Strawberry Birthday Cake

Our good friend Vicky Yim, of Sweets by Vicky, posted this recipe- a vanilla genoise with strawberry rose coulis, strawberry cream cheese filling, and classic crème chantilly- and our mouths are watering. I've copied the recipe below. Photos by Vicky Yim.

Birthday Cake with Strawberry Cream Cheese
1.5 recipe x GF Genoise; bake in 3 x 6inch round tins. Cool completely.
Strawberry Coulis
Strawberry Cream Cheese Filling
Creme Chantilly

Strawberry Coulis
250g frozen strawberries (frozen berries ensure consistency in flavour)
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp rose water OR 2 tsp Rose Syrup (I used Royal Rose NY)
1 tsp vanilla
1) Thaw berries in the microwave or overnight.
2) Process berries and its juices in the blender until smooth. Leave the seeds in.
3) Place the liquid berries into a small saucepan. Add in all other ingredients.
4) On medium heat, cook the sauce until it thickens. Allow to cool completely.

Strawberry Cream Cheese
250g cream cheese, room temperature
60g butter, room temperature
1.5 cups icing sugar, sifted
1/4 cup strawberry coulis
1) In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth on LOW. Add in the icing sugar and beat well.
2) Slowly add in the strawberry coulis and beat well until combined on LOW. Use immediately or place in the fridge until ready to use.

Creme Chantilly
300ml whipping cream, very chilled
1/4 cup icing sugar
1) In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the cream and icing sugar until medium peaks form. Set aside in the fridge until ready to use. 

To Assemble
1) Mix 1/2 cup warm water with 1 tsp vanilla. This is your imbibing syrup.
2) Take 1 of the genoise layers and brush with imbibing syrup. This is your bottom later.
3) Top layer with 2 tbsp of strawberry coulis and spread evenly across the layer. Using a piping bag fitted with a 10mm round piping tip, pipe the strawberry cream cheese filling over the coulis in a circular motion. Top with second layer. Repeat with coulis and cream cheese.
4) Top with 3rd layer and brush top with imbibing syrup. Cover cake top and sides with the creme chantilly. Sprinkle rainbow happiness with wild abandonment.

The Brimfield Fair - In the VIP Tent

Cocktails by Warren Bobrow, courtesy of Tennyson Absinthe, Polar Seltzer, The Bitter End, and Royal Rose.  Scroll down for a recipe for a fantastic tipple.

The Brimfield Cocktail (by Warren Bobrow)
3 shots Tennyson absinthe
1 shot Bulldog gin
3 tablespoons Royal Rose Rose Syrup
8 drops Bitter End Thai bitters
Polar Seltzer Mint Mojito seltzer water
fresh mint

In a cocktail shaker, add ice, absinthe & gin, bitters, and syrup.  Shake until the shaker frosts over.  Pour into short rocks glasses and top with seltzer.  Garnish with mint and a slice of citrus.

Rose of the Desert

Cardamom-Clove and Rose syrups are enhanced by The Bitter End Moroccan Bitters.

1 1/4 oz. Courvoisier
1/2 oz. Laird's Applejack
1/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/4 oz. Royal Rose Rose Syrup
1/4 oz. Royal Rose Cardamom-Clove Syrup
8 drops Moroccan Bitters by the Bitter End

Combine ingredients and shake with ice.  Strain into a cocktail glass and serve straight up. Add another drop or two of bitters, if desired.

This drink was more full at one point - I had to test it out!

Elixir Sue

Captain Beefheart from Bluejeans and Moonbeams:

"When I got to the party of special things to do it wasn't hard to find Elixir Sue. I met all the cars, the wild cards, the One-Eyed Jills, the Red Queen. She turned her head, you know what I mean, she turned it back and said, "I got a brand new game I want to lay on you...""

Thank you to Elizabeth Butters for introducing me to Elixir Sue, and thanks to Forrest for creating this psychedelic yet non-alcoholic homage to Captain Beefheart.

