Laurie’s Cobalt World Blog

Last evening we hosted an informal cocktail tasting party. I invited a small group over to help us test some non-alcoholic cocktail recipes. It was a lot of fun.

You might ask why I wanted to focus on non-alcoholic cocktail recipes. The answer is simple. There are many sources for alcoholic cocktails and many of those recipes are tried and true.

There are fewer resources for non-alcoholic cocktails. But there are many people for whom an alcoholic cocktail is not an option or is not preferred. Consider the following:

1. Pregnant and nursing women
2. Recovering alcoholics
3. Those on medication not compatible with alcohol consumption
4. Those who know they don’t hold alcohol well (two drinks and it’s lampshade time)
5. Under 21’s
6. Those who have a religious belief about alcohol consumption
7. Those with medical conditions that are aggravated by alcohol consumption
8. Those who never learned to enjoy the flavor of alcohol

To prepare for the party, I researched recipes I wanted to try. I made my grocery list and stocked up on cream, grenadine syrup, cherries, cranberry juice, pineapple juice, lemon juice, lime juice, orange juice, passion fruit juice, peach nectar, lemon lime soda, strawberries, cream of coconut, and lots of ice.

Preparation was easy. I made some simple syrup ahead of time. We set out freshly popped corn, some pistachios, and chips. I arranged a bowl of oranges, lemons, and limes. The blender, shakers, glasses, strainer, and measuring implements were on hand. And I put all of the juices into ice chests so they would be at hand and so we wouldn’t be constantly opening and closing the refrigerator all evening.

I gave the guests a choice between some of my favorite cobalt blue cocktail glasses and a clear wine glass. Everyone chose the cobalt blue ones, of course. They were just so appealing. (By the way, I have some new margarita, wine, and martini glasses coming in soon. I can’t wait!)

I started out bartending, but luckily some of our guests enjoy the job as well, so no one person got stuck making drinks all evening.

The first cocktail was the Bobby Cocktail. It was an instant hit with all but one guest. No one could believe that she didn’t like it. But each to her own. The Bobby Cocktail is a cream and citrus beverage that reminds me of a fine lemon mousse.

Our second beverage of the evening was a non-alcoholic cosmopolitan. The reactions were pretty hilarious and none of them were good. You will not find that recipe listed here or on the Laurie’s Cobalt World website. It failed to please anyone. Some comments were, “Curls your toes,” and “Will grow hair on your chest.” Enough said.

The next cocktail - Unfuzzy Navel - was a huge success. Some guests noted at the end of the evening that it was their favorite. The flavor is very robust - nothing wimpy or watery about it. Peach and orange flavor comes first and you finish with a lovely pineapple aftertaste. You really want to try this one.

I especially liked the Alice Cocktail. Several guests thought that the cocktail was strawberry-based, but in actuality, there was no strawberry in it. It’s a creamy cocktail flavored with a generous portion of grenadine syrup, a pomegranate-flavored syrup.

I made an error that affected the next recipe. I put the cream of coconut into the ice chest with the juices. That caused the cream to congeal, making it a little difficult to use. I put the coconut cream and milk into the microwave and melted it enough to stir before using it. It was a pretty funny moment when we opened the can!

Luckily, my boo-boo didn’t affect the recipe at all. And the Virgin Strawberry Colada was another hit. This drink is a frozen cocktail. Make sure that you don’t make it too thick. Late in the evening, the drink was repeated (I told you it was a hit). But this time, it was too thick. When I tried to drink it, a lump of beverage broke loose all at once and I got it on my nose! Not elegant. Not at all.

We ran out of evening before we tried all of the recipes I had in mind. My family and I tried Safe Sex On the Beach - the cocktail by that name, that is. It was nice. It’s a good choice for someone who doesn’t like their cocktail too sweet but doesn’t care for too sour either.

• 1/4 cup peach nectar
• 1/3 cup cranberry juice
• 1/3 cup orange juice

Mix all ingredients and then pour over ice. Garnish with a cherry, if desired.

