Month: February 2018

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Smirnoff Cocktails to sweeten up Valentine’s Day

 

What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with a lovely cocktail or two with your sweetie or best pal?  These cocktails are made with Smirnoff vodka and are just as pretty as they are delicious, no matter who you’re spending this special day with!

Hibiscus Crush

The first cocktail is a “Hibiscus Punch”, that is bound to make any Galentine’s get-together a little less sour and a little more sweet. Made with Smirnoff No. 21, this is a quality recipe that won’t break the bank!

Hibiscus Crush

  • 16 ounces Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka (2 cups)
  • 1/2 cup dried hibiscus flowers
  • 1 cups water
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 ounce triple sec
  • 32 ounces lemon lime soda
  • 1 lemon- sliced
  • 1 lime-sliced
  • 1 orange- sliced
  • 4 cups crushed ice

Place hibiscus, water and sugar in a small pot to simmer over the stove for 5 minutes.  Once sugar is dissolved, set aside to cool. Strain. Place vodka, triple sec, soda and sliced citrus in a punch bowl or beverage container. Add hibiscus infusion. Stir. Right before quests arrive add 4 cups crushed ice.

Hibiscus Crush 04
Hibiscus Crush
Hibiscus Crush 05
Hibiscus Crush 02

Secret Admirer

The “Secret Admirer” is the perfect cocktail to serve up for your date night, which features Smirnoff’s most popular flavor, Smirnoff Raspberry.

Secret Admirer 

  • 4 ounces Smirnoff Raspberry
  • 1.5 ounces Chartreuse
  • 6 fresh raspberries

Place all ingredients in shaker with ice. Shake well. Strain into two vintage martini glasses. Garnish with fresh raspberries. You could sugar the rim for extra sweetness.

Secret Admirer
Secret Admirer 05
Secret Admirer 02
Secret Admirer 04

Be sure to check out Smirnoff’s Facebook page and Twitter page for more great cocktail ideas and recipes!

Recipes and Photos – Courtesy of Sylvia Fountaine of Feasting at Home

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Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake w/ Strawberry Balsamic Chocolate Sauce

Blood Orange Cake w/ Strawberry Sauce

It’s that love-ly time of year again folks, when love is in the air and a romantic dinner and evening in with your significant other is on the menu. And we all know what Valentine’s Day is all about…wine, chocolate, strawberries and a special sweet dessert!

I created this recipe for a Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake with Strawberry Chocolate Balsamic Sauce that will impress your sweetie and top off a romantic dinner along with a glass of champagne..hope you enjoy and indulge on this special day 😉

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Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake w/ Strawberry Balsamic Chocolate Sauce

Yield: 4-6

A LOVELY dessert made with Blood Orange olive oil and Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar and fresh strawberries and LOTS OF LOVE <3

Ingredients

  • BLOOD ORANGE OLIVE OIL CAKE:
  • 1 tablespoon butter, for greasing pan
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup Seven Barrels Blood Orange Olive Oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Juice from 1 blood orange
  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • CHOCOLATE BALSAMIC STRAWBERRY SAUCE:
  • ½ cup Seven Barrels Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1 cup chocolate syrup
  • 1 pint strawberries, stemmed and sliced

Instructions

  1. BLOOD ORANGE OLIVE OIL CAKE:
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan or 8-inch loaf pan with butter.
  3. In a stand mixer or large bowl with hand mixer, mix together the sugar and eggs on medium speed until lightly blended.
  4. Drizzle in the Seven Barrels Blood Orange olive oil and vanilla and mix together until smooth. Add the blood orange juice in and mix into the batter.
  5. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and add baking powder, soda and salt. Add to the wet batter in small increments and mix on low to incorporate. Scrape the sides with a spatula and make sure all wet and dry ingredients are blended well.
  6. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. Let the cake cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes or so, then remove cake from the pan and let cool completely on the wire rack before serving.
  7. CHOCOLATE BALSAMIC STRAWBERRY SAUCE:
  8. Add the Seven Barrels Chocolate Balsamic vinegar and chocolate syrup to a medium saucepan over medium-low heat and cook for about 5 minutes until heated through and blended.
  9. Add the sliced strawberries to the chocolate sauce and mix together. Serve the sauce warm over Blood Orange Olive Oil cake or over ice cream.
https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2018/02/blood-orange-olive-oil-cake-w-strawberry-balsamic-chocolate-sauce/

You can find the Blood Orange Olive Oil and Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar at www.7barrels.com

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