Blueberry Basil Martini Pops
Make fun popsicles for summer even more fun by making these Blueberry Basil Martini Pops; an adult treat with vodka!
You might think that after my fiasco with making Raspberry Margarita Pops a couple of weeks ago that I would shy away from boozy popsicles; you know, the old ‘fear of failure.’ First of all…if a little failure stopped me I would never bake again since I live at altitude so failure doesn’t hold me hostage; only makes me more determined!
The truth is, the end result of that snafu was so delightful that I never felt I had failed, I just felt I had learned something. Sometimes too much of a good thing is simply too much and in that case it was tequila. I knew I was running that risk and so I’m ready to jump back on that horse…with someone else’s recipe!
I won’t deny…when I saw Sylvie at Gourmande in the Kitchen do a post giving away some cocktail books, I was all over it. I commented and tweeted and think I called her and offered my firstborn (she is 32; I guess I should have checked with her first?).
Sadly I did not win any of those books but that frown was soon turned upside down. In a most generous gesture, Sylvia contacted me and asked if I would like to have contact info for the resource that gave her those books. In my most eloquent voice I’m sure I quickly said, ‘Duh, yeah!’
It was painless; the synergy was evident and the company was generous so beyond the Blueberry Basil Martini Pop, take a look at these fabulous books; they are all great!
The titles link to the books available on Amazon; they are affiliate links.
Slushed! (F+W Media, April 2012)
It was certainly an Aha! moment when I realized that I tweet with the author of this book, Jessie Cross (@thehungrymouse). Jesse actually suggested the blueberry pops when I mentioned I would love to make a popsicle for this post; it was such a great choice.
I can’t begin to explain how fantastic blueberry and basil are together…you MUST try this recipe! This book has sections for ice pops, ice cream, gelato, frozen yogurt, semifreddo, granita, sorbet, ice cream sandwiches and milkshakes, all with their own tipsy bent.
There are so many fabulous recipes I could easily make one every day of the summer; while having an ice cream maker is necessary for some of the desserts, many have been developed needing only the cold of your freezer.
Pops, granitas and sorbets are sometimes the most refreshing treat in the midst of the hottest part of summer and there is a great selection to keep you cooled off all summer long. I can not wait to make my next treat; of course I will absolutely be sharing that with you!
Edible Cocktails (F+W Media, April 2012)
Although this book is not about making your own booze, the author, Natalie Bovis encourages readers to plant your own cocktail garden and use those fresh seasonal ingredients to infuse spirits and create homemade syrups and purees.
The book is filled with tips, tricks, and recipes for making extraordinary drinks with fresh ingredients.
Not just a book introducing you to the beauty of herbs, you’ll also learn about some unique infusions that include dairy and meat; sounds crazy but with titles like Smoked Bacon Washed Bourbon you’ll lose your skepticism as quickly as I did and get onboard.
There is something for everyone from sweet to savory, from simple to more complicated and a great mix of cocktails using a wide variety of fruits, veggies and herbs.
Never Cook Sober (F+W Media, May 2012)
I know some people might think this book is about me…but really, I put the booze into the foods more than my belly! The authors Stacy Laebs and Sherri Field’s offer us great recipes with a dose of humor. This book is divided into 4 sections dealing with Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Desserts.
I already use alcohol in a lot of my cooking; not just wine in stews and sauces but I love bourbon and liqueurs in cakes and other desserts and this book is filled with with some great sweet and savory dishes. All of the recipes include a drink pairing with a toast, some tipsy trivia and a clever quote that often will tickle the funny bone.
All of these books have such great, fun ideas; perfect for a summer read!
PIN IT! ‘Blueberry Basil Popsicles’
Blueberry Basil Martini Pops
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 & 1/2 cups loosely packed basil leaves
- 4 cups fresh blueberries I actually did not have enough fresh berries so supplemented with some frozen ones and it was fine
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup vodka
Instructions
- Combine the sugar and water together in a small pot. Bring to a boil over high heat just until the sugar dissolves. Add the basil and stir. Remove from heat, cover and let cool to room temperature.
- Strain to remove the basil.
- Puree the blueberries, lemon juice and basil syrup in a blender or food processor.
- Strain the mixture through a strainer and mash the solids with a spoon to extracts as much juice as possible. Discard the solids (I like the solids so did not strain mine...it's all about personal preference).
- Whisk in the vodka.
- Fill your popsicle molds leaving 1/4" at the top. If inserting wooden sticks into your popsicles, let the mixture freeze for about 45 minutes before inserting the sticks so they won't sink to the bottom of the mold. Freeze overnight.
