{Recipes of the Week: Light & Fresh}

Fresh and bright flavors sound delicious in this heat. This light cocktail and creamy ice cream recipe sound incredibly delectable.

CUCUMBER AND ELDERFLOWER GIN 

COCKTAIL

Cucumber

Hendricks gin

Elderflower syrup

Tonic water

Ice

In a short glass, add a two strips of cucumber using a potato peeler.  Add a few cubes of ice.  Add 30ml gin (one shot) and a dash of elderflower syrup (to taste).  Top it with tonic water.  Enjoy!

Fresh Mint Chip Frozen Yogurt

{If you don't have access to brown rice syrup (available at many natural food stores) or prefer a less malty tasting sweetener, feel free to substitute 1/2 cup / 120 ml maple syrup or honey.}

1 cup fresh mint leaves

1 cup / 240 ml heavy cream

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons / 130 ml brown rice syrup

Scant 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

2 cups / 480 ml whole-milk Greek yogurt

2 ounces good quality dark chocolate, finely chopped

Coarsely chop the mint leaves and put them in a saucepan with the cream. Bring just to a simmer over medium heat, occasionally stirring and pressing the mint leaves so that they release the oils. As soon as it comes to a simmer, add the brown rice syrup and stir to combine, then turn off the heat. Leave the mixture on the stove top to steep for 30 minutes.

Pour the cream mixture into a bowl through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the mint leaves. Add the peppermint extract and yogurt to the bowl and whisk to combine. Cover the mixture and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.

Churn the yogurt mixture in an ice cream maker, following the manufacturer's instructions. When the yogurt if finished churning, stir in the chocolate (hs note: alternately, I usually drizzle in just-melted chocolate instead of chopped). Serve immediately (recommended!), or transfer to a covered container and store in the freezer, where it will firm up increasingly over time.

Serves 4-6.

*Images and recipes via foodonpaper.com 101cookbooks.com