5 Festive Cocktails From The Today Show is a post from: Girly Drinks. Check out more ice wine and martini recipes.

From The Today Show and Jeanne Benedict comes these five festive cocktails with unique garnishes that will have the guests at your party raving about what a great host you are (video and recipes below):

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Santa hat cocktail with a candy cane

• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon water
• 3 tablespoons sweetened coconut flakes
• 3 oz. cranberry juice
• 1 oz. coconut-flavored rum
• 1/2 oz. grenadine (1 tablespoon)
• Candy cane

Mix together powdered sugar and water on a small saucer until smooth. Spread coconut in a shallow layer on another saucer. Dip the rim of a Martini glass in the sugar mixture until the rim is coated. Then, dip the sugared rim into the coconut. Use a spoon to pack the coconut on to the sugar coating so it stays on the rim.

Add the cranberry juice, coconut rum, and grenadine into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a prepared Martini glass and serve. Garnish with a candy cane.

Frozen cranberry-mint ice wreath in a wine cocktail

• Silicone shot glass mold
• Fresh cranberries
• Fresh mint
• Water
• 3 oz. Pinot Grigio or light-bodied white wine
• 3 oz. Sprite or lemon-lime soda

Add cranberries into the bottom of shot glass mold cups. Cut tips off cranberries if necessary to fit into the mold. Add fresh mint leaves into the mold, pushing them down so they keep the cranberries in place when water is added. Pour water into the mold cups and place on a flat surface in the freezer until solid. When ready to serve, unmold frozen shot glasses and place them each into a white wine glass. Add Pinot Grigio and soda into each glass and serve.

spiked hot chocolate

Peppermint white hot chocolate with a chocolate-dipped Christmas-sprinkled marshmallow garnish

• 6 cups milk
• 6 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup white chocolate melting chips or wafers
• 2/3 cup peppermint schnapps
• 1 cup milk chocolate melting chips or wafer
• Decorated wooden skewers
• Marshmallows
• Christmas sprinkles

Bring milk and cream to a simmer in a heavy large saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add white chocolate and stir until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in schnapps.

Transfer to a round chafing dish with a ladle for guests to serve themselves into individual mugs. Serve with chocolate dipped marshmallows on the side.

Homemade eggnog with a Bourbon-chocolate glazed cookie ornament garnish

• 6 egg yolks
• 2/3 cup sugar (divided)
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup bourbon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 6 egg whites
• Fresh ground nutmeg
• Bourbon-Chocolate Glazed Cookie Ornament (recipe follows)

Beat egg yolks until thick. Gradually beat in 1/3 cup sugar until mixture is pale yellow. Stir in milk, bourbon, and vanilla until combined. Cover and chill.

Just before serving: Beat cream in a cold bowl until whipped; set aside. In another clean bowl, add egg whites and 1 tablespoon sugar. Using clean beaters, whip egg whites on high speed gradually adding remaining sugar until soft peaks form.

Fold egg yolk mixture and whipped cream into egg whites and transfer into a punch bowl for guests to serve themselves or ladle eggnog into individual mugs prepped with a Bourbon-Chocolate Glazed Cookie Ornament ribbon tied around the mug?s handle. Sprinkle a bit of fresh ground nutmeg on top of eggnog in punch bowl or mugs.

Makes about 5 cups

Bourbon-chocolate glazed cookie ornament

• 6 Keebler Fudge Stripes Cookies
• 1/2 cup chopped, good quality dark chocolate
• Splash of bourbon
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Thin ribbon

To make Bourbon-Chocolate Glaze: melt milk chocolate and bourbon in top of a double boiler. Stir until smooth and glaze on top of cookies. Allow chocolate to set. Thread a ribbon through the hole in each cookie to use as a hanger for the cookie ornament.

To make chocolate-dipped marshmallows: Melt milk chocolate chips in a small bowl in the microwave for 10-second increments; stir until smooth. Insert a toothpick into a marshmallow and swirl the bottom half in the chocolate. Immediately shake sprinkles over the chocolate. Place on wax paper until chocolate sets.

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French Kiss is a post from: Girly Drinks. Check out more ice wine and martini recipes.

Spicy, sweet and sexy, RA Sushi Bar Restaurant has found the perfect match for singles, a Valentine’s cocktail sure to rival any box of chocolates. Available through Feb. 14, the French Kiss is a creamy concoction with spiced chocolate and raspberry, served in a chocolate-drizzled martini glass. The ideal ending to dinner, the French Kiss won’t expect a call the next day.

French Kiss Drink Recipe

RA Sushi: French Kiss

• 3/4 oz Godiva White Chocolate liqueur
• 3/4 oz Godiva Dark Chocolate liqueur
• 1/2 oz Ketel One Vodka
• 1/2 oz Captain Morgan
• 3/4 oz Chambord

Pour all ingredients into a martini shaker. Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass drizzled with chocolate sauce. Garnish with a fresh strawberry on the rim.

About RA Sushi

RA Sushi Bar Restaurant, an upbeat, unconventional sushi bar, opened its first location in Old Town Scottsdale in October 1997. RA is best known for successfully combining distinctive sushi with a trendy, hip atmosphere. Fresh sushi is served to order along with outstanding Japanese-fusion cuisine in a fun, lively environment. The result is a place that is both unpretentious and fashionable. Lunch and dinner are served from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and the bar is open until 1 a.m. or later. Happy Hour food and beverage specials are offered Monday through Saturday, 3 to 7 p.m.

