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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- 2 tablespoons minced red pepper (patted dry of juices)
- 2 tablespoons coarse or kosher salt
- Lime wedge, plus a lime wheel garnish
- 6 oz. tomato juice
- 1 oz. vodka
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/8 teaspoon fresh horseradish sauce
- Juice of 1/2 lime (2 teaspoons)
- Optional: splash of Tabasco pepper sauce
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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