If you like to pucker up a bit, try the Yellow Jacket. We made this twice and adjusted the recipe the second time. It was much preferred in this version:

• 1/3 cup pineapple juice
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

Fill a shaker half full of cracked ice. Pour all ingredients into the shaker. Shake until the cocktail is very cold and the ice just begins to melt. Strain into two martini glasses and serve.

The last non-alcoholic cocktail recipe we tried is a Tequila Meadow. No, there’s no tequila in it, of course. It’s crisp and light, and sweet, but not overly sweet.

Tequila Meadow

• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup pineapple juice
• 1 T. cranberry juice
• 3/4 tsp. grenadine syrup
• 1/4 cup lemon-lime soda

Fill a shaker halfway with cracked ice. Add all ingredients except the soda. Shake well and strain into a glass. Add the soda and stir gently.

While it is fun to have formal parties, informal evenings can be so entertaining. I highly recommend getting some of your friends and family together to cook together, taste something together, or otherwise have a shared experience. It’s worth it.

Laurie

I really must be a slow mover - at least in some areas. I’ve been thinking about hosting an afternoon tea in honor of my mother for several years now. This year, I’m actually going to do it.

I am so excited about it. It will be held on Mother’s Day and the guests will include our local family.

Following the English example, this tea will include both male and female guests. We often think of matrons with floral dresses and large hats sipping tea, but teas were originally for everyone.

Before I go further, let me say that a tea need not be elaborate. Tea and cookies or tea and scones is enough. But I’ve decided on quite a bit more for this tea.

It will be a full tea and an afternoon tea, but not a high tea. I’m setting it at 5:00, about as late as you want to schedule an afternoon tea. Since there are other mothers on my guest list, I want to give them as much time as possible for their other Mother’s Day activities.

If this were a high tea, the menu would resemble a full meal much more.

Since it is a full tea, we will be having three courses: scones, tea sandwiches, and sweets.

I’ve decided to make apricot scones and I will serve them with homemade lemon curd, raspberry jam, and clotted cream.

Clotted cream is not available in my town, or even in the next town. But I do know a place in Winston-Salem, the closest city, where I can get it at a gourmet market.

I’ll probably be trying out my lemon curd recipes between now and then. The last time I made it, it was a little too tart for my taste. Once I’ve settled on the best one, I’ll post the recipe either here, in my newsletter, or on my website.

The next course will be tea sandwiches. I’ve decided on turkey with cranberry mustard and my favorite tea sandwiches. These tea sandwiches are cream cheese-based, a popular choice.

I first made these sandwiches in 1979. Since it wasn’t a tea, I made the sandwiches a little bit bigger than finger size. In fact, I used two different colors of bread (pumpernickel and rye, if I recall correctly) and made an alternating design.

First I froze the bread. Then I used a sturdy, sharp cookie cutter to cut the bread into decorative rounds. Using a smaller cookie cutter, I cut out a design in the middle of half of the slices. I believe it was a simple flower shape. I popped out the centers and switched them. Then I assembled the sandwiches using a solid bottom and a decorative top.

The filling is simple to make, but will get a lot of attention from your guests. It’s really good.

Favorite Tea Sandwich Filling Recipe

2 3-oz. packages of cream cheese, softened
1 oz. bleu cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 tsp. minced dried onion flakes
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup mayonnaise (not salad dressing)

Mix all ingredients well. Place in the refrigerator for several hours to blend flavors. Bring to room temperature before filling sandwiches. Lightly spread bread with a thin coat of butter before filling.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups of filling.

I’ll be able to make those sandwiches a day ahead of time, carefully wrap them airtight, and store them in the refrigerator until about 1/2 hour before serving time.

We’ll talk about the sweets, tea, flowers, invitations, and music another day.

