Ignite Your Passion for Valentine's Day Cocktails with Passionfruit Bubbly and Boozy Gummies!

Searching for some fresh and simple ways to turn up the heat with your Valentine on Cupid’s favorite day? We’ve got tantalizing tastes that will transform your average bubbly, turn kid candies into tempting adult treats, leave your favorite crush lovestruck, and seduce you into finishing every last piece. 

PASSIONFRUIT BUBBLY

In this super easy but sensuous cocktail, I poured one tablespoon of Liber & Co’s Tropical Passionfruit Syrup into a champagne flute, added bubbly, and graced with a raspberry. The natural punch of tart Peruvian passion fruit shines through, and a touch of gum arabic provides a silky, luxurious mouthfeel.

What will you do with any leftovers after the day of love? This tropical simple syrup is a perfect complement for rum-based cocktails. Whiskey can go tiki, too, when mixed with passion fruit syrup, a little Grand Marnier, and a squeeze of fresh lemon. In the kitchen, drizzle over vanilla ice cream or toss with fresh fruit.

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Woo your heart throb or star-crossed lover with concoctions that are easy, fun, and unexpected!

Inspired by the “boozy gummy candies” playfully gracing the cover of a recent Bon Appétit, I decided to experiment with a couple of my favorite items for The Savory Pantry’s cocktail shop—Liber & Co.’s Fiery Ginger Syrup and Pink House Alchemy's Cardamom Simple Syrup—using versatile vodka to boozify both. I will definitely be making these again as they were stars among dinner party guests and potential combinations are practically unlimited. Gummies will keep for several days, so in the unlikely event that you have leftovers, you can continue to enjoy them.

Flaming Hearts Fiery Ginger Boozy Gummies

• 3 Cups Fresh-Squeezed OJ
• 1 and ½ Cups Vodka
• Juice of ½ Lemon
• ½ Bottle Liber & Co. Fiery Ginger Syrup
• 3 Packets Unflavored Gelatin

DIRECTIONS: Combine orange juice, lemon juice, vodka, and ginger syrup in a small saucepan. Sprinkle gelatin as evenly as possible into the mixture and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes, allowing gelatin to soften. Turn stove on and cook over medium to medium-low, being careful not to allow mixture to boil. (Getting that vodka in your nostrils!?) Simmer until no gelatin granules are visible and any gelatin clumps are fully dissolved (around 5 minutes). Pour into an 11x7 glass casserole. Chill for at least two hours. Cut with cookie cutter just prior to serving. If desired, sprinkle with sugar just prior to serving.

Notes from Erin: Read my “Meet the Maker” interview with Robert Higginbotham of Austin, Texas-based Liber & Co to learn more about how Liber got its start making world-class cocktail mixers with premium ingredients and none of the yucky stuff. Also, say sooie for our “Fiery Rasperback Cocktail,” perfect for Arkansas Razorbacks tailgating.

 

Star-Crossed Lovers Cardamom Boozy Gummies

• ¾ Jar of Pink House Alchemy Cardamom Simple Syrup
• 1 Cup Vodka

DIRECTIONS: Combine cardamom syrup and vodka in a small saucepan. Sprinkle gelatin as evenly as possible into the mixture and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes, allowing gelatin to soften. Turn stove on and cook over medium to medium-low, being very careful not to allow to boil. Simmer until no gelatin granules are visible and any gelatin clumps are fully dissolved (around 5 minutes). Pour into glass casserole (I used round pie dish). Chill for at least two hours. Cut just prior to serving. Sprinkle with silver sugar just prior to serving.

Notes from Erin: Read my “Meet the Maker” interview with Emily Lawson of Fayetteville, Arkansas-based Pink House Alchemy to learn more about the beginnings of incredible maker of simple syrups, shrubs, and bitters. 

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Don't want to linger in the kitchen this V-Day but still want to give your Romeo or Juliet some tastes to remember?

A Bite of Chocolate Gift Box, $53

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Prestat Coronation Sea Salt Caramel Thins, $23

Arkansas Artisan Sweets Gift, $62

Melt-in-your-mouth Marinated Goat Cheese

It's my favorite time of year at The Savory Pantry . . . the new harvest of Grove 45 Extra Virgin Olive Oil is in! I love experimenting with unique ways to use this exceptional oil. Keeley personally knows the growers, Nena Talcott and Bonnie Storm, who plant, grow, harvest, bottle and even hand-label each bottle of Grove 45 in California. A couple of years ago we developed our Extra Virgin Chocolate Sorbet, which I have made for family and friends to much acclaim! 

