Recipe- Sugar Plum Cocktail |
The Sugar Plum Cocktail
Recipe by Ilise Goldberg
Yield: One cocktail
INGREDIENTS:
DIRECTIONS:
Note: This recipe was originally made after I had made a big batch of plum simple syrup in early fall. If you want to make this recipe and don’t have any plum simple syrup handy or it’s not plum season, use plum jam/preserves instead.
Plum Simple Syrup:
Recipe by Ilise Goldberg
Yield: One cocktail
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 1/2 oz Vodka
- 1 1/2 oz Plum Simple Syrup (or plum jam)
- 1/4 oz St. Germaine Liqueur
- 1/4 oz Ginger Liqueur such as Domaine de Canton
- 1/4 oz Lemon Juice
- Colored sugar to rim the martini glasses (purple if you can find it, regular sugar works too)
- Sugar plums* for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
- In a cocktail shaker combine all ingredients with ice. Shake well.
- Strain into chilled martini glass rimmed with sugar.
- Garnish with sugar plums.
- In the non-holiday season just garnish with a fresh plum wedge and no need to rim the martini glass with sugar (unless you want to).
Note: This recipe was originally made after I had made a big batch of plum simple syrup in early fall. If you want to make this recipe and don’t have any plum simple syrup handy or it’s not plum season, use plum jam/preserves instead.
Plum Simple Syrup:
- 2 pound plums cut in quarters (any variety or a combination of varieties)
- 1 Cup of Water
- 1/2 Cup of Sugar
- Combine the water and sugar in a pan over high heat until the sugar dissolves.
- Add the plum chunks and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
- Once the fruit is nice and tender use a potato masher and mash the fruit to release as much juice as possible.
- Remove the mixture from heat and allow it to cool completely.
- Strain the syrup into a container, and store it for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
- If making far in advance the simple syrup freezes well.
Cheers!
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