Fragrant Vanilla Cake

Tag: tequila

  • Raspberry Jalapeno Margarita

    Raspberry Jalapeno Margarita

    The first food item that I had made that I shared with my boyfriend Eric wasn’t a dessert, it was my habanero hot sauce.  One of the first things that we discovered about each other was our love for spicy food.  He is from Arizona, so that is understandable, but I am not the typical Minnesota mild black pepper is spicy type of person.  I love habaneros, and pretty much all hot peppers, and so does he. We both used to make hot sauces and see who’s could be the hottest and share them with each other.  I don’t always have time to make hot sauce now, but I still buy hot peppers and use them in recipes all the time.  They aren’t just for chili and tacos though, I found a recipe for a jalapeno infused tequila and decided to make some.  Why not?!  I knew it would be put to good use.  There used to be a drink at a restaurant I went to back in the day that is now closed that had a drink with a 7 pepper infused vodka that was amazing and spicy, so I thought this would be similar.

    When I go to restaurants now, I really do appreciate seeing specialty cocktails on the menu that are artfully crafted with flavors you wouldn’t expect together. Also, I get ideas for things to make at home.  I decided to use my jalapeno tequila to make a raspberry jalapeno margarita.  The sweetness with the spicy peppers sounded perfect!  I do love hot peppers with fruit!  This had a few more ingredients though than just the raspberries and jalapeno vodka. I decided to add some fresh mint that I had on hand, plenty of lime juice and a sweet vanilla syrup.

    It turned out so incredibly good!  Perfectly balanced tart and sweet with a slight kick and the fresh aroma of mint.  This is the perfect way to end a work week, which is why I made it.  Making your own fancy cocktails at home is so worth it!  If you are a fan of things with a little spice, give this recipe a try!  It would be perfect to serve with tacos!

    Raspberry Jalapeno Margarita
    Makes 1

    Ingredients:

    • 6 large ice cubes
    • 4 fresh mint leaves
    • 4 oz jalapeno infused tequila (recipe here)
    • 2 oz raspberry puree
    • 1 oz fresh lime juice
    • 1 1/2 oz vanilla syrup*
    • ice for serving

     

    Directions:

    1. To make drink, in a martini shaker add the ice and the mint and muddle the mint with the ice until fragrant and crushed up a bit.
    2. Next, add the tequila, berries, lime juice, vanilla syrup, and place top on shaker.
    3. Shake until well blended.
    4. Pour the drink through a strainer into the prepared glass (with some ice in it if you prefer your drink on the rocks), and serve!

     

    *Vanilla syrup

    • 1/4 cup maple syrup
    • 1/4 cup filtered water
    • 1 vanilla bean pod, split lengthwise

     

    Combine all ingredients in a jar, put the lid on and shake to dissolve syrup. Let sit at least a day to infuse, then strain to vanilla bean pod. Store in the fridge for up to a month.

  • Vegan Strawberry Margarita Pie

    Vegan Strawberry Margarita Pie

    I am not used to the humidity here yet.  We basically went from Winter (18 inches of snow) to Spring for a few weeks right into hot Summer weather.   I really prefer moderate weather like 45 degrees in the morning and a high of 70 degrees or lower in the afternoon which is why I love early Fall so much.  I still go out and run though, and I ask myself why I am doing it half way through.  It is character building for sure, and I never quit.  Last Friday I was 6 miles into my 7 mile run and feeling way too hot and sweaty when I thought to myself, a cool strawberry margarita pie sounds amazing!  So I made up my mind that I had to finish the run, and make one later that day after work.  I ended up finishing my run a minute faster than I had been so that made up for being uncomfortable.  It ended up being kind of a butt kicking stressful day, work was really busy, and I found out my website was not working so I had to make phone calls to get help fixing it when I got home instead of relaxing.  So, I really needed to make that pie to unwind and calm myself afterwards.  I find making desserts relaxing.  And, why not a dreamy strawberry pie with lime and tequila?!

