Credit to Accompany Recipe Excerpt with Cover Image

Credit to accompany recipe excerpt with cover image:

Image credit:Colin Erricson

Lemon Thyme Vodka SlushyMakes 4 servings

If you like lemonade, you will love this cooling, zesty slush. You’ll need to start a day or two before you want to drink it. Once you have the lemony syrup cubes in the freezer, you have delicious drinks in the bank, to dole out on hot afternoons, or for a party.

•Fine-mesh sieve

•2 ice cube trays

•4 margarita glasses

Lemon Thyme Ice Cubes

3cupswater750mL

1cupgranulated sugar250mL

Strips of zest from 1⁄2 large lemon (see tip)

35sprigs fresh thyme35

11⁄4cups freshly squeezed lemon juice300mL

Slushy

2 ozvodka60mL

2 ozlimoncello60mL

12Lemon Thyme Ice Cubes12

1cuptonic water250mL

4sprigs fresh thyme4

1.Ice Cubes: Place the water and sugar in theVitamix container and secure the lid. With the switch on Variable, select speed 1 and turn the machine on. Quickly increase the speed to 10, then flip the switch to High and blend for about 5minutes, until the syrup is steaming.

2.Place the lemon zest and thyme in a 4-cup (1 L) glass measuringcup or heatproof container and pour in the hot syrup. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon, pressing the zest and thyme up against the sides of thecup to release the flavors into the hot syrup. Cover and let steep at room temperature overnight.

3.Strain the syrup through the sieve into another measuringcup or bowl, pressing on the zest and thyme; discard solids. Stirlemon juice into syrup.

4.Pour into ice cube trays and freeze for about 8 hours, until solid. Once frozen, transfer to sealable freezer bags and store in the freezer for up to 3 weeks. (Makes enough ice cubes for 8 servings.)

5.Slushy: Place the vodka, limoncello and icecubes in the Vitamix container and secure the lid. With the switch on Variable, select speed 1 and turn the machine on. Gradually increase the speed to 10, then flip the switch to High and blend for about 10 seconds or until slushy.

6.Turn the machine off and stir in tonic water. Pour into margarita glasses and garnish each with a sprig of thyme. Serveimmediately.

Tips

For the strips of lemon zest, use a vegetable peeler or a sharp paring knife to pare off the yellow zest in wide strips, avoiding the whitepith.

There’s no need to remove the leaves from the thyme sprigs; both the stems and leaves will infuse flavor into the syrup.

Martine Quibell, Publicity Manager, Robert Rose Inc.

120 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 800, Toronto, ON M4P 1E2

416-322-6552 x 3133 /