LAST HOLIDAY MARTINI

HEY YA'LL IM BACK WITH ANOTHER ONE (IN MY BIGGIE VOICE HA HA). SO I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT WHAT I SHOULD MAKE FOR MY NEXT VIDEO AND BLOG POST AND I REALLY DIDN'T WANT TO DO ANOTHER SIDE DISH, OR DESSERT, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO MAKE THAT WOULD BE REALLY GOOD. HOWEVER, LATER THAT DAY WHILE I TALKING TO MY MOM ABOUT WHAT I SHOULD MAKE SHE ACTUALLY GAVE ME THE IDEA OF MAKING A REALLY COOL DRINK BUT TO CHALLENGE MYSELF IN HOW I WOULD MAKE IT. SO AFTER A FEW HOURS OF GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH IDEAS AND LOOKING AT MY FLAVOR BIBLE; I THEN  CAME UP WITH THIS DRINK! O.M.G. IS ALL I CAN SAY ONCE YOU TRY THIS! YA'LL WON'T BELIEVE HOW GOOD IT IS. IT'S DEFIANTLY THE PERFECT DRINK TO END 2015 AND START 2016 WITH A BANG! I CAME UP WITH THE NAME AFTER TALKING TO MY DAD WHO IS THE KING OF NAMING HOW HIS DISHES BACK AT HOME. AND I LIKE TO CALL IT THE LAST HOLIDAY MARTINI

YOU MIGHT BE THINKING WHY WOULD I CALL IT THAT. WELL THAT IS BECAUSE THIS DRINK IS GOOD AND SPICY THAT IT WILL LEAVE YOU SAYING "YOU REMEMBER THAT LAST HOLIDAY WHEN..." HA HA. NO LIE. 

INGREDIENTS:

  Spicy Sugar Mix:

    1/2 jalapeno (leave seeds and ribs in)

    1/2 cup sugar

INGREDIENTS:

Cranlapeno sauce:

   1 whole jalapeno rough chopped

   1 1/2 cup cranberries

   1 cup sugar (white)

   1/2 cup water

   1/2 jalapeno (seeds and ribs included)

NOW ITS TIME TO MAKE THE SAUCE. ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS ADD THE 4 INGREDIENTS INTO THE POT. NOTE: THE WHOLE JALAPENO THAT I ADDED. IS PARTICALLY DE-SEEDED. I LEFT SOME SEED AND RIBS IN THE PEPPER FOR A LITTLE MORE HEAT. IF YOU DECIDE TO TAKE OUT ALL THE SEEDS AND RIBS THEN IT WILL NOT BE AS SPICY. ONCE YOU HAVE ADDED INGREDIENTS, THEN YOU WANT TO STIR EVERYTHING TOGETHER AND LET IS SIMMER ON MEDIUM HEAT AND COVERED WITH A LEAD FOR 20 MINUTES. BE SURE TO STIR  SO SAUCE DOES NOT STICK TO POT.

HERE IS WHAT YOUR SAUCE SHOULD LOOK LIKE AFTER 20 MINUTES OF COOKING. AS YOU CAN SEE THE CRANBERRIES A MORE MUSHY AND TRANSLUCENT AND THE JALAPENO HAVE CHANGED THEIR COLOR TOO! 

 NOW WE ARE GOING TO TRANSFER THIS TO OUR BLENDER AND THEN THAT IS WHEN YOU WILL ADD THE LAST INGREDIENT (WHICH IS THE 1/2 JALAPENO). AND GET TO BLENDING BABY!

ONCE WE HAVE BLENDED OUR LIFE AWAY. OUR SAUCE SHOULD LOOK LIKE THIS. DO YOU SEE THAT BIGHT CRANBERRY RED COLOR! OMG IT'S BEAUTIFUL JUST LOOKING AT IT! OK LET'S MOVE ON.

OK DON'T WORRY WE ARE ALMOST DONE. NOW IT'S TIME TO POUR THAT RICH SWEET/SPICY SAUCE THROUGH A MASH STRAINER. WE JUST WANT PURE SAUCE AND NOT THE SKINS OF THE CRANBERRIES AND JALAPENOS. ONCE WE HAVE STRAINED ALL THE SAUCE; WE ARE GOING TO THEN PUT THE CONTAINER IN THE FREEZER TO ALLOW IT TO COOL DOWN FOR ONLY 10 MINUTES. NOTE: YOU CAN MAKE THIS SAUCE AHEAD OF TIME TO SAVE YOU TIME  AND JUST STORE IT IN AN AIR TIGHT CONTAINER. ONLY GOOD FOR A WEEK. 

INGREDIENTS:

martini:

 Spicy Sugar mix 

 hand full of ice

 4 tbsp Cranlapeno sauce

 1 oz vodak (I used my shot glass for this)

 1/2 cup cranberry juice

ALRIGHT NOW ITS FINALLY TIME TO MAKE THIS DRINK! SO LET'S GET STARTED WITH THE SPICY SUGAR MIX THAT WE MADE EARLIER. WE JUST WANT TO DIP THE  RIM IN WATER FIRST, THEN START TO ROTATE TO RIM AROUND IN THE DISH OF THE SUGAR MIX. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THE WHOLE RIM IS COVERED IN THIS SPICY STUFF!

OK NOW THAT WE GOT THAT DONE LET'S START MARTINING (I JUST MADE THAT WORD UP HA HA). TODAY WE ARE GOING TO USE A MASON JAR AS OUR SHAKER, WHICH ACTUALLY WORK REALLY GREAT. TIP OF THE DAY; IF YOU DON'T HAVE A SHAKER GO AHEAD AND SAVE YOURSELF SOME MONEY BY USING A MASON JAR ANY OTHER GLASS JAR YOU HAVE LAYING AROUND YOU'RE KITCHEN. NOTE: MAKE SURE IT HAS A LID. I THEN GRABBED A HANDFUL OF ICE THREW THAT IN THE JAR THEN TOOK 4 TBSP OF OUR CRANLAPENO SAUCE AND DROPPED IN THERE TOO!

NOW IT'S TIME FOR THE LIQUOR! IF YOU HAVE A SHOT GLASS THAT WILL BE PERFECT WHICH IS WHAT I USED. AND MOSTLY ALL SHOT GLASSES EQUAL OUT TO 1 OUNCE. SO EITHER TAKE A SHOT GLASS OR MEASURE OUT AN OUNCE OF LIQUOR. OK NOW I WILL SAY THIS. YOU CAN DEFIANTLY ADD MORE LIQUOR IF YOU LIKE IT MORE STRONG. SO IF YOU DECIDE TO DO THAT JUST CUT THE CRANLAPENO SAUCE IN HALF. 

OK NOW WE ADD THE CRANBERRY JUICE. AFTER THAT ALL YOU DO IS SHAKE IT UP! 

I THEN ADDED SOME FRESH CRANBERRIES AND SLICE OF JALAPENO ON THE SIDE FOR  GARNISH. TAKE THE LID OF THE MASON JAR COVER THE TOP ENOUGH THE JUICE TO POUR OUT BUT KEEP THE ICE IN THE JAR. AND BOMB YOU HAVE A PERFECT MARTINI!

OK I'M DONE YA'LL BUT I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED MY POST AND HOPEFULLY YOU TRY IT AND TELL WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT IT! BE ON THE LOOK OUT FOR MORE I HAVE ANOTHER ONE  COMING TOMORROW. WELL LET'S CROSS OUR FINGERS. DUE TO THIS STUPID WEATHER MY WIFI MIGHT HAVE OTHER PLAN HA HA. 

LOVE AND GOOD EAT'S

-SAYBER C.