    I had envisioned a creamy strawberry lime filling laced with tequila and swirled with a strawberry puree.  Served nice and cold of course.  The perfect thing to make when it was 90 degrees and I didn’t want to heat up the oven.  I used a mixture of coconut milk, coconut butter, cashew butter to create a creamy base, and added plenty of strawberries, lime and tequila to make it a margarita pie.  The filling was luscious and sooo good even before it was ready to be spooned into the pie.

    Kind of like ice cream, only not as cold. For the crust, I made a simple no bake crust with quinoa flakes, coconut, almond meal, and dates and it was perfect!  Simple, so that the filling could shine. Once the filling was all chilled, I swirled a sweet raspberry puree into it and it was so good!   The pie turned out fabulous!  It tastes like Summer, and it is perfect for when you want to indulge but not heat up the house.   Also, it is perfect for unwinding after a stressful week.  I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday weekend!

    Vegan Strawberry Margarita Pie

    Make 1 8 inch pie

    Crust:

    • 1 cup quinoa flakes, or rolled oats if you don’t mind it not being gluten free
    • ½ cup finely shredded, dried coconut
    • ½ cup almond meal
    • ½ cup pitted medjool dates, soaked in filtered water and drained well if they are not soft
    • ¼ tsp sea salt

     

    Filling:

    • 1 15 oz can full fat coconut milk (you want the kind that has mostly cream, at least ¾ of the can)
    • ½ cup raw cashew butter
    • 1 cup fresh organic strawberries
    • 1/3 cup maple syrup
    • ¼ cup lime juice
    • 1 Tbsp organic lime zest
    • 3 Tbsp tequila (make sure it is vegan on Barnivore)
    • ¼ tsp sea salt
    • 1 cup coconut butter, warmed to liquid

     

    Swirl:

    • ¾ cup fresh organic strawberries
    • 2 tsp maple syrup
    • 1 tsp chia seeds
    • Pinch sea salt

     

    Instructions:

    1. To make the crust, combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until fine crumbs that hold together when squeezed.  Press into the bottom of an 8 inch removable bottom tart pan or oiled pie plate.  Set aside in the freezer.
    2. To make the filling, combine all ingredients but the coconut butter in a high speed blender and blend until smooth.  Add the coconut butter and blend until combined.  Pour into a bowl, and chill in the freezer until it thickens to the consistency of whipped cream (you want to whisk it occasionally so it chills evenly).
    3. Meanwhile, for the swirl, blend the ¾ cup strawberries, maple syrup, chia seeds, and sea salt in a blender until smooth and set aside.
    4. Once the filling has thickened, spread half into the pie crust (it will be mounded) then drop half of the strawberry puree over that and swirl it with a knife.  Spoon the remaining filling over that, then drop more of the swirl over it by the tsp, and swirl with a knife.
    5. Place back in the freezer to chill until firm enough to cut, a few hours.
    6. Remove from the freezer, garnish with berries and lime, and serve!

     

     

     

  • Avocado Lime Margaritas

    Avocado Lime Margaritas

    Since it is Cinco de Mayo, I thought it would be the perfect day to share some margaritas with you!  No, not those cheap ones with all of the sugar and artificial color and stuff that you get in many restaurants, some quality margaritas with healthy ingredients that won’t make you feel gross after drinking them.  I do love a good margarita, but it has to be made with real fruit and quality liquor.  I only order them in restaurants when they fit those qualifications.  Of course just a good old fashioned one with lime, orange and tequila is awesome, but I have had some pretty amazing ones with unusual flavors.  For my 21st birthday I had a passion fruit one and it was sooo good. I also had an awesome carrot margarita in New Orleans a few years back (that I later recreated at home and you can find it here).  But one that I have been wanting to try making is an avocado margarita.  I had seen a recipe for one a while back and I said to myself I need to make my own version. Well, yesterday was perfect timing.  So, I got the ingredients for it, and made some avocado lime margaritas after work.

