Name: Crushed cherry cocktail or cordial
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 20
Ingredients: 1 kilogram frozen cherries, thawed; 1.32 kilogram (6 cups) caster (superfine) sugar; 1.25 litre (5 cups) water; 750 millilitre bottle rosé wine or white shiraz; 2 fresh bay leaves; 2 vanilla beans, split sideways, seeds scraped; 1 medium lemon (240g), rind removed in wide strips; 1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice; 5 x 750ml bottles sparkling wine or soda water, chilled; ice cubes, to serve

Crushed cherry cocktail or cordial

This sweet and refreshing crushed cherry drink can be enjoyed on it's own as a beautiful cordial or with an added punch to create a delicious cocktail. Delicious and uplifting, it's perfect for warmer Summer evenings.

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Serves 20

Prep

20M

Cook

30M

Total

50M

Ingredients

1 kilogram frozen cherries, thawed

1.32 kilogram (6 cups) caster (superfine) sugar

1.25 litre (5 cups) water

750 millilitre bottle rosé wine or white shiraz

2 fresh bay leaves

2 vanilla beans, split sideways, seeds scraped

1 medium lemon (240g), rind removed in wide strips

1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice

5 x 750ml bottles sparkling wine or soda water, chilled

ice cubes, to serve

Method

1.Combine cherries, sugar, water, wine, bay leaves, vanilla beans and seeds, and rind in a large saucepan. Stir over medium heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat; simmer 30 minutes, crushing cherries occasionally with a potato masher. Cool. Cover; refrigerate overnight.

2.Strain mixture, reserving cherries, vanilla beans and rind. Stir in juice.

3.To serve, either pour 1/4 cup cherry syrup into Champagne flutes, add a few reserved cherries and top with sparking wine. Or, pour syrup into a large jug, top with ice, some reserved cherries, vanilla beans and rind; top with soda water.

Recipe can be made 1 week ahead.
Note

Women's Weekly Food

Trusted by home cooks for 90 years, The Australian Women’s Weekly’s Test Kitchen and cookbooks hold a singular place in shaping home cooking within the Australian culinary landscape. Today, the AWW Test Kitchen in Sydney is a thriving hub for food content, connected to two bustling photographic studios where a talented team of Australia’s best recipe developers, art directors, editors and photographers create our world class food content. Our recipes are thoroughly tested and tasted and given the Test Kitchen tick of approval, guaranteeing you’ll get great results in your home kitchen.

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