Bring in the New Year with this superstar!
Strawberry Bellinis…so delicious. I tried my first Bellini at Stokes, downtown Omaha…I had a peach one and knew I had to recreate it at home. With a little simple syrup and fresh pureed fruit poured into some champagne or sparkling wine, you got yourself a delicious drink.
Plan for this drink in your NewYears menu plan and it will be a guaranteed success!
Ingredients:
For the Fruit Purees:
For a strawberry Bellini: thaw a 16-ounce bag of frozen strawberries, then puree in a blender with 1/2 cup simple syrup (recipe below). Strain if need be through a fine-mesh strainer and pour into a bottle or jar.
Simple Syrup:
Cook 2 cups sugar with 1 cup water in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Cool completely.
Champagne or sparkling wine
To Assemble:
Pour 1/4-1/2 of the the fruit puree into a flute glass, and top off with your champagne or sparkling wine. Garnish with the fresh version of the fruit you pureed.
PPM Tip:
To plan a celebration ahead of time, make a varied fresh assortment of fruit purees and keep them in a mason jar in the fridge, along with some champagne or sparkling wine, it will keep up to a week.
Use frozen fruits such as: blueberries, strawberries, peach, bananas, raspberries, or a combination. Simply thaw a 16-ounce bag of your favorite fruit, puree in a blender with 1/2 cup of the simple syrup. Pour into your mason jars or straight into your champagne or sparkling wine. Garnish with the the fresh fruit you pureed.
Gift Idea:
This makes a wonderful gift basket idea. Snuggle some champagne in with two flute glasses, your fresh, fruit purees, some beautiful dish towels into a basket and your friend will be able to celebrate anytime!
Cheers to 2011, friends!
I admire your ability to try something new and then recreate it at home. I've enjoyed your blog and getting to know you more.
Happy New Year to you and yours!
why thank you, lady…hope all is going well for you and wish you a Happy New Year, too!