    The perfect think to relax with on a Friday right?!  It is really pretty simple to make, you just blend up the ingredients in a blender, and pour them over ice.  Of course I used avocado for the base, but it needed some other add ins to taste margarita worthy.  So I added in some fresh lime juice for that classic tartness, and some orange juice instead of the orange liqueur that is usually in margaritas.  I added a little maple syrup, and a touch of chipotle pepper for  kick, and the base was super delicious!  Once I added in the silver tequila it was perfect!

    I like cocktails that are made with coconut milk, because they are super silky, and this had that same quality, but it was even more refreshing.  The bright citrus flavor, that touch of sweetness from the maple syrup and the dash of spicy chipotle had married together well and it was smooth going down.  If you are an avocado lover like me, and you are always looking for new recipes to use them in, give these a try.  Or even if you aren’t a giant avocado fan, this just tastes like a creamy and delicious drink, kind of like creamy key lime pie but with orange, so you might still love it too!  Do yourself a favor and make these!

    Avocado Lime Margaritas
    Makes 2

    Ingredients:

    • handful of ice cubes
    • 1 medium avocado, pitted and diced
    • 1 cup tequila blanco or silver tequila (be sure to check Barnivore to make sure it is vegan)
    • 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
    • 1 cup fresh orange juice
    • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1/8 tsp chipotle powder (optional)
    • ice for serving
    • lime slices for serving

     

    Directions:

    1. To make drink, combine all ingredients but the serving ice and lime slices in a blender and blend briefly until smooth.
    2. Place about 1/3 cup ice into 2 serving glasses.
    3. Pour the mixture into the prepared glasses, garnish with lime and serve!

     

     

  • Cherry Lemon Mint Margarita

    Cherry Lemon Mint Margarita

    I don’t know about you, but I love a good margarita in the Summer.  To me, a good margarita is not one of those ones you can buy at restaurants made with a mix in some electric bright color and full of refined sugar.  To me, a good one is made with fresh, real ingredients like real fruit.  One of the best margaritas I ever had was actually one made with real carrot and orange juice.  Sounds unusual but it was so good, and worked so well with the tequila!  Although I like the traditional lime and citrus margarita I like to think outside the box sometimes and use whatever fruit I have on hand and see if it works.  Last weekend that was cherries.

    There is nothing like fresh cherries.  Sweet, juicy and delicious!  When I was a kid I thought I hated cherries, but it was only because I had only been exposed to the canned ones or maraschino variety in syrup.  I have never been a fan of either.  They just taste weird to me, or maybe it is that fake color that turns me off as well.  Anyways, when I finally tried real cherries fresh from the store when I was in college, I was pleasantly surprised and I have been buying them ever since when they come into season.  They are sort of special here.  Which brings me back to that margarita.  I had bought some cherries, and decided they would go great with tequila.

    I used lemon instead of lime in this margarita since that was what I had on hand, and I also included some fresh mint to make it even more cooling and Summery. Lastly, since I don’t usually use sweetened liqueurs, I added some vanilla maple syrup to this instead.  It may sound like a sort of different combination, but it was super refreshing, delicious and classy.  This is like something you would get at an upscale bar and pay $12 for.  Next time you are in the mood for a good margarita, give this a try!

    Cherry Lemon Mint Margarita
    Makes 1

    Ingredients:

    • 6 large ice cubes
    • 4 good sized fresh mint leaves
    • 4 oz tequila blanco
    • 2 oz cherry puree
    • 1 oz fresh lemon juice
    • 1 1/2 oz vanilla syrup*
    • ice for serving

     

    Directions:

    1. To make drink, in a martini shaker add the ice, then muddle the mint with the ice until crushed.  Add the tequila, cherries, lemon juice, vanilla syrup, and place top on shaker.
    2. Shake until well blended.
    3. Pour the drink through a strainer into the prepared glass (with some ice in it if you prefer your drink on the rocks), garnish with mint leaves, and serve!

     

    *Vanilla syrup

    • 1/4 cup maple syrup
    • 1/4 cup filtered water
    • 1 vanilla bean pod, split lengthwise

     

    Combine all ingredients in a jar, put the lid on and shake to dissolve syrup. Let sit at least a day to infuse, then strain to vanilla bean pod. Store in the fridge for up to a month.