Raspberry Lemonade Macorons

Hello, lovelies!

Macarons (or "mac-ah-rhons" as said in my terrible french accent) are ridiculously popular right now. That is a-ok with me. I've got to say, these are a fairly intimidating cookie to make, and I've had my share of fails... but when you finally get it, it is SOOOOOO worth it! I literally burnt the first batch that came out with "feet" because I was so excited I felt the need to dance around my kitchen. I totally forgot that I hadn't taken them out of the oven. Whoops.

Oh well. Now that I've gotten that litte thrill out of the way, I feel fairly capable of making these adorable little treats. Hopefully after my fails (which have led to quite a bit of new found wisdom) I will be able to steer you a little clearer. Be sure to fully read through this recipe and watch the video before starting, and you should be fine. Should be... (even if they don't turn out with fancy little feet, they still taste pretty damned good!)

"citrus"-cello

One of my favorite drinks is limoncello over ice. It's an amazing lemony liqueur that will always remind me of the summer after high school when I went to Italy.
Loving to experiment, I decided to expand the citrus fruits used in the drink to all of my favorites. What I've created may well be my favorite drink ever. I've had it alone (and it really doesn't need anything but ice), as a mixer, and drizzled over cakes to keep them extra moist. I think I'm in love.


Ingredients:

•1 lemon
•2 mandarin oranges (or clementines... The mandarins don't have pips)
•1 pink grapefruit
•750ml vodka
•1 C water
•1 C sugar

Ok, so, this is pretty simple, you just need time. This recipe takes about 3 days and a dew supplies. I like to keep old wine bottles for this project. (you'll need about two) They're pretty and you can just use a cork to seal them.


First, zest all of your fruit and place in a really big jar. You can use a big pitcher too. Pour all of your vodka over the zest. Stir and cover. You can leave this on the counter, just avoid direct light.
Next, take your citrus and juice them. Set the juice in the fridge until day 3.
3 days later... Ok, now it's time to make a simple syrup. As the name implies, it's seriously simple. Take equal parts (1 cup each) sugar and water and put in a small pot over med heat. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat and let cool completely.
Once the syrup has cooled, it's time to combine everything. Strain out the zest from the vodka. Stir in the juice and syrup.
Bottle you're delish beverage in your clean, empty wine bottles. It's best enjoyed cold, so keep her in the fridge and enjoy!

The Aaglaia

Drink time! I like my cocktails. I specifically love gin based drinks and citrus. I made this twist on a classic gin drink after making some awesome homemade "citrus"-cello. It's super easy and super delish.

I named it "Agalia" after the Greek goddess of splendor, adornment and magnificence. Who can't use a little of that during the holidays.

 Let me know what you think.

Ingredients:
• 1 part gin
• 1/2 part limoncello
• 2-3 parts tonic water

Stir the gin and cello together. Pour over ice into a rocks/Collins style glass. (mine were all dirty so I used a white wine glass) Top with tonic. The total amount of tonic is up to you and really depends on how much you love gin.
Garnish with pretty ice cubes or a lemon twist.
Sip & enjoy.

Cranberries and rosemary add a festive touch to the ice cubes.