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py Martini Monday!
This month’s martini is strawberry shortcake, a recipe I made on a whim next to the planned strawberry rhubarb. (One never knows what interesting recipes are contrived in my kitchen.) Well, the strawberry shortcake martini won by two votes–according to discerning friends and family.
For those of you who are wondering why I’m suddenly posting martini recipes, the heroine of my current project is the chef and owner of a restaurant and martini bar, hence the sudden experimentation with original martini recipes. If you couldn’t tell, I’m having fun with this book!
(I will be posting a new recipe on the first Monday of every month. As always, these recipes are for adults of legal drinking age and should be used responsibly.)
I wanted a summertime martini and the first thing that came to mind was strawberries. I’m not sure if this is a popular flavor in your area, but here strawberry rhubarb pie and strawberry shortcake are the desserts of summer. I made two versions of each for this month’s martini recipe, but the strawberry shortcake was the winner, if only by two votes. Yes, my friends have to deal with me dragging them over for martini testing, although the “dragging” really only consists of a text. 🙂

Strawberry Infused Vodka
The first task of this recipe is to make strawberry infused vodka. From research, I learned to use a glass jar to steep the berries for a few days. I sliced one quart of fresh berries, poured the vodka over them and let the mixture steep for four days at room temperature. Afterward, I strained the liquid back into the original bottle. Be sure to use a fine strainer to remove all the strawberry seeds. Strawberry juices added to the liquid by almost a third extra in volume, so the alcohol isn’t quite as potent, but I’m not sure of its actual level.

Strawberry Shortcake Martini Recipe
2.5 ounces of strawberry infused vodka
3 ounces of vanilla infused simple sugar
1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice
Pour into an ice filled shaker. Shake several times for good luck, and then pour into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with sliced strawberry and enjoy!

Vanilla Simple Sugar Recipe
2 pods of fresh vanilla sliced lengthwise. Run a spoon or butter knife down the inside of the pod to gather the seeds and sticky goodness from inside the pod. This is the best part, so add both the husks and insides to the water. (Please use fresh vanilla pods. Extract will give it an odd taste.)
6 cups of water
1/3 cup of sugar
This is more like a vanilla tea than simple sugar, but the sweetness level is perfect with the vanilla pods. You can adjust sugar to your taste. Bring the vanilla, water and sugar to a boil. Continue on a gentle boil for fifteen minutes. Turn off heat and let the pods steep until liquid is cooled. Strain several times until the seeds are no longer in the liquid. Keep refrigerated.

Until next time, hope you’re enjoying your summer, sharing lots of laughs with friends, and reading something just for fun!
Jan