Raspberry Cordial Spritzer and Raspberry Prosecco Sorbet

 

I am a child of the Eighties, part of the disco era and the real MTV generation. I grew up in a decade where we made a statement with extravagant neon colored fashion, big hair and loud music. The years defined us, made us idealists and pushed us into the 21^st century as adults, ready to pass on the same idealism to our children – the children of the twenty first century.

When we got home from school, the backyard was our kingdom and imagination was the keyword. A table was converted into a stage and we spent hours practicing the Moonwalk or getting into the Groove. A tree house transformed into the Ewok planet Endor and Han Solo always came to the rescue. A hairbrush became our microphone, the ghetto blaster our band and Like a Virgin our hymn. But we never managed to beat the Rubik’s Cube.

The batteries ran low on our walkmans as we spent countless hours listening to our favorite songs, compiled on cassette tapes. In the Eighties, love was a battlefield and girls just wanted to have fun, we relaxed to Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Boy George sang about the colors of his dreams, red, gold, and green. We knew The Artist when he was humbly called Prince and partying “like it’s 1999” seemed light-years away.

MTV brought the Wild Boys into my living room and at the tender age of thirteen, I fell in love with three Norwegians who wanted to Take on Me. I went to the movies with the elite Brat Pack at the Breakfast Club, took the day off with Ferris Bueller and Iceman and Maverick were rather hot. Footloose was my dance, The Temple of Doom, my adventure and an extra-terrestrial with a glowing finger captured my heart. On TV, I hung out at 21 Jump Street, danced to Fame, laughed at Family Ties and Max Headroom was cool. Didn’t we all want a car like KITT?

We were fashionistas in those ubiquitous legwarmers, oversized sweatshirts worn like mini-dresses over neon colored leotards and our hair defied all laws of gravity. The boys looked slick and sharp in the pastel colored Miami Vice look and social networking meant hanging out at Pizza Hut with real-life friends.

It was like totally RAD to stay up all night flicking through the latest Smash Hits and making up dreams about our current heartthrobs. Snacking on melted Velveeta cheese and nachos, washed down with grape Kool-Aid, we read Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys and friendships were sealed with a friendship band.

CNN took us to Tiananman's Square and we watched in horror as the Challenger exploded, cheered as the Berlin wall came down and AIDS was something only Homosexual men got! We were young, rebellious and always dressed to a T.

Today, we are the ones who still turn up the volume and sing along with The Bangles perfectly, still swoon at the sight of Simon Le Bon or Morten Harket and we still own a Swatch (somewhere). We still believe Luke and Han Solo to be the true heroes of Star Wars and wonder whatever happened to the simple Lego building blocks. Our children think we are cool because we know the difference between Autobots and Decepticons and who the Power Rangers are. But we still cannot beat the Rubik’s Cube.

The Eighties was big, shaping and forming us into the colorful adults we are today.

How do you remember the Eighties? 

This month Sarah of Maison Cupcake is hosting the Monthly Mingle and the theme is Think Pink. Although I was not sure what I would be making, the Think Pink message transported me back into the Eighties. I was not always the pink frou frou kind of girl but do remember my neon pink legwarmers, huge pink colored hoop earrings, pink and black tank tops. I laughed profusely as I remembered threatening my best girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend that if he did not leave her alone, I’d dye the hair on his private parts bright pink and tie him naked to a palm tree on the main road for everyone to see! Ever since then “Think Pink” has a whole different meaning to us. 

Light and refreshing, both the spritzer and the sorbet provide a sweet, fruity and tangy flavor with an intense aromatic and crisp note of Prosecco. Depending on the type of Prosecco you use, it will add highlights of mellow apple, pear and peach.

Recipe: Raspberry Cordial Spritzer

Printable version of recipe here

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 600 g raspberries
• 300 g fine sugar
• Juice from 1/2 a lemon
• 1 liter water
• Seltzer
• Prosecco

Method:

1. Place the raspberries in a medium-sized saucepan, sprinkle with the sugar, squeeze over the lemon juice and pour over the water.
2. Over a medium heat bring the mixture to a boil. Stir a few times to dissolve the sugar. Turn down and simmer for about 6-7 minutes or until the raspberries disintegrate.
3. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Pass through a fine meshed sieve to strain, pressing down on the fruit. Most of the raspberry flesh should be soft enough to pass through, leaving the pips behind.
4. Allow to cool, then pour into a glass vessel and place in the fridge.
5. To serve the spritzer, pour a some of the cordial in a glass and top off with seltzer or to make it extravagant some bubbly Prosecco.

Recipe: Raspberry Prosecco Sorbet

Printable version of recipe here

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes (+ time in ice cream maker)

Ingredients:

• 300 ml Prosecco
• 60 ml water
• 95 g sugar
• 500 g raspberries

Method:

1. In a medium bowl, mix together Prosecco, water and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil, then add the raspberries. Remove from the heat and allow to steep for 15 minutes.
2. Pass through a fine meshed sieve to strain, pressing down on the fruit. Discard the seeds.
3. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator overnight, then freeze in your ice cream maker according the manufacturer's instructions

Verdict

I love the fact that with pretty much the same ingredients you can make two exquisite and very different recipes. Always a bonus in my books when I need to entertain. The calendar reminded me this week that Spring was here and when I look outside I see gorgeous blue skies and feel the warmth of the beautiful sunshine. My mind is racing ahead and I am already planning picnics and garden parties. I know that both the raspberry cordial spritzer and raspberry prosecco sorbet will be making their appearances often this summer.

Both recipes are the perfect coolers. Using fruity raspberries and a spritz of Prosecco you will feel Spring around the corner. Invite your friends over and have an 80s revival parties, these two recipes will hit the right note for sure.

Sarah and I hope to see you at the Think Pink party this month. You have plenty of time as the deadline ends on March 30th, 2011.

Hope you all have a lovely, sunny and relaxing weekend. I’ll see you all next week.

More pink treats from WFLH:

Crème Fraîche Strawberry Basil Ice-Cream	Panna Cotta - Strawberry with Balsamic Red Wine Syrup	Rhubarb Raspberry Trifle

 

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