Taking
advantage of the abundance of fresh fruit is one of the perks of summer. Fresh
berries, melons and stone fruits naturally lend themselves to a variety of
desserts, but they also make wonderful cocktails – and nothing puts dinner
guests
in
a better mood than being greeted with a special cocktail (with or without
alcohol) made with fresh fruit. Though this blog is mostly focused on desserts,
occasionally I get a little side-tracked and spotlight something served before
the
main course instead
of after. Yesterday I found some adorable miniature seedless watermelons in my
local supermarket, and just couldn’t resist their pull. Because of their high
water content and natural sweetness, watermelons make
particularly delicious cocktails. And
because the flavors watermelon and lime pair so well, a watermelon daiquiri is
one of my favorite summer drinks. Freezing the watermelon ensures an ice-cold
drink, while adding a little Cointreau adds a subtle
floral note. This daiquiri is perfectly
balanced, with a strong rum kick. Be careful, these babies will sneak up on
you.
Watermelon
Daiquiris
Makes 4 drinks
5 cups seedless watermelon flesh, cut
into 1-inch cubes
½ cup (121 g) lime juice
1 ¼ cups dark rum (I like Mount Gay or
Myers’s)
¼ cup simple syrup (equal parts sugar and
water) or 3 tablespoons (37 g) superfine granulated sugar
1 tablespoon Cointreau
6 ice cubes
1. Place the watermelon cubes in a
covered container in the freezer for at least 1 hour. Place serving glasses in
the freezer to chill, too.
2. Combine all ingredients except the ice
cubes in a blender and process at low speed until smooth. Add the ice cubes and
process at high speed until smooth. Serve the daiquiris in chilled glasses with
a small slice of watermelon.
