sparkling wine

Sparkling Margaritas

Sweet, tart, and bubbly fresh squeezed sparkling margaritas made with elderflower liquor (St. Germaine), cava or sparkling wine / champagne, tequila, and fresh squeezed lemon and lime juice (or sour mix). The recipe and other cinco de mayo margarita inspiration is available on The Wood and Spoon Blog // thewoodandspoon.com

These sparkling margaritas are so festive, so perfectly tart and bubbly, that I decided to write a little short story about them. I’ll let you read it if you promise not to laugh. You’ll catch on soon enough that I spend a lot of hours of my life reading children’s stories to my babies, and if you’re in the same boat as me, I bet you’ll be able to identify which story this little tidbit is inspired by.

If You Give a Girl a Sparkling Margarita

If you give a girl a sparkling margarita, she’s going to want some chips and queso. She’ll go to the store to pick up some cheese, and while she’s there, she’ll see some rainbow sprinkles. It will remind her of her favorite confetti ice cream cake, and she will end up wanting to make it. She’ll buy her queso and sprinkles and then head home to begin baking.

While she’s waiting for the cake to bake, she will call a friend to come over for a visit. They’ll sit and chat, laughing over toasty mugs of coffee and cream. And because a cup of coffee isn’t the same without treats to enjoy it with, she will pull a few confetti scones out of the freezer for them to enjoy together. Of course, seeing the sprinkles will remind her of the cake in the oven, which by now has baked a few minutes too long. The girl will curse her oven and dump out the cake, saving a few crumbs to munch on (because even burnt cake is better than none at all, right?) A

ll of those sweet bites will make her crave something salty so she will heat up some tacos from the night before. She’ll need lettuce, tomatoes, and maybe even a sprinkle of cheese, which will remind her of her chips and queso. And chances are, once she starts eating her chips and queso… she’s going to want a sparkling margarita. The end.

Sparkling Margaritas

“Mercy, someone get this girl out of the house.” I can hear you all now. Yes, it’s probably a bad sign that children’s literature has infiltrated so deep into my thought processes, but the truth remains that if you give this girl some Mexican food, she’s absolutely going to require a marg. So let’s cut to the chase and chat about these sparkling margaritas.

Sweet, tart, and bubbly fresh squeezed sparkling margaritas made with elderflower liquor (St. Germaine), cava or sparkling wine / champagne, tequila, and fresh squeezed lemon and lime juice (or sour mix). The recipe and other cinco de mayo margarita inspiration is available on The Wood and Spoon Blog // thewoodandspoon.com

Sweet, tart, and bubbly fresh squeezed sparkling margaritas made with elderflower liquor (St. Germaine), cava or sparkling wine / champagne, tequila, and fresh squeezed lemon and lime juice (or sour mix). The recipe and other cinco de mayo margarita inspiration is available on The Wood and Spoon Blog // thewoodandspoon.com

This recipe was inspired by a menu item on one of my favorite local Mexican restaurants. Their cocktail menu spans an entire page, but there’s always a few standouts for me, namely their “St. Rita.” A blend of sour mix, St. Germaine, tequila, and cava, the St. Rita is indeed heavenly. Wanting to enjoy a sweet and fizzy beverage from the comfort of my own home, I started testing recipes and I am thrilled with the outcome.

Making the Margaritas

These sparkling margaritas start similarly to your average marg. Fresh squeezed lime juice, tequila, ice… you know the drill. We add elderflower liquor for a sweet and floral punch. Finally, the whole thing gets shaken to oblivion in a cocktail shaker. Once everything is icy and suspended together in that frosty shaker, it gets poured into a salt-rimmed glass and topped with a  few ounces of sparkling wine. At first taste, these sparkling margaritas  are perfectly sweet and sour, with effervescent little bubbles that make each sip feel like a tastebud fiesta in your mouth. Pure magic.

Sweet, tart, and bubbly fresh squeezed sparkling margaritas made with elderflower liquor (St. Germaine), cava or sparkling wine / champagne, tequila, and fresh squeezed lemon and lime juice (or sour mix). The recipe and other cinco de mayo margarita inspiration is available on The Wood and Spoon Blog // thewoodandspoon.com

I’m one of many bloggers who will be sharing margarita and tequila-filled recipes over the next few days for Margarita Week. Kate from ¡HOLA! JALAPEÑO has organized this boozy round-up of recipes to ensure that your Cinco de Mayo party is nothing short of delicious, so I hope you’ll check out the other sites involved.

