Lemon Sparkler Recipes

LEMON SPARKLER

Steps:

• Fill a tumbler with ice. Pour all ingredients into tumbler, and stir until combined. Garnish with lemon-balm leaves, if desired, and the lemon slice.

MIDNIGHT SPARKLER COCKTAIL

Steps:

• Rub half the rim of 4 stemmed glasses (preferably coupe glasses) with lemon slice and dip into sanding sugar, if using. Chill glasses until ready to use.
• Combine crème de violette, clementine juice, lemon juice, and gin in a cocktail shaker. Fill shaker with ice, cover, and shake vigorously until outside of shaker is very cold, about 30 seconds. Strain into prepared glasses, top off with Champagne, and garnish with a lemon twist, if using.
• Do Ahead
• Cocktail base (without champagne) can be made 1 day ahead; cover and chill.

SPARKLY LEMON COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and salt. In a large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Beat in eggs until combined. Gradually add flour mixture and beat on low until just combined. Slowly add milk and beat on medium until a dough forms, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip (such as Ateco #806). Pipe 1 1/2-inch rounds onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until bottoms of cookies are pale golden, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks; let cool completely.
• In a bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Using a pastry brush, brush glaze onto cookies. Sprinkle with sanding sugar. Let glaze harden, about 20 minutes. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.)

LEMON-LIME SPARKLER

Steps:

• Pick the grapes from the stems and place them in a single layer on a rimmed cookie sheet. Put the grapes into the freezer and freeze for at least 3 hours or overnight. Once frozen, the grapes can be put into a plastic freezer bag.
• When ready to serve, in a large pitcher stir together the lemon-lime soda, gin, and lime and lemon juice. Fill a glass with frozen grapes and pour over the cocktail mix. Garnish with slices of lemon and lime if desired.

VODKA GRAPE SPARKLER

Steps:

• Blend the whole grapes, honey and lemon juice in a blender until smooth. Blend in batches, if necessary. Drain the grape mixture into a pitcher. Add the vodka and sliced grapes. Cover the pitcher and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour.
• Add the rose to the mixture just before serving and serve in red wine goblets.