Valentine Mocktail
Say, "I love you" with this non-alcoholic, bubbly Valentine mocktail recipe.
A nice, refreshing and bubbly drink to share with your Valentine on Valentine's Day. This is also lovely in the summer at barbecues, or celebrating the 4th of July, or Canada Day.
Dress it up in a fancy cocktail glass for underage minors, or add a little more spirit for the older crowd (see the tips below for alcoholic substitutions).
When making this on Valentine's Day I like to prepare some heart-shaped ice cubes for a little extra corniness.
TIP: Instead of discarding the strawberry pulp after the syrup has been prepared, use it to make strawberry pancakes, strawberry bread, or muffins.
TIP: This can be made alcoholic by swapping out the carbonated water for Champaign, or your favourite sparkling white wine; however, this will change the estimated calorie count for this recipe.
Ingredients
(Makes 12 servings)
1 pint strawberries, hulled, chopped (or raspberries)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup maple syrup
juice of 1/2 a lemon
carbonated water (San Pellegrino, Perrier, etc.)
Directions
In a medium saucepan on medium heat, place the strawberries, water, maple syrup and lemon juice. Cook the strawberries, stirring regularly, until they completely break down and turn into a sauce. Use a fork or spatula to mash the strawberries to help break them down faster. If any foam forms on the surface, skim off and discard.
Once completely cooked, remove from heat and let it come to room temperature. When cool, pass the sauce through a sieve into a bowl to separate out the seeds and pulp from the syrup. Pour the syrup into a bottle and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
When it's time to make drinks, place some ice cubes into a glass, pour in 1 tablespoon of syrup, and mix with carbonated water. If a sweeter drink is preferred. add a little more syrup. Garnish with fresh strawberries (optional) and serve.
Nutritional Information Per Serving:
total calories = 41 | total fat = 0.01g | saturated fat = 0g | cholesterol = 0mg | sodium = 1.33mg | net carbohydrates = 10.16g | dietary fibre = 0.26g | sugars = 9.11g | protein = 0.1g
