I spent part of the afternoon with my lovely friend, Melissa, making these delicious (non-alcoholic) summer spritzers! It didn't take very long at all to whip these babies up. I'm very impatient when it comes to cooking and preparing food/drinks.. so making recipes easier and quicker is something I love to do! So here's what you will need......
2 oranges
2 lemons
4 (4-inch) fresh rosemary sprigs
3/4 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of honey
Ice
Soda water
Several mint leaves
* You'll also need a few extra rosemary sprigs for garnish.
1.) Peel off thick strips of zest from 1 lemon. Cut a couple slices of lemon and 1 slice of orange and set aside (for garnish).
2.) Juice the lemons and oranges into a measuring cup...you should have about 1 cup of juice altogether. Top it off with water if you don't quite have a cup's worth. (I squeezed the fruit over a small strainer to keep the seeds and pulp out.)
3.) Combine zest pieces, juice, rosemary sprigs, sugar, and honey in a saucepan over medium heat (bring to a boil).
4.) Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly to help dissolve sugars.
5.) Remove from heat and let sit for 10 mins. then strain, remove solids, and let the syrup cool completely (about 10minutes).
To serve:
1.) Fill an 8-ounce glass halfway with ice cubes.
2.) Add 3 tablespoons of syrup, fill the rest of the glass with soda water. Add 4-5 mint leaves and stir.
3.) Drop a lemon slice and rosemary sprigs in each glass. Cut the orange slice in half and garnish each glass.
We made 2 drinks with this recipe, but there was enough syrup to make several more. You'll want to buy more fruit (for garnish), if you plan on making more. The syrup lasts about a week when refrigerated. And if you're feeling frisky: Add a splash of vodka or rum!
For other recipes and more, visit my blog - ART of the HEART
please do go and check out amy's blog - it's simply sensational.
