Blueberry Basil Martini Pop ? Recipes & Photos - Creative Culinary ...

You might think that after my fiasco with making Raspberry Margarita Pops a couple of weeks ago that I would shy away from boozy popsicles; you know, the old ?fear of failure.? First of all?if a little failureThe truth is, the end result of that snafu was so delightful that I never felt I had failed, I just felt I had learned something. Sometimes too much of a good thing is simply too much and in that case it was tequila. I knew I was running that risk and so I?m ready to jump back on that horse?with someone else recipe!

I won?t deny?when I saw Sylvie at Gourmande in the Kitchen do a post giving away some cocktail books, I was all over it. I commented and tweeted and think I called her and offered my firstborn (she is 32; I guess I should have checked with her first?). Sadly I did not win any of those books but that frown was soon turned upside down. In a most generous gesture, Sylvia contacted me and asked if I would like to have contact info for the resource that gave her those books. In my most eloquent voice I?m sure I quickly said, ?Duh, yeah!?

It was painless; the synergy was evident and the company was generous so beyond the Blueberry Basil Martini Pop, take a look at these fabulous books?they could all be yours!

Slushed! (F+W Media, April 2012)

It was certainly an Aha! moment when I realized that I tweet with the author of this book, Jessie Cross (@thehungrymouse). Jesse actually suggested the blueberry pops when I mentioned I would love to make a popsicle for this post; it was such a great choice.? This book has sections for? ice pops, ice cream, gelato, frozen yogurt, semifreddo, granita, sorbet, ice cream sandwiches and milkshakes, all with their own tipsy bent.

There are so many fabulous recipes I could easily make one every day of the summer; while having an ice cream maker is necessary for some of the desserts, many have been developed needing only the cold of your freezer. Pops, granitas and sorbets are sometimes the most refreshing treat in the midst of the hottest part of summer and there is a great selection to keep you cooled off all summer long.

Although this book is not about making your own booze, the author, Natalie Bovis encourages readers to plant your own cocktail garden and use those fresh seasonal ingredients to infuse spirits and create homemade syrups and purees.? The book is filled with tips, tricks, and recipes for making extraordinary drinks with fresh ingredients.

Not just a book introducing you to the beauty of herbs, you?ll also learn about some unique infusions that include dairy and meat; sounds crazy but with titles like Smoked Bacon Washed Bourbon you?ll lose your skepticism as quickly as I did and get onboard. There is something for everyone from sweet to savory, from simple to more complicated and a great mix of cocktails using a wide variety of fruits, veggies and herbs.

I know some people might think this book is about me?but really, I put the booze into the foods more than my belly! The authors Stacy Laebs and Sherri Field?s offer us great recipes with a dose of humor. This book is divided into 4 sections dealing with Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Desserts. I already use alcohol in a lot of my cooking; not just wine in stews and sauces but I love bourbon and liqueurs in cakes and other desserts and this book is filled with with some great sweet and savory dishes. All of the recipes include a drink pairing with a toast, some tipsy trivia and a clever quote that often will tickle the funny bone.

This boozy popsicle is but one example of the fun you can have?you know you want it! Take a look after the recipe for the ways you can enter to win this trio of books.

Blueberry Basil Martini Pops for #FridayCocktails & Boozy Books #Giveaway

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 & 1/2 cups loosely packed basil leaves
• 4 cups fresh blueberries (I actually did not have enough fresh berries so supplemented with some frozen ones and it was fine)
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup vodka

Preparation

1. Combine the sugar and water together in a small pot. Bring to a boil over high heat just until the sugar dissolves. Add the basil and stir. Remove from heat, cover and let cool to room temperature.
2. Strain to remove the basil.
3. Puree the blueberries, lemon juice and basil syrup in a blender or food processor.
4. Strain the mixture through a strainer and mash the solids with a spoon to extracts as much juice as possible. Discard the solids (I like the solids so did not strain mine...it's all about personal preference).
5. Whisk in the vodka.
6. Fill your popsicle molds leaving 1/4" at the top. If inserting wooden sticks into your popsicles, let the mixture freeze for about 45 minutes before inserting the sticks so they won't sink to the bottom of the mold. Freeze overnight.
7. Unmold my rinsing warm water over the individual molds briefly until the popsicle easily slides out. Plate and stick back in the freezer for a few minutes.

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This recipe brought to you by ? Creative Culinary | A Food and Cocktail Blog | Website: www.creative-culinary.com

HOW TO ENTER:
Required Entry: For a chance to win leave a comment here. I?m wondering, is there one of these books that appeals to you more (or were you liked me and know you would love them all!)? The required entry must be done otherwise any extra entries will not count.

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Extra Entries (Not Required)

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PLEASE REMEMBER: Leave a separate comment for EACH of your entries or only one entry will be counted.

If you already follow me on Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest and/or already subscribe to Creative Culinary let me know as per above; each notice counts as an entry.
Giveaway starts on 7/20/12 and ends 7/27/12 at 11:59 pm PST.

Official Rules:
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One winner will be selected at random. I will email the winner and they will have up to 3 days to claim their prize or another winner will be selected.
The odds of winning are determined by the number of eligible entries received.
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Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of these books for the purposes of this review and all opinions are my own.? Links have been provided to purchase books; these are not affilliate links.

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