Two years ago, I attempted making a frozen drink, which was served as a dessert, Minty McFreeze.  Made with only a splash of milk or cream, it wasn’t too heavy, but it also was pretty minty.  I had considered adding ice cream to it, which would make it heavier but might help with the overwhelming presence of mint.  That led to the creation I will be serving this year as dessert in a glass.

To reduce the mint flavor, vanilla ice cream seemed like the perfect choice.  However, for those of you that love chocolate, I would think you could replace vanilla with chocolate quite successfully.  For aesthetic appeal and a little extra indulgence, we will be topping the shake with whipped cream and crushed Thin Mints.  A nice benefit to this drink is that it easily can be made into a non-alcoholic version by replacing the liquor with a small amount of mint extract and chocolate syrup.

Enjoy this dessert beverage and have a happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Minty McFreeze Shake Deluxe

1-1/2 oz. creme de menthe, green

1-1/2 oz. creme de cacao

1 oz. vodka

2-3 scoops vanilla ice cream

whipped cream

Thin Mints, crushed

Combine creme de menthe, creme de cacao, vodka, and vanilla ice cream in a blender.  Cover and blend until smooth.  (If shake is too thick, add some milk.)  Pour into a tall glass, and top with whipped cream and sprinkle with crushed Thin Mints.

We hope you enjoy this recipe, his delightful use of strawberries, and return for his monthly delights for the senses.  And now, we will turn this space over to Jared. . .

For the month of June, I have chosen a fun martini. Because we are in the mist of a fantastic strawberry crop here in New Hampshire, I elected to make a Strawberry Shortcake with plump, sweet strawberries provided by Brookdale Fruit Farm in Hollis NH.

Strawberry Shortcake Martini

3 strawberries

2 tsp. simple syrup or 1 tsp. sugar

1 oz. Stoli Strawberry Vodka

1 oz. Stoli Vanilla Vodka

splash white creme de cacao

1/8 oz. half & half

1 shortcake

2 Tb. vanilla syrup

1. Muddle 3 plump strawberries that have been stemmed and cleaned in cold water in a 16-ounce pint glass.

2. Add 2 teaspoons of simple syrup or 1 teaspoon of sugar.

3. Add Stoli Strawberry Vodka, Stoli Vanilla Vodka, white creme de cacao, and half & half.

4. Cover and shake vigorously for 10 seconds.

5. Chill an 8-ounce martini glass. (When using this size, you will only pour in 6 ounces of the drink).

6. In a small plate, shave one whole shortcake into fine pieces.  (Please note, you can purchase store-bought shortcakes, or you can make your own using a Bisquick mix, which I prefer.  Please note, when using the Bisquick brand, the recipe on the box says to use equal parts water and milk.  I prefer to use 1 part water to 3 parts milk, as it makes it a little richer in texture.  Before baking make sure to egg wash all your biscuits to create a golden glaze.)

7. In another small plate pour in vanilla syrup.  You can use a store bought brand like Smuckers, or make your own.  (I will be addressing homemade simple syrups, whipped cream, and layering cream in future columns.)

8. Invert martini glass into plate of vanilla syrup and rim the outside of the glass.  Syrup should be no more than 1/16 inch from the top of the rim.

9. Then place the glass into the shaved shortcake bread.

10. Pour martini into glass.

11. Place a dollop of whipped cream on the edge of glass.

12. Cut a small piece (half) of strawberry and place on the whipped cream.

13. Voila! Enjoy.

The winning poster was sjks0427 (catchy handle!), and this is what he/she wrote:

There is a really good drink called a Keoki Coffee which has Kahlua, dark rum, brandy and creme de cacao (quarter shot of each), then add coffee and top with whipped cream. Very yummy. A lot of bars offer a version of this that include only 3 of the 4 liquors, but the original version is as stated above.

The recipe sounds like a winning concoction, and one I will be trying it this coming weekend!

So, I guess I will spin this one as best I can.  I am helping everyone to be ready for next year’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration 11 months early. . .

A few notes about this drink.  It is a frozen drink, so it can be a little heavy.  I would suggest serving it as a dessert or an appetizer but not with your corned beef dinner.  Frozen drink + boiled dinner = very heavy!

This drink has an intense mint flavor.  Depending on your level of appreciation for mint, you can add more milk or cream.  Because of the mint flavor, I prefer it served as a dessert, kind of like the mint you receive with your bill.  To give it more of a dessert feel, you can top it with some whipped cream and a sprinkling of cocoa powder.

Happy early (or late) St. Patrick’s Day!

Minty McFreeze

1-1/2 oz. creme de menthe, green

1-1/2 oz. creme de cacao

1 oz. vodka

1 oz. milk or cream

ice*

Pour creme de menthe, creme de cacao, vodka, and milk in blender.  Add 6 ice cubes.  Cover and blend.  Add more ice, if needed, to create your desired consistency.

*For a more decadent drink, you can replace the ice with vanilla ice cream for a Minty McFreeze Shake.