To say thanks for those kisses on scraped knees, the last-minute costume for the school play (because you forgot to tell her about it!), letting you hide in her bed during a lightning storm and the hugs (and a lot of ice cream) after your first, second and third broken hearts, treat your Mom to a lovely cocktail afternoon. She deserves it.
Over the years I have done miscellaneous things for my Mom for Mother’s Day. This year though, I think it’s time to move beyond the poorly written poems, coupons for chores, macaroni picture frames and finger-paintings to an all out celebration of that wonderful woman who brought me into this world. Your special lady may or may not be your mother, it could be your grandmother or maybe it’s even someone else’s Mom, regardless, this is her day and I urge you to let her know how you feel with some lovely tasty nibbles (the first, a fave of my Mom’s, the second a fave of my Aunt Sheila’s and the third, a fave of every Mom (and Dad) I know!) accompanied by one or more champagne cocktails. To the Moms all over the world, I raise my glass to you!!
Caribbean Champagne
1/2 tsp light rum
1 tsp crème de banana
champagne, chilled
Pour the rum and crème de banana into a champagne flute and fill with champagne. Stir gently and serve. Top with a slice of banana if desired.
Comments: Feel free to try this cocktail (or any champagne cocktail for that matter) with another sparkling wine, e.g. Prosecco, to coincide with the current state of your riches.
Tasting Notes: definitely get the banana hit but it’s not too intense (don’t bother with it if you’re not a banana fan, though); rum doesn’t come through – perhaps double the amount??
Kir Royale
1 part crème de cassis
5 parts champagne
Pour the crème de cassis into a wine glass and gently pour the champagne over top.
Comments: Always a classic, just like my Mom, I couldn’t leave Kir Royale off the list! Feel free to throw in a maraschino cherry if you have one available and to try a bit of a twist on the classic, use Chambord in place of the crème de cassis.
Tasting Notes: a bit syrupy; quite sweet so best to serve with something in the savory range (e.g. cucumber tea sandwiches) or strictly as an aperitif
Hotel California
4 oz champagne
1 oz gold tequila
2 oz freshly squeezed orange juice
2 oz pineapple juice
Shake and strain all ingredients except for the champagne into a margarita glass with ice. Add champagne, a straw if you like, and serve.
Comments: I would call this a ‘a drink for the non-girlie girl’ as the tequila gives it a kick but smooths out the sweetness of the fruit juices. No umbrella required here, just maybe a cocktail pick with a cube or two of pineapple.
Tasting Notes: not too sweet; very smooth; mmmmm!!!
Cheese Tartlets
2 cups grated old cheddar cheese
½ cup butter, softened
¼ tsp cayenne
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup savoury jam, jelly or chutney
Preheat oven to 400F. Using an electric mixer or food processor, beat together the first three ingredients until blended. Add in the flour and stir just until the mixture forms a dough. Shape the dough into 36 balls and press into mini muffin tins to form tart shells. Spoon 1 teaspoon of your favourite jam, jelly or chutney into each shell. Bake for 10 minutes. Can be served warm, at room temperature or cold.
Comments: I think that the original recipe for this was for cheddar cheese and red pepper jelly but definitely go with whatever suits your palate. Any hard cheese will do, e.g. gruyère (one of my favorites) or parmigiano reggiano, as will pretty much any jam, jelly or chutney. My current favourite topping is roasted garlic chutney, but my homemade spicy red pepper jelly is right up there!
Sun-Dried Tomato Dip (Courtesy: Barefoot Contessa)
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup sour cream
½ mayonnaise
10 dashes Tabasco sauce
1 tsp kosher salt
¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced
Puree all ingredients except the green onions in a food processor. Add the green onions and pulse twice. Serve at room temperature.
Comments: This is one of the best dips I have ever had!! My favourite way of serving it is with baguette toasts. I take a French baguette, cut it into ~1/2 slices on the diagonal, baste it with olive oil warmed in a saucepan with minced garlic and a bit of red pepper flakes and toast it in the oven until light brown. This dip is also very tasty with raw veggies, but hey, you gotta treat yourself every once in a while :).
Maple-spiced Nuts
4 tbsp butter
½ cup maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
5 cups mixed nuts (e.g. almonds, pecan halves, cashews, macadamia nuts)
Preheat oven to 350F. Melt the butter with the maple syrup, salt and pepper in a saucepan over low heat. In a large bowl, place the nuts and pour the melted mixture over top. Mix well to ensure that all of the nuts are covered and spread the nuts on a baking sheet in a single layer (you will most likely need to use 2 or more sheets). Bake for 10-12 minutes, stirring 3-4 times. Let cool.
Comments: These are my ‘go to’ nibbles at Christmas time, as everyone loves them and they are so easy to make. Vary the amount of cayenne to your audience: for kids and those that are ‘spicephobic’ just use ½ tsp and for those ‘pepperheads’ go ahead and double the amount. Feel free to make these ahead of time and store them in the freezer. Just make sure that you give them enough time to thaw before serving them!