If you’re looking for an extra bougie (in case you’re wondering, Mom, that means bourgeoisie), South-of-the-border beverage, these sparkling margaritas are the way to go. Pinkies out and enjoy! I’ll be sharing an additional recipe this week on Friday along with a round-up of Mother’s Day breakfast menus, so love your mama and check that out! As always, you can sign up to receive blog posts straight to your email, so if you haven’t done that already, now is the perfect time to do so. Have a great week and Happy Cinco de Mayo!

If you like these sparkling margaritas, you may also like:

Honey Basil Margaritas

Grapefruit Tejitos

Grapefruit Moscow Mules

Vegan Coconut Lime Ice Cream Pie

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Sparkling Margaritas

Sparkling margaritas are a sweet and bubbling version of the classic cocktail, flavored with elderflower liquor and champagne.

  • Author: Kate Wood
  • Prep Time: 5
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce lime juice (about 1 lime)
  • 11/2 ounce elderflower liquor (like St. Germaine)
  • 1 ounce tequila blanco
  • 1/2 ounce simple syrup (optional-see notes)
  • 2 ounces sparkling wine ( or cava/champagne)

Instructions

  1. Combine the lime juice, elderflower liquor, tequila, and simple syrup (optional)in a shaker and fill with ice. Shake vigorously for about 30 seconds. Pour the contents of the shaker in a tall glass and top with the cava. Stir gently and enjoy!

Notes

  • Serve with a salted and sugared glass rim, if desired.
  • I prefer a dry sparkling wine for this recipe.
  • If you prefer a sweeter cocktail, add the 1/2 ounce of simple syrup. This is optional and should be used according to your taste.

Nutrition

  • Calories: 152
  • Sugar: 4
  • Sodium: 19
  • Fat: 0
  • Saturated Fat: 0
  • Unsaturated Fat: 0
  • Trans Fat: 0
  • Carbohydrates: 12
  • Protein: 0
  • Cholesterol: 0

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Champagne Elderflower Cupcakes

Champagne Elderflower Cupcakes recipe by the wood and spoon blog by kate wood. these are simple cupcakes using boozy / booze champagne or sparkling wine or prosecco. There is a hint of lemon in these cupcakes that are also filled with a piped champagne custard. These can be made ahead. Topped with a whipped cream frosting/ icing that is light and kept cold. This is a great recipe to serve a crowd at a party or cocktail party. New year party, new year's dessert menu, boozy desserts, cake using wine or champagne. thewoodandspoon.com

So what are your plans for New Year’s Eve? Do you have the champagne iced down? Is your sequined dress polished and ready for dancing? Did you buy a new lipstick to ready your pucker for a midnight kiss?

Champagne Elderflower CupcakesChampagne Elderflower Cupcakes

New Year’s Eve

Something about New Year’s Eve makes me jittery with excitement. The parties and bubbles and noisemakers and confetti make the world so shiny and glamorous for a brief moment. For a few hours, regardless of the year you’ve had, there’s laughter and excitement and so much hope for the coming year. I love an excuse for a party, but one that gives you the opportunity to celebrate time and the promises of tomorrow is beautiful, if you ask me. This year, Brett and I celebrating with some friends in a more relaxed fashion, and I can’t wait to tell you all about it soon. In the meantime, I’m excited to share these champagne elderflower cupcakes with you, as I’m sure your NYE party is looking for a little extra sugar, booze, and sparkle.

Champagne Elderflower Cupcakes

Champagne Elderflower Cupcakes

These champagne elderflower cupcakes are lightly flavored with champagne and elderflower liqueur. Filled with a champagne custard and topped with a zesty lemon elderflower whipped cream frosting, the cupcakes taste like a cocktail in cake form. What better time to try them out than New Year’s Eve?! These champagne elderflower cupcakes are best eaten the day they’re prepared. Still, they keep well in the fridge, so feel free to make them the morning of your party. If you’re feeling extra festive, serve them alongside an elderflower and champagne cocktail- with only 2 ingredients and zero prep time, this cocktail is a cinch to throw together and will make your cupcakes shine.

