Making Bellinis'

[phillaurie]

How do you make the peach juice ? Mine turns a kind of mucky brown which spoils the effect ?

I 've got the recipe from the Harry's Bar cookbook which is great, its just the colour that bugs me.

[nightscotsman]

I use canned white peaches and add a little lemon juice after pureeing to counteract the sweetness. I'm sure fresh would be better, but I've had no complaints. If you must use fresh, you might try lightly poaching them first. You could add lemon juice, but the amount you would have to add to keep the puree from turning brown might be overpowering.

[Jason Perlow]

I really dug that French 75 you made. Whats the recipe for that?

[nightscotsman]

French 75:

1/4 oz gin (I like Seagrams because of it's citrusy focus)

1/2 oz Cointreau

1/4 oz lemon juice

Shake with ice and pour into chilled cocktail glass. Top with 4 oz of chilled champagne and garnish with a lemon twist.

drink "quickly, while it's laughing at you" - Harry Craddock

[mixmaster b]

OOh--I just saw this! I love French 75's, but I make mine with simple syrup in place of the Cointreau. Next time I will try Nightscotsman's version. This might just be the most expensive cocktail in the world! What do you use for the champagne? I have been drinking Proseco all summer (and into the fall).

Philaurie, maybe a squeeze of lemon juice would help--you might have to experiment as the flavor might be effected, as Nightscotsman says . Also, how far in advance to you make it?

I have seen Fruitfresh mentioned by some of the pastry and dessert mavens on the site. Maybe a bit incorporated into the puree would do the trick.

[nightscotsman]

What do you use for the champagne?  I have been drinking Proseco all summer (and into the fall).

I usually just buy Freixenet. The quality is fine, it's realatively cheap, and you can find it in any grocery store. No point in wasting a really good expensive champane in a cocktail, as the other ingredients would just overpower the more refined wine. I also prefer to use extra dry rather than brut. The flavor tends to stand up to the mixers better.

And if you like cocktails with champagne, or just the occasional glass, one of these stoppers is a must:

They aren't expensive and they can keep champagne drinkable for days.

[hollywood]

I use canned white peaches and add a little lemon juice after pureeing to counteract the sweetness. I'm sure fresh would be better, but I've had no complaints. If you must use fresh, you might try lightly poaching them first. You could add lemon juice, but the amount you would have to add to keep the puree from turning brown might be overpowering.

As I recall, the bellinis at Harry's are pink in color. How do they do that? Grenadine?