RA has 25 locations across the country. Enjoy RA Sushi in Arizona (Ahwatukee, Mesa, North Scottsdale, South Scottsdale, Tempe and Tucson); California (Chino Hills, Corona, Huntington Beach, San Diego, Torrance and Tustin); Florida (Palm Beach Gardens, Pembroke Pines and South Miami); Georgia (Atlanta); Illinois (Chicago, Glenview and Lombard); Kansas (Leawood); Maryland (Baltimore); Nevada (Las Vegas); and Texas (two Houston locations and Plano). Look for RA on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. For more information visit RA online at www.RAsushi.com.

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Red Velvet Martini is a post from: Girly Drinks. Check out more ice wine and martini recipes.

Carefree Station in Carefree, Arizona, has put a twist on the infamous Valentine’s Day dessert with a Red Velvet Martini. Chocolaty, creamy and perfectly sweet, a deep red raspberry liqueur makes this cocktail as pleasing to look at as it is to drink.

The Red Velvet Martini will be available at Carefree Station through Valentine’s Day, February 14. If you’re not in Arizona, you may want to add this recipe to your “Must Make” cocktail list.

Red Velvet Martini Recipe

Carefree Station Red Velvet Martini

• .5 oz Van Gough Dutch Chocolate Vodka
• .5 oz Stoli Vanilla Vodka
• .5 oz Chateau Monet Framboise Raspberry Liqueur
• Splash of Godiva Chocolate Liqueur

Pour all ingredients into a martini shaker. Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass rimmed with sugar and drizzled with white chocolate and raspberry sauce.

For more information about Carefree Station, visit www.carefreestation.com, follow on Twitter @CarefreeStation or call 480-488-8182.

About Carefree Station:

A popular gathering spot in the Carefree community since 2004, Carefree Station Grill & Bar is a charming indoor/outdoor restaurant located in The Spanish Village. Specializing in Carefree Cuisine, the menu offerings at Carefree Station combine bold flavors with the influences of Southwestern, a little Mexican and whatever we like. Taking advantage of the spectacular views and great weather, plenty of outdoor seating is available either on the cozy covered atrium, romantic tree-lit garden, or scenic rooftop bar, BevHeaven.

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Woodford Reserve’s Liquid Bourbon Ball is a post from: Girly Drinks. Check out more ice wine and martini recipes.

I was pleasantly surprised to receive a Valentine’s Day cocktail recipe made with Woodford Reserve, a bourbon whiskey, since bourbon isn’t often written about on this site (not for lack of not liking it – just lack of relevant recipes).

With Valentine’s Day being so closely associated with chocolate, the folks at Woodford Reserve came up with a chocolate based bourbon cocktail – bourbon, creme de cacao, and hazelnut. If you have previously thought that bourbon wasn’t your thing, the Liquid Bourbon Ball may be the perfect re-introduction.

Woodford Reserve’s Liquid Bourbon Ball

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  Woodford Reserve Liquid Bourbon Ball

  1 oz. Woodford Reserve

• 1 oz. Creme de Cacao
• 1/4 oz. Hazelnut Liqueur

Fill mixing glass with ice, add ingredients and shake. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with chocolate shavings.

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Godiva Liqueurs: Carameltini is a post from: Girly Drinks. Check out more ice wine and martini recipes.

Godiva Caramel Liqueur: Carameltini

I was fortunate enough to receive a sample of one of the newly reformulated Godiva Liqueurs this past week. Available in four new flavors (Chocolate, White Chocolate, Mocha and Caramel), I received the Caramel Liqueur and a few recipes.

If you’ve read this blog at all, you already know that I love Godiva Liqueur – it’s a go-to girly liqueur. I’ve had variations of Godiva Liqueur in recipes like the Almond Joy Martini and the Fontini, and I drink it straight as a dessert cocktail from time to time.

While I did try the Godiva Caramel Liqueur on the rocks as suggested, I also tried the Carameltini, a combination of the caramel liqueur blend and vodka. I also added a swirl of chocolate to the martini glass – might as well make this drink even more girly

And, don’t worry – the “original” Godiva flavor is still available.

Godiva Carameltini:

• 2 oz Godiva Caramel Liqueur
• 1/4 oz Vodka

Optional: Swirl chilled martini glass with chocolate syrup.

Godiva Caramel Liqueur: On The Rocks

Mix Godiva Caramel Liqueur and vodka together. Serve in chilled martini glass.

For more recipes or to check out the other reformulated Godiva liqueurs, visit Godiva.

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The Melting Pot: Chocolate Fontini Recipe is a post from: Girly Drinks. Check out more ice wine and martini recipes.

While having dinner at The Melting Pot a few weeks ago, I imbibed in one of their signature cocktails, the Chocolate Fontini. Made from a combination of Godiva chocolate liquer, Kahlua, Baileys, and the actual chocolate used in their chocolate fondue, the Chocolate Fontini was a delicious choice. Even though this chocolate cocktail is made from all alcohol, I can attest to the fact that it goes down easy.

If you’re not in the mood for a Chocolate Fontini, The Melting Pot also offers cocktails such as the Uin & Yang, Love Martini, and Strawberry Basil Lemonade – a combination of vodka and fresh strawberries, muddled with basil.

Chocolate Fontini Recipe:

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  The Melting Pot: Chocolate Fontini Recipe

  2 oz Godiva Chocolate Liquer

• 1 oz Kahlua
• 1 oz Bailey’s
• 2 oz Milk Chocolate Syrup, for decoration

Drizzle a chilled martini glass with the milk chocolate syrup – coat glass in stripes up and down or swirl glass around while drizzling chocolate in to make a circular pattern. Mix Godiva liquer, kahlua, and bailey’s; pour in glass.

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