This year's recipe was inspired by grilled Halloumi cheese I often order at Zorba's, my favorite Greek restaurant here in Baton Rouge. Halloumi is a sheep's milk cheese traditionally from the Greek island of Cyprus, and has a high melting point that makes it uniquely grillable. The cheese itself is wonderful of course, but the pool of olive oil that it is served with is the real star. Halloumi isn't easy to find in stores, so I decided to substitute it with goat cheese that I did not grill. 

Marinated Goat Cheese

• Grove 45 Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or your favorite high-quality extra virgin oil)
• goat cheese
• dried bay leaves
• fresh rosemary
• cracked peppercorns

1. Slice goat cheese into 1/4" thick rounds. I warmed my knife under hot water and dried it with a towel before slicing.  
2. Start with an empty mason jar or air-tight container of your choice. I put a couple of bay leaves and a spring of rosemary in the bottom, and topped with a thin layer of olive oil and cracked pepper.
3. Next, add a round of goat cheese, more herbs, more pepper, and drizzle with oil.  Continue layering and top off with an extra "glug" of oil.
4. Allow to marinate at room temperature for an hour or so, then refrigerate overnight.
5. Remove from the fridge and pour everything onto a plate for an instant presentation.  
6. Serve chilled or allow to come to room temperature. Enjoy with crackers, warm crusty bread or pita.

Notes:

• Some similar recipes online mention issues with the olive oil solidifying in the refrigerator, due to some olive oils being diluted with lesser quality oils. I am happy to report that the Grove 45 oil did not solidify and was just as viscous after refrigerating!  
• After marinating, the cheese has a more spreadable texture and is less crumbly than a typical goat cheese.  
• Vary this recipe with your favorite fresh herbs.  I used what I had in my garden and pantry!

Recipe: Chocolate Truffles with Aromatic Bitters

• 1/2 pound good bittersweet chocolate
• 1/2 pound good semisweet chocolate
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon brewed coffee, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon bitters (I used Pink House Alchemy Sarsaparilla Bitters)
• Confectioners' sugar and/or
• Cocoa powder and/or
• Pecans finely chopped in a food processor

1. Chop chocolate very finely and place in large mixing bowl.
2. Bring cream to a boil. As soon as it is boiling, remove from heat.  Wait 20 seconds and pour through a mesh, over the chopped chocolate.
3. With a whisk, blend the chocolate and cream until smooth.  
4. Whisk in coffee and bitters. Allow the mixture to come to room temperature for 1 hour.
5. Scoop teaspoon-sized portions onto a baking tray lined with a Silpat or parchment.  Refrigerate the scooped portions for 30 minutes to an hour.
6. Remove from the fridge and roll each portion in your hands to create a ball. (They won't be perfect spheres, don't fret!)
7. Roll each ball in confectioners sugar, cocoa powder, or finely chopped nuts.
8. Store truffles in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Serve at room temperature.

Makes 40-60 truffles, depending on size.

Creative Notes:  

• This is a messy process and you will get chocolate all over your hands!  Which also makes it fun. You might try working with disposable plastic gloves.

• Good to roll up a couple of truffles at a time and coat them in coating of your choice while they are still sticky from the warmth of your hands.

• Research reveals that anything above 60% cocoa is considered semi-sweet and anything above 70% cocoa content is considered bittersweet. This is helpful when selecting The Savory Pantry’s specialty chocolate bars that meet these criteria.  

• Choose all bittersweet or all semi-sweet, depending on taste preference.

• A melon baller would work well for scooping the initial portions of chocolate that will later become truffles… the closer you can get them to round in the portioning, the easier your job will be when it comes time to roll them in your hands.

A Note from Amy: I live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where humidity must be taken into consideration when making truffles and other recipes that require setting or cooling, as humidity prolongs the setting-up process. The light went off inspiring this recipe after trying the Prestat Truffles Keeley carries at The Savory Pantry, and wanting to try my hand at them. I’d heard bitters could be substituted when vanilla extract was called for. I received some bitters as part of a cocktail gift from Keeley when my husband and I were married last May and I was excited to branch out from using them in Old Fashioneds. I provide graphic design for The Savory Pantry, and maintain it’s Facebook and Pinterest pages.

Roundup: The Best of Summer Picnics

With abundant warm weather on the horizon, we're getting into the spirit with picnic inspirations.  Stay tuned this week for picnic packing tips as well as recipes to make your spread memorable and delicious.  Most all of the items in our pantry are "open and eat" so they are perfect for packing in your basket with no worries.

Roundup: National Salad Month

May is National Salad month and at The Savory Pantry, we are celebrating with recipes and ingredients to enhance our favorite salad recipes.  With summer just around the corner, some of our favorite fruits and veggies are ripened and ready for the spotlight! We've rounded up a few of our favorite salads to share.  Stay tuned the rest of this week for original recipes and our recommendations for the best olive oils and vinegars to bring your greens to life!