These simple yet beautifully festive Valentine's Day Strawberries & Cream Martinis are just what you need to enjoy a romantic dinner at home.
And let's be honest for a moment, isn't a romantic dinner at home TEN times more enjoyable than heading out to an overly crowded restaurant where the service is probably going to be slow and the volume a bit loud?
My birthday falls during the same week as Valentine's Day, so for me, I'm only getting all dressed up once. And it's for my birthday dinner! Far fewer people will be out and there's absolutely no pressure to wear red.
Years ago, I decided we would stay home for Valentine's Day. I grab a bottle of wine and some flowers from the grocery store (I'm actually a weirdo and request my husband NOT buy me flowers for Valentine's Day), and put a bit of extra thought into what our meal might be. Last year was a Sexy Seafood Pasta. So delicious and just enough of "fancy" to not feel guilty about staying in.
I'm not entirely sure what we'll have this year but I know that these Strawberries & Cream Martinis will be making an appearance.
They are incredibly easy to make, requiring only a handful of ingredients.
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You'll need:
Strawberry Puree:
16 ounce container of strawberries, hulled and sliced in half
1/2 cup water
1/2 sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Strawberries & Cream Martinis:
2 ounces Strawberry flavored vodka
4 ounces of strawberry puree
dollop of whipped cream
To make the Strawberry Puree: Add the strawberries, water, sugar and lemon juice to a medium-size pot and simmer for about 10 minutes until the strawberries begin to soften and the sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool and add to the blender to puree. If you prefer not to have the seeds, strain through a fine mesh strainer.
Place the Strawberries & Cream Martinis ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously until chilled. Pour into a martini glass and top with whipped cream. Garnish with a heart-shaped strawberry slice.
What about you? Do you venture out, or stay at home? Or, do you celebrate Valentine's Day at all?
Be sure to visit me for more festive and fun recipes on my blog, Southern From Scratch.
- Aimee