- Unmold by rinsing warm water over the individual molds briefly until the popsicle easily slides out. Plate and stick back in the freezer for a few minutes.
路爽!有些非常有效分!我很欣赏你写这篇 写了 ,也是的休息网站
非常不错。 ,并与
看了这个我相信这是 非常 翔实 。
Love your blog. Very amusing and very informative. Thanks for sharing. All three books look amazing but “why cook sober” looks the most amusing. LOL.
Thanks Ruth…I couldn’t ask for more than to amuse and inform…that’s me! 🙂
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all of them look great!
I subscribed via google reader
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I’m an avid cookbook reader along with cooking and baking so any of those cookbooks sound great, but I might be leaning towards the Edible Cocktails one.
Following you on Pinterest – looks like you have some great boards!
(Crystal Welsh)
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Tweeted!
https://twitter.com/EatDrinkClev/status/228579401179230208
They all sound great but I would have to pick Slushed if I was forced. Great giveaway!
I’ve followed you on Pinterest – UN Kristi Gilleland
I’ve followed you on Twitter – UN skullaria
I’ve ‘liked’ you on Facebook. UN Kristi Gilleland
I like the title Never Cook Sober – I think it’s funny. I guess that book appeals to me more mainly because I never have enough freezer space to make the frozen treats. lol
Nothing better than boozy frozen treats in a hot summer day! Thanks for the chance to win such great books!
I’m an email subscriber…I love that I never miss a new recipe!
I like your page on Facebook!
I’m following your boards on Pinterest!
I just left a tweet about this giveaway!
I’m following you on Twitter!
They all look good but I think I’d choose Slushed if I had to pick one! I love frozen treats!
I subscribe to your emails.
I already “like” you on Facebook
I already follow you on Pinterest.
I tweeted the giveaway
I follow you on Twitter. But you knew that 😉 Oh and I forgot to say it in my first comment… these popsicles are officially bookmarked. You know, just in case I don’t win the Slushed cookbook that I absolutely MUST have. But seriously, these sound amazing. I adore basil in desserts and can’t ever say I’ve had it in popsicles so I will have to try these.
I’m ready to offer YOU my first born!!! (Although you may not want to go through these drama/attitude laden teenage years again… oh yes, she’s reached THAT point.) I love all of these books but I especially want to get my hands on “Slushed.” I would love to make some more grown up frozen treats. Great giveaway!!
I love “Never Cook Sober” just because of the funny title, LOL. Thanks for the giveaway!
These books all sound like they definitely deserve shelf space in my library!! I haven’t had a popsicle in ages and this post reminded me of just what I was missing – will definitely have to get some molds and GET BUSY!!
what a super fun giveaway! I will take any of these lovely books. LOVE these refreshing and delicious pops and would love one now for lunch because it is so steamy hot. xx
I love adding any and every type of cookbook to my collection, particularly the idea of growing a cocktail garden sounds like tons of summer fun!
I would love all three of these! I’m adventurous when it comes to cooking and am obsessed with cookbooks!
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the never cook sober again book looks amazing!! i think they would all be very insightful but this one jumped out at me the most 🙂
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Um… I mean who wouldn’t want all three books?!
I tweeted your giveaway.
I follow you on twitter.
I love mixing fruits with herbs! I made a blueberry bay tart last summer, so I’m eager to try blueberries and basil. And of course I’m a firm believer that alcohol makes everything better, so I’m totally on board with these popsicles.
All books are interesting and quite intriguing… 🙂 Thanks for the review!
They all look interesting. I love the “never cook sober” tagline 🙂
LOL!!! I saw Slushed on Pass The Sushi’s blog and had to have it that day. Sooooo, here is the funny part, I thought of you with this book, ha ha ha!!! You make so many lovely things with booze, you inspire me for sure. When I picked up the book, I also picked up some booze, like four bottles….you can never have enough booze right? 🙂 I am loving the other two books, and may need to grab them now too! Your pops sound fantastic with basil! Hugs, Terra
Oh my! Tummy-goodness awaits! I’d love any of these books!!
We do Fun Food Fridays and any one of these books would be perfect!
How could you choose just one of these??? Impossible. I want all three. And the future non-pregnant version of myself would love playing around with them next year 🙂
I subscribe by e-mail!
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I tweeted the giveaway @icywit
Edible Cocktails appeals the most – I’m getting so into canning — that I like the idea behind this book!
My kind of giveaway…I like all of these books, but the first one by hungrymouse appeals a bit more…
I love them all but the Edible Cocktail sounds great!
