EASTER BRUNCH WEEK : Strawberry Basil Mimosas

Anyone who knows me well knows that I love mimosas. I don’t just love them, but I will go out of my way to have brunch at a place that offers them. A restaurant could literally serve me a piece of toast with a bottomless mimosa and It would make my list of favorite brunch spots.

I can’t tell if this strong love manifested itself in college during those hungover Sunday mornings or if this was a way that my adult self now copes with Sunday being so close to Monday.  Whatever the case may be, I love them!

For your Easter gathering I put a spin on the old champagne with orange juice concoction by using a fresh strawberry puree, topped with a basil sugar rim. It’s bright, flavorful, and a good aromatic spin on the classic. The wonderful part about this is that everything can be made the night before so it's one less thing you have to do the day of your party! While I know that Easter is more of a family affair, adding sparkling water or a flavored la croix instead of champagne would be a good alternative if you want to get the kids in on ‘mixing’ their own fun drinks for an Easter brunch cheers!  

STRAWBERRY BASIL MIMOSA

PREP: 15 MIN. | PUREE MAKES : 1 CUP  

S U G A R   B A S I L   R I M:

• 5 Demerara Cubes, crushed
• 3 Tablespoons, white cane sugar
• 2 Small Basil leaves, finely minced
• 4 tablespoons Lemon (~1/2 a lemon)

S T R A W B E R R Y   M I X

• 1 Pound (8oz container) of fresh strawberries, tops removed
• 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons cold water
• 3 Tablespoons, white cane sugar

H O W  T O :

1. Place Demerara cubes in a small ziplock and wrap with dish towel. Take a rolling pin or meat tenderizer and crush sugar cubes until they are lightly broken apart but not quite pulverized. Place into a bowl
2. Add your white cane sugar into same bowl as the Demerara cubes
3. Take your basil leaves and very finely mince them. Slowly fold them into your bowl of sugars trying to avoid any clumping of the basil. The natural oils of the basil will cling onto the sugar becoming somewhat ‘candied’. Set bowl aside
4.  Wash your strawberries, remove the tops, and place them into a blender or food processor
5. Add in your lemon juice, water, and sugar
6. On a low speed, liquify all your ingredients. This should only take a couple of seconds. Once you see everything has liquified stop blending. You want to refrain from over blending because if it gets too aerated it’ll get thick, and almost ‘mousse’ like. If you find your mixture is too thick