The Spoon of Joy.

The weather has turned  and the evening getting darker, and in the blink of the eye it will be Christmas. We all working to making festive as joyful as we can.   This cheery season is my favorite time of the year. Meeting people for one or the other reason, that brings the spirit of Christmas out in all of us. In the run up to Christmas,  I love to start  the festive evening with  these more fashionable moctails. I choose to  celebrate the holiday season  with this classic berry drink, it fits the Christmas theme so perfectly. Viola, have a Fresh, fruity and fizzy  Christmas with this Berry Moctail. 

INGREDIENTS

1 cup cranberry juice

 1 cup orange and passion fruit juice

¼  cup lemon juice

1 cup soda water or lemonade

crushed ice

10  strawberries

10 raspberries

5 blackberries

5 blueberries

Tip in all the ingredients into an electric blender . Blend until smooth. Serve with a fresh slice of lemon and berry of your choice.

There is so much joy, so much excitement in the air, yes it’s the Christmas season, preparing to celebrate the birth of our Messiah! There are plenty many ways to enjoy a holy and a jolly ways to enjoy this beautiful festive season, oh I love writing the cards and wrapping up the gifts for my loved ones! Yes baking mince pies. Setting up the Christmas tree, making it a big event by heating up that creamy hot chocolate, nothing can be more satisfying that seeing that Christmas tree glittering with all the decorations and the gifts boxes beneath.  Well what if I want to go a bit further and make this festive season a bit more celebrating? What if I make a   classic Christmas Coffee? Oh yeah!  I can only find reasons to stir in the warmth of  some coffee into this the Christmas preparations. From wrapping the gifts, to deciding the menu for the Christmas meal, this amazing Classic Christmas Coffee finds its way as we head towards Christmas!  And like Susan Simmer says  ‘A merry coffee to warm the whiskers with’.

This recipe has been adapted from Susan Simmer’s I Love Coffee.

INGREDIENTS

45 ml brandy,

140 ml steamed milk,

2 ½ teaspoons cinnamon  syrup,

¾ cup freshly brewed coffee,

Whipping cream to serve,

Cinnamon stick to garnish,

Combine the brandy, and 1 ½ teaspoons of cinnamon  syrup in a heated mug or cup.

Add the steamed milk to this.

Fill the rest of the cup with coffee,

In a small bowl, combine the whip cream with the remaining 1 teaspoon of cinnamon syrup and whip until soft peaks form.

Garnish the coffee with whipped cream with the help of a piping bag and serve with a cinnamon stick.