Oh yum!! Just back from a short island vacation and these popsicles would have been ideal to help face the humidity and heat. On the east coast for a few days so I haven’t escaped the humidity yet…looking forward to Colorado air next week.
These books look wonderful. If I had to I would pick “Never Cook Sober” but the trio would be sensational. I devour cookbooks and haven’t come across these yet.
Thanks, Barb!!
I subscribed for email updates for Creative Culinary.
I tweeted: Win a copy of new cookbooks: Never Cook Sober, Edible Cocktails & Slushed from @creativculinary http://su.pr/1wYl2T #giveaway
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I would love any of the three books… but I think the one that I am most interested in is Never Cook Sober. Looks like a fun book!
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I follow you on Twitter 🙂
All three books look fabulous, but the Edible Cocktail book is probably at the top of my list. Love these Popsicles!
Follow you on Pinterest – which I am so excited about because your pin boards look fantastic!
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I need to get some Popsicle molds, stat! All of these books look wonderful, but I am especially intrigued by the first two.
They all look good, but especially the Slushed one!
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I had to laugh at never cook sober. 🙂
Those blueberry basil martini popsicles would be absolutely perfect on a summer afternoon.
i tweeted – https://twitter.com/onitnaram/status/226431913047506945
Slushed, please! I’ve been on an ice cream-making tear lately and would love to know how to punch up flavors with booze. I’ve got several homemade fruit liqueurs in process that I suspect would be terrific in ice cream or sorbets.
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I would love to read all of these cookbooks, but I think I’d leave the Never Cook Sober on my kitchen counter!
I want them ALL. These pops look phenomenal. So if I don’t win, i can come get a taste of the Martini pops at home ? yus?
I even subscribe to your RSS feed to see what you are up; and it’s always boozy. LOVE!
You know I stalk you on Twitter like mad.
I want them all Ms. Barb. NOW!
Are you kidding? All of these books look AWESOME!
these books all look very nice, but i want to check out Slushed! first
I’m following via RRSS feed, thanks!!
I’m following you on Pinterest
I liked you on facebook
🙂 now I want all the books!!
Will do the Blueberry Basil Martini Pops in August (parents will be in town)!
The book that I think it’s most me is Never Cook Sober, them Slushed and then Edible cocktails.
These popsicles sound incredible! I bet the basil and blueberry combo is great! All of these cookbooks look great, especially the “Never Eat Sober” cookbook! 🙂
I love the recipes for boozy popsicles even the Raspberry Margarita!!!! And, I love your blog too!
Oh and I definitely get email alerts when you post!
Ditto Facebook!
I must follow you on Pinterest and will definitely make sure.
Um, I believe that I follow you on Twitter. I’ll check to make sure!
Tweeted (and stumbled)!
Since I made my Cherry Prosecco Granita and have a Peach Prosecco Sorbet in the freezer, I am so into boozy, slushy, frozen treats in a big way!! That book looks great (and Jessie is adorable!)! The blueberry martinit pops look out of this world!!!
“Never Cook Sober” jumped at me initially, but I’m trying to branch out beyond my usual choice of wine, so “Edible Cocktails” would be my choice!
I subscribe via email. I love your blog!
I follow you on Facebook
I follow you on Pinterest
I follow you on Twitter and tweeted Win a copy of new cookbooks: Never Cook Sober, Edible Cocktails & Slushed from @creativculinary http://su.pr/1wYl2T #giveaway
I would have to say my first choice would be Edible cocktails,then never cook sober and then Slushed in that order. I would love to win them all!
They all look superyumful! The Edible Cocktails looks especially good to me because I do so love creativity with boozy foods. 🙂
Thanks for the recipe too!
These look so simple and delicious! followed you @glowkitchen
I subscribe to Creative Culinary updates by RSS feed.
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I follow Creative Culinary on Pinterest.
I tweeted.
I follow @creativculinary on Twitter.
I would love them all! Too hard to pick just one.
Blueberries and basil are marvelous together, and a frozen, boozy combo is even better! Have a great weekend!
I already subscribe via email and that’s how I learned about the contest.
I follow on Pinterest
I tweeted and here’s the link:
https://twitter.com/southerncooker/status/226343017903185920
I follow on twitter as @southerncooker
I do think I’d enjoy all of these books but Slushed intrigues me the most.
Thanks for the chance and the great reviews.
As a recent subscriber I am enjoying your posts! Also love the titles of these new books. Just finished smashing blackberries for happy hour tonight!
Oh wow, these are as beautiful as you described them. I can only imagine how refreshing these would be on one of our super hot dry summer days.