Laurie

In less than two weeks, I’ll be sending out the first ever newsletter for Laurie’s Cobalt World. I’m very pleased with how it is turning out. I hope that you will take a minute or two to sign up for the newsletter.

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In each issue, I’ll have a feature article, recipe, tips, product spotlight, and a special offer only available to newsletter recipients. Topics will include entertaining, cooking, home decor, beverages, and more. I’ll keep it brief because I’m sure you are a busy person like me.

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The first recipe will be Rosemary Walnuts. They are absolutely delcious and always a bit hit with company and family alike.

But you’ll have to sign up for the newsletter to find out how to make them!

Laurie

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“Compote” seems to be a word not well known among the younger generations, but it is well worth holding onto. Compote is a very versatile and very delicious dish, either served alone or with other equally delicious offerings.Compote is a fruit dish, often served warm. Frequently it is a mixture of fruit rather than a single fruit, sweetened and perhaps flavored. Compote can be made sugar-free and/or fat-free. It can be made from dried fruit, fresh fruit, frozen fruit, or canned fruit. There are no hard-and-fast rules, but rather many choices and many successful combinations.

Compote can either be served as a dessert or as a side dish. For side dishes, think of less sweet mixtures of apples, pears, cranberries, or rhubarb. Pork and apple compote is a classic combination as is poultry with cranberry compote. I’ve even seen onion compote recipes for hamburgers.

I generally think of compote as dessert or as part of a sweet breakfast entrée. At least those are my favorites!

The compote can be the main part of the dessert or can be used as a topping for ice cream, panna cottas, angel food cake, pancakes or blintzes, shortcake, biscuits, or cheesecake.

Dessert compotes may be topped with ice cream, served with cookies, or served alone in an elegant compote dish (footed serving dish) for a simple, but stunning dessert.

Dessert compotes generally all have the same basic ingredients:

• Fruit or a mixture of fruit, about 3 cups
• Liquid such as water, wine, or juice, about ½ cup (more for dried fruit)
• Flavorings such as lemon zest, vanilla extract, nutmeg, cinnamon, or liquor
• Sweeteners such as sugar, maple syrup, sugar substitutes*, molasses, brown sugar, between ½ and 1 cup
• Butter (optional, but delicious), 2 to 3 tablespoons
• Pinch salt *If using a sugar substitute, you may need to add a thickener such as cornstarch with the liquid to tighten up the compote. In sugared recipes, the syrup is often cooked until it thickens. Sugar substitutes lack that quality. 

Some compotes are baked, but most are cooked in a saucepan for about 15 minutes. The entire preparation of warm compote can easily be less than ½ hour.

To make compote, first mix your liquid, sweetener, and flavorings (save vanilla extract until the end, if you are using). Cook for about five minutes until the syrup begins to thicken. If you are using fruits that take different amounts of time to cook, add them in order from the longest cooking to the shortest. Apples, pears, dried fruits, and firmer fruits should be added first. Peaches, canned fruit, plums, apricots, and softer fruits should go next. Berries, especially raspberries, should be added near the end as the firmer fruits are nearly softened.

Add butter, stir, and serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Brainstorm combinations. Do you like apples, raisins, and cranberries together? How about mixed berries? Summer fruits? Dried fruits? Oranges and cranberries?

Match flavorings with fruits: cinnamon or vanilla for apples, nutmeg for blueberries or peaches, lemon with berries.

And if you are not feeling that adventuresome, try this favorite compote recipe of mine:

• ½ cup water
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• dash salt
• 1 lb. bag of frozen mixed berries (about 3 cups)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• vanilla bean ice cream

Mix the water, sugar, lemon zest, and dash of salt in a saucepan. Cook over medium high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Boil for five minutes. Add the berries and stir gently. Bring to a full boil again, reduce heat, and simmer for two minutes.Remove from heat, add butter, and stir. Cool to room temperature or chill. The compote thickens as it cools.

* * * * *

 Serve in individual dessert cups. Top with vanilla ice cream just as you serve the compote.

Laurie