Champagne Elderflower CupcakesChampagne Elderflower Cupcakes

All of my hopes, blessings, and love to you and yours this coming year. I wish you all of the best that life has to offer and pray that 2017 is your most delicious year yet. I can’t wait to share more with you in the coming year. Happy New Year and cheers to you!
Champagne Elderflower Cupcakes
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Champagne Elderflower Cupcakes

Scented with elderflower liqueur, lemon zest, and bubbly champagne, these champagne elderflower cupcakes are a festive dessert to include in your holiday and New Year’s Eve celebrations!

  • Author: Kate Wood
  • Prep Time: 45
  • Cook Time: 45
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: 24
  • Category: Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

  • 3 cups cake flour
  • 21/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 eggs, room temperature
  • 13/4 cups sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 cup canola oil
  • 1 cup dry champagne or sparkling white wine
  • 2 tablespoons of elderflower liquor (St. Germain)

For the custard

  • 11/2 cups half and half
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • pinch of sea salt
  • 1/3 cup dry champagne or sparkling white wine
  • 21/2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla

For the frosting

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 21/2 tablespoons elderflower liquor
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest

Instructions

To prepare the cupcakes

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 24 cupcake tins with papers.
  2. In a medium sized bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the eggs, sugar, and vanilla and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Turn the speed down to low and slowly add in the oil.
  4. Add half of the dry ingredients and stir on low speed to combine. Add the wine and liquor, stirring briefly to combine, and then add the remaining dry ingredients. Mix just until combined- do not overmix. Scrape the sides of the bowl and fold the batter to ensure it is thoroughly mixed.
  5. Put approximately 1/4 cup of batter in each cupcake liner (I use a large cookie scoop to fill mine), and then place the prepared pans in the oven. I typically bake one pan at a time to ensure even baking, but you can prepare them how you prefer. Rotate in the oven if you notice on side of the pan getting darker than the other. Bake in the oven for 22-25 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely on a cooling rack while you prepare the remaining elements.

To prepare the custard

  1. Heat the half and half in a medium sized saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat until it is hot (but not boiling). In a separate medium sized bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and salt. Add the wine and cornstarch, whisking until combined. Slowly add 1/3 of the hot half and half, whisking the whole time to ensure the eggs don’t get cooked. Pour the entirety of the mixture back in the saucepan and continue to cook it all on the stove over medium-low heat. You’ll notice that the mixture will begin to thicken and perhaps even bubble slightly. Remove from the heat when the custard is a thick pudding consistency. Whisk in the butter and vanilla and place the custard into a small bowl. Place a sheet of plastic directly on top of the custard, to prevent a skin from forming on the top, and place the bowl in the fridge to cool.

To prepare the frosting

  1. Beat the cream until soft peaks form. Add the sugar, elderflower liquor, and zest and continue beating just until stiff peaks form. Fold in 1/2 cup of the chilled custard into the whipped cream.

To assemble the cupcakes

  1. Using a paring knife, cut a small, tablespoon sized whole in the top of each cupcake. This is where the custard filling will go, so feel free to make the hole somewhat deep but not wider than half the width of the cupcake.
  2. Spoon or pipe the custard into the holes in the cupcakes. About 1 tablespoon of custard should go in each cupcake.
  3. Pipe or dollop the whipping cream frosting on each cupcake. I used a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M tip to pipe my frosting.
  4. Store the cupcakes in the fridge. They are best eaten on the day they are assembled.

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Recipe Adapted From: Julie Richardson

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Elderflower Champagne

A sparkling cocktail to pair with your cupcakes!

  • Author: Kate Wood
  • Prep Time: 5
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1

Ingredients

  • 1/2 ounces elderflower liqueur
  • 3 ounces chilled champagne or dry sparkling wine

Instructions

  1. Pour the elderflower liqueur in the bottom of a champagne flute. Top with the champagne. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

  • Calories: 71
  • Sugar: 1
  • Sodium: 4
  • Fat: 0
  • Saturated Fat: 0
  • Unsaturated Fat: 0
  • Trans Fat: 0
  • Carbohydrates: 2
  • Protein: 0
  • Cholesterol: 0

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Share a photo and tag us — we can't wait to see what you've made!

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