3/4 oz. Royal Rose Rose Syrup
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
5 slices cucumber
small pinch of sea salt
soda water

Shake first four ingredients vigorously with ice.  Strain into a glass filled with ice and top with soda water.  Garnish with a slice of cucumber.

Dog Island Shrub

1 1/2 oz. dark rum
1/2 oz. Irish whiskey
1/4 oz. Royal Rose Rose Syrup
1/4 oz. raspberry shrub (recipe below)
1/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
2 dashes Peychaud's bitters

Combine ingredients with ice and shake.  Strain into a cocktail glass.  Garnish with a raspberry or lemon twist.

Raspberry Shrub:
1 part apple cider vinegar (unfiltered, if available)
6 parts Royal Rose Raspberry Syrup

Frosty Winter Sled

Recipe by Warren Bobrow

4 oz. Bluewater Vodka
1/2 oz. Royal Rose “Rose” syrup
1 Medicine Dropper of Bitter End Thai Bitters
Spray of Dolin Dry Vermouth

Preparation:
1. Spritz the inside of a pre-chilled Martini glass with Vermouth.
2. Grab a cocktail shaker fill ½ with ice.
3. Add Bluewater Vodka, Royal Rose syrup, the Bitter End Bitters.
4. Stir gently and strain into your Martini glass.
5. Garnish with a sprig of Lemon Thyme.

Enchanted Forrest

Forrest made this tonight. It's perfectly balanced, with botanical notes and a light citrus finish.  Delicious.

2 oz. gin
1/2 oz. Royal Rose Rose Syrup
1/2 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice
3-4 fresh basil leaves

Combine ingredients over ice; shake vigorously.  Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and serve with a lemon twist, or a sprig of basil if desired. 

St. James Infirmary

According to music historian Elizabeth Butters, "The song was originally a British ballad in which the narrator gets an STD from his lover, who is now lying dead on a table, as he will be when the disease progresses..." Yikes.

Recipe by Warren Bobrow

2 oz. sloe gin
1 shot Tuthilltown Manhattan rye whiskey
1/2 shot St. George absinthe
1/2 shot Royal Rose Rose Syrup
freshly squeezed lemon juice
Q ginger ale
Bitter End Mexican Mole bitters

Combine sloe gin, whiskey, absinthe, syrup, and lemon juice over ice and shake. Strain into a coupe glass. Finish with Q ginger ale and 6 drops of mole bitters.  Garnish with a ripe blueberry (or sloe berry if you can find one!).

Gray Lady

Rose and violet lend this drink a complex, but far from flowery, flavor.  This cocktail is light and delicious.

1 egg white
3/4 oz. creme de violette
1/2 oz. Bols Genever
1/2 oz. Royal Rose Rose Syrup
1/2 oz. lemon juice
1/2 dropper Bittercube Jamaican bitters

First, dry shake the egg white: add egg white and lemon juice to an empty shaker and shake for a minute or more.  Add ice, spirits, and simple syrup; shake for another minute or two.  Serve on the rocks or straight up.

Orange '81

This mocktail is surprisingly delicious--fresh and light, but so very appropriate for the holidays.  The oat milk gives it a little body and creaminess.

1 1/2 oz. orange juice
1 oz. oat milk
1/4 oz. Royal Rose Rose Syrup
1/4 oz. maple syrup
freshly grated cinnamon
freshly grated allspice

Combine first four ingredients over ice and shake vigorously. Pour into a rocks glass and top with a splash of soda.  Grate spices on top and serve.

Orange '74

This drink brings to mind the days when oranges were a special Christmas treat:

1 oz. Snap
3/4 oz. Buffalo Trace bourbon
3/4 oz. Aperol
3/4 oz. RR Rose Syrup
3/4 oz. freshly squeezed orange juice
6 drops Bittercube Jamaican #1 bitters

Shake ingredients over ice & strain into a chilled martini or coupe glass. Rub the rim with an orange peel & twist over the drink to release essential oils. Drop the peel into the glass. Sip and feel the holiday warmth.

