In case you haven't read my review of A Million Junes, let me warn you: the love story brings a lot of swoon. With swoon--and summer--you get heat. You're going to need to cool off, and what better way to do so than to make a fancy, boozy snow cone?
This cherry-cardamom-chocolate version is just one variation. You can use this base recipe for any number of creations--pineapple rosemary with tequila or mezcal, gin with celery, lime, and mint, or anything else your heart desires. You could infuse the alcohol with fruit, and add a liqueur.
I chose cherry in honor of the magical O'Donnell-Angert cherry tree feud, and named it after the coywolves in June's woods, who steal shoes. (Plus, you can't go wrong with alliteration.) I happen to think cherries are pretty magical anyway, and after enough of these, you might convince yourself that coywolves stole those sandals you just kicked off.
Cherry Coywolf Cone
Put your booze in the freezer, right now. Juice your limes and put that in the fridge. Make sure you have a lot of ice.
SYRUP
- 1 lb pitted cherries, plus any juice they give off (I used a mix of tart and sweet cherries from my mom's tree)
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1tsp vanilla
- 10 whole cardamom pods
- Food coloring, if you want that carnival-red color
Add all ingredients to a sauce pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until reduced and slightly syrupy, about 30-40 minutes. Strain syrup into container and let cool completely. Discard cardamom pods. Save spiced cherries for garnish.
COCKTAIL ASSEMBLY
Crushed ice (you don't need a fancy ice-shaver; I just used my food processor)
1 part syrup
1 part rum
0.5 part lime juice (this will make a fairly tart cocktail; if you want it sweeter, add more syrup or reduce the lime)
3-4 dashes chocolate bitters per two cocktails (if you don't have chocolate, try angostura or orange)
Garnish: cherries, mint sprigs, straw
Well before serving, mix the syrup, rum, lime juice, and bitters in a small container, then stick it in your fridge until it's time to assemble the cocktail.
When you're ready, and the cocktail mixture is ice-cold, prepare all of your glasses (or cones) and scoop in the crushed ice to the top. Drizzle the syrup over until well-saturated, add more ice if desired, and garnish with a straw, mint sprig, and cherries.
For a mocktail version, omit the alcohol. You may want to play around with the syrup and lime ratio (taste it!) to get to your desired level of sweetness.
A MILLION JUNES BLOG TOUR
Thanks for stopping by! Now that you've got a roadmap for summertime sweetness, how about a chance to win a copy of A Million Junes? Just head over to the Penguin giveaway and enter!
Here are the other participants:
Week One:
May 15 – The Paige-Turner – Review & Mood Board
May 16 – Adventures of a Book Junkie – Author Q&A
May 17 – The Innocent Smiley – Favorite Unsolved Mysteries
May 18 – Arctic Books – Review
May 19 – Twirling Pages – Review
Week Two:
May 22 – ButterMyBooks – Book Look
May 23 – Ex Libris – Review
May 24 – The Children’s Book Review – Guest Post
May 25 – The Young Folks – Review
May 26 – Brittany’s Book Rambles – Guest Post
Week Three:
May 29 – Mundie Moms – Review
May 30 – Tales of the Ravenous Reader – Author Q&A
May 31 – Fiction Fare – Podcast Author Q&A
June 1 – YA Bibliophile – Guest Post
June 2 – Forever Young Adult – A Million Junes Cocktail -- You are here!