Tad Seaborn/The Globe and Mail
Blood oranges are still in season and they are beautiful. An easy way to take advantage of their joyful colour and sweet tang is to make blood orange syrup and then head straight to cocktail-ville. Start with a sparkling wine base and keep it as simple or complex as suits the mood. You can add the syrup on its own, compliment with an orange based liqueur such as Cointreau or add the sweet, floral notes of elderflower-based St. Germain. For a weekend brunch, go the mimosa route – and pour some of the fresh squeezed juice to your champers.
Blood Orange Cocktail
7-8 blood oranges
2 tablespoons of sugar
Champagne and/or liqueur
Method
Juice 7-8 blood oranges and strain until you have 1 cup of juice.
In a small pot, bring the juice and 2 tablespoons of sugar to a boil (stir to help dissolve the sugar) then simmer and reduce for 10-15 minutes or until the mixture becomes syrupy. Remove from heat and cool.
Add two teaspoons of the blood orange syrup to a champagne flute and top with the bubbly. If adding a liqueur such as St. Germaine, start with 1/2 oz and adjust if needed.
Sue Riedl