summer recipes...

so this weekend was quite a success... lots of lounging around on the couch, swimming, laying out at the pool, sparklers, reading and outlet shopping. very american, eh? oh yes, and we made [and drank] lots of sangria... I made three different types of sangria - two were a big success, one was  bust... hey you can't win 'em all. anyways, I had a great weekend with lindi-lou and DJ and two of the sangria recipes were just too good not to share so here you go...

Traditional Sangria Recipe

• 2 bottles chilled dry red wine, like Rioja
• 1 cup brandy
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup superfine granulated sugar
• 2 oranges, cut into thin rounds
• 2 Meyer lemons, cut into thin rounds
• 3 Key limes, cut into thin rounds
• 2 apples, cored and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 2 cans of Fresca* 
• [*Food Channel recommends 2 cups of Club Soda but the Fresca makes it extra yummy in my opinion]

In a pitcher, combine the wine, brandy, orange juice, and sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the orange, lemon, and lime slices, the apples and refrigerate until well chilled, about 1 hour [we let ours sit overnight]. Remove from the refrigerator and add the soda.  Serve and enjoy! This was a great hit at the party we took it to, everyone was asking what was in it disappeared quickly! I would definitely make it again!

 Peach Sangria Recipe

Makes 8 cups [next time I'm doubling the recipe... it was that good]

Ingredients:
1  (750-milliliter) bottle white wine [RIESLING] 
1  cup  peach schnapps
1/2  cup  frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
2  nectarines, sliced
1  cup  green or red grapes, whole or sliced


Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher.
Cover and chill at least 2 hours or overnight. 
Stir before serving.

yup, it's that easy and that good - I will warn you, this recipe is VERY sweet... if you don't like sweet drinks, it's not for you - aka Lindi-Lou and I loved it and DJ gagged when he drank it. 

I also made a batch of Sparkling Sangria.... it was not good. BUT, I let the fruit sit in the booze [minus champagne] for a day and a half before drinking it [not what the instructions say to do, oops]... it was too boozy/not sweet enough for my taste [now that I think about it - did I even add the sugar?? damnit- who knows], ANYWAYS - it might be one to try again on another day. 

we also had a [patriotic] berry tart for dessert over the weekend...

 Ingredients

• 1 8-ounce sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest [or lemon juice if you realize you forgot to zest the lemon at the last minute and you're too lazy to do it]
• 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 2 cups blueberries [or 1 cup of blueberries and 1 cup of raspberries... I might even double the fruit and do two cups of each and I would add strawberries next time too]

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375° F. On a lightly floured surface, unfold the sheet of pastry and roll it into a 10-by-12-inch rectangle. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
2. Using the tip of a knife, score a 1-inch border around the pastry without cutting all the way through. Brush the border with the egg and sprinkle with the granulated sugar. Bake until golden and puffed, 18 to 22 minutes.
3. Using the tip of a knife, rescore the border of the cooked pastry without cutting all the way through. Gently press down on the center of the pastry sheet to flatten it. Let cool to room temperature, 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the cream, lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons of the confectioners’ sugar and beat until smooth. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly within the borders of the pastry.
5. Arrange the blueberries in a single layer over the filling and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of confectioners’ sugar.

As easy as can be - but it tasted like it was missing something to me, next time I'll definitely add the zest and more fruit to make it more "lively" - but it wasn't bad at alll - you can't go wrong with puff pastry!