Old World Girl Scout

1 oz. Root
1 oz. Buffalo Trace bourbon
1/2 oz. Royal Rose Rose Syrup
1/2 oz. maple syrup
1/4 oz. absinthe
2-3 dashes Bittercube Jamaican #1 bitters
splash half & half, to taste

Shake until both tins frost over.  Serve on the rocks. 

Midnight to 6

Forrest made this one while I was waiting for him to start a movie (for forever...). But it was worth the wait. Get ready to have your socks knocked off.

Midnight to 6
1 1/4 oz. dark rum
1 1/4 oz. Snap
1/2 oz. Butterscotch sauce (recipe below)
1/2 oz. RR Rose Syrup
1 dash of Angostura bitters
splash of half & half, to taste
freshly grated nutmeg
freshly grated cinnamon

Combine ingredients over ice in a Boston shaker.  Shake and serve either over one large ice cube or straight up.

Butterscotch sauce
3 tablespoons Lyle's Golden Syrup
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Royal Rose Gin & Tonic

Recipe by Warren Bobrow.  Read the full Foodista article here.

Hendricks Gin
Royal Rose Rose Syrup
Q tonic water
Freshly squeezed lime juice
Lime wedges


In a cocktail shaker add some fresh ice, then the Hendrick's Gin and 2 tablespoons of the Royal Rose "Rose" Syrup and the lime juice.  Shake to combine and then strain into a tall cocktail glass with a minimum amount of ice.  Top with Q-Tonic Water and garnish with a lime wedge.

Rose Lime Granita

What better dessert for the last hot days of summer than a refreshing and light granita?  I made this one with Royal Rose Rose Syrup and lime juice, but you could use whatever syrup and citrus you have on hand.

4 cups water
2 oz. Royal Rose Rose Syrup (or more or less to taste)
juice of 1 lime

Combine ingredients and pour into a baking dish or casserole so that there is about 1 inch of liquid.  Place in the freezer for an hour, remove, and use a fork to scrape the ice.  Refreeze until solid.  When you are ready to serve, scrape the icy granita up with a fork and serve in a cup or bowl. 

Cocktails with Root and Snap

Forrest and I were at Art in the Age in Philadelphia last night for First Friday--my very first First Friday--and we created two different drinks for the occasion.  We served the drinks from punch bowls, which is great for a party.  Just measure the ingredients (to scale up, in both of these recipes, a 1/4 oz. is one part), add some ice and soda water, float apple or lemon slices on top, and add an ounce of Root or Snap to each drink as you serve.  If you're just making a couple of drinks, use the measurements below and shake away.

Ingredient note: all juices should be fresh, but in a pinch you can use canned or bottled apple and pineapple juices--just use less, to taste, as they are sweeter than fresh juice.

ROOT Punch
1 1/2 oz. fresh apple juice
1 oz. Root liqueur
3/4 oz. Hendricks gin
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/4 oz. Royal Rose Cardamom-Clove Syrup
1/4 oz. Royal Rose Rose Syrup
1 slice apple, for garnish

In a Boston shaker, combine ingredients over ice and shake vigorously.  Strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass and garnish with an apple slice.

SNAP Swizzle
2 oz. fresh pineapple juice
1 oz. Snap liqueur
3/4 oz. Sailor Jerry rum
3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz. Royal Rose Cardamom-Clove Syrup
1/2 oz. Royal Rose Tamarind Syrup
2 dashes angostura bitters
soda
lemon wedge, for garnish

In a Boston shaker, combine ingredients over ice and shake vigorously.  Strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Top with a scant splash of soda and garnish with a lemon wedge.

ROOT is delicious!

As yet untitled, fresh from the bar:

1 1/2 oz. Root
1/2 oz. Royal Rose Rose Syrup
1/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
soda water

Combine Root, rose syrup, and lemon juice over ice.  Shake.  Serve in a highball glass filled with ice. Top with soda water and garnish with a slice of lemon.

Rose Dragon

If you love Chartreuse, and maybe even if you don't love Chartreuse, this one's for you:

1 1/2 oz. gin
3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz. Royal Rose Rose Syrup
1/2 oz. green Chartreuse
3 dashes Angostura bitters

Shake over ice and serve straight up.