Frankly, I was doubtful about Anne of Green Gables. I was convinced she was secretly a drunk, middle aged, slightly fanciful, tiny tiny woman in full dissociative break. Kindreds? Lake of the Shining Waters? Eyes rolled so much they get stuck? But then Anne won me over, decisively so. How did she do it? A, she admitted she loved tea parties. B, she accidentally (on purpose, admit it) got Diana drunk (in order to get her in on the hallucinations imagination train action). Ohhh, L.M. Montgomery. You had me at cordial. Thusly, I made my own cordial in honor of the moment I started liking Anne.
Except, because I'd had some wine before making this (would you have it any other way?), I seemed to think that the actual currant wine was made of cherries. And that is how this came to be Rascherry Cordial, instead of boring old raspberry cordial. This process made me realize something I'm okay with: I don't much like Meyers Lemons. They're like part Balsam, part rosemary, part lemon...and not nearly as acidic as I want them to be, ever. Disa to the pointing. Probably, use real lemons. OR don't, your choice. Additionally, while flirting with the idea of spiking my cordial like an 80's high school dance punch bowl, I ultimately ruled against it. You know, since Matthew or the French Canadian boy-helper wouldn't be around to take my unruly ladyguests home in his buggy. But hey, it made enough to freeze two 16 oz. jars, so my friends, summer is just around the corner at Green Gables South!
Ingredients:
2 packages frozen red raspberries (300g each)
1 cup frozen black cherries
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
6 cups boiling water
zest of 1 lemon (don't use Meyers if you like yourself)
juice of 3 lemons
Directions:
1. Put your frozen berries and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and cook while stirring occasionally. While doing so, zest one lemon and add this to the mix. Then, use your between stirring times to juice your lemons. Your mix will be ready when the mixture turns into a liquid with floating pieces of fruit. All the sugar should be dissolved; the cherries should look like Halloween punch eyeballs.
2. Using an immersion blender or stand blender, blend the mix until it's incorporated.
3. Working in smaller batches, pour your mixture through a strainer into a bowl to extract just the juice. You may need to scrape the outside of your strainer because it'll still be a little thicker and stickier then say, apple juice.
4. Add your lemon juice, stir.
5. Add boiling water to the mix and stir to incorporate.
6. Chill in your refrigerator, ice box, dirt cellar, whatever you got going on. Serve with lemon in each glass (or the punch bowl). You can cut it with seltzer, vodka, seltzer and vodka, or prosecco (the one I really wanted to try; summer can't get here soon enough!).
Feel like you need a break? Your neighbor spying on you again? Did the orphan you ordered turn out to not be a boy? Did your orphan child drown a mouse in your plum pudding? Does your orphan child never stop talking? Does your orphan child want puffy sleeves? Did your slightly odd brother come home with 20 pounds of brown sugar AGAIN? RELAX. You've been working so hard; you're probably straining your eyes and giving yourself a headache. I've got just the thing for you:
You can probably mix this in a glass and it will be fine. You can probably also get classy and shake it, and it will be better. Best enjoyed while wearing fancy brooches from seafaring uncles and gossiping with your know-it-all ladyneighbors.
Except, because I'd had some wine before making this (would you have it any other way?), I seemed to think that the actual currant wine was made of cherries. And that is how this came to be Rascherry Cordial, instead of boring old raspberry cordial. This process made me realize something I'm okay with: I don't much like Meyers Lemons. They're like part Balsam, part rosemary, part lemon...and not nearly as acidic as I want them to be, ever. Disa to the pointing. Probably, use real lemons. OR don't, your choice. Additionally, while flirting with the idea of spiking my cordial like an 80's high school dance punch bowl, I ultimately ruled against it. You know, since Matthew or the French Canadian boy-helper wouldn't be around to take my unruly ladyguests home in his buggy. But hey, it made enough to freeze two 16 oz. jars, so my friends, summer is just around the corner at Green Gables South!
Rascherry Cordial
adapted from Anne of Green Gables Raspberry Cordial
 |
| Anne of Green Gables Rascherry Cordial |
Ingredients:
2 packages frozen red raspberries (300g each)
1 cup frozen black cherries
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
6 cups boiling water
zest of 1 lemon (don't use Meyers if you like yourself)
juice of 3 lemons
Directions:
1. Put your frozen berries and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and cook while stirring occasionally. While doing so, zest one lemon and add this to the mix. Then, use your between stirring times to juice your lemons. Your mix will be ready when the mixture turns into a liquid with floating pieces of fruit. All the sugar should be dissolved; the cherries should look like Halloween punch eyeballs.
 |
| These berries and cherries are not cordial, yet. Double entendre! |
 |
| They've gotten zesty, though. |
 |
| Witches brew? |
2. Using an immersion blender or stand blender, blend the mix until it's incorporated.
 |
| I will blend you until you are CORDIAL! |
 |
| I told you so. But you're not quite there yet. |
3. Working in smaller batches, pour your mixture through a strainer into a bowl to extract just the juice. You may need to scrape the outside of your strainer because it'll still be a little thicker and stickier then say, apple juice.
 |
| My, that is...not juicy. |
4. Add your lemon juice, stir.
 |
| Before lemon... |
 |
| ...after lemon! The color and texture have changed a bit, FOOD SCIENCE + Anne Shirley = LOVE. |
 |
| This is what boiling water looks like. If you were unaware, back away from the stove, slowly. |
 |
| Yes, cordial, yes. Steam, my potent punch! |
6. Chill in your refrigerator, ice box, dirt cellar, whatever you got going on. Serve with lemon in each glass (or the punch bowl). You can cut it with seltzer, vodka, seltzer and vodka, or prosecco (the one I really wanted to try; summer can't get here soon enough!).
|
| Anne of Green Gables Rascherry Cordial |
Feel like you need a break? Your neighbor spying on you again? Did the orphan you ordered turn out to not be a boy? Did your orphan child drown a mouse in your plum pudding? Does your orphan child never stop talking? Does your orphan child want puffy sleeves? Did your slightly odd brother come home with 20 pounds of brown sugar AGAIN? RELAX. You've been working so hard; you're probably straining your eyes and giving yourself a headache. I've got just the thing for you:
The Marilla
1 part vodka
2 parts Rascherry cordial
1 squeeze lemon
A splash of seltzer
ice
You can probably mix this in a glass and it will be fine. You can probably also get classy and shake it, and it will be better. Best enjoyed while wearing fancy brooches from seafaring uncles and gossiping with your know-it-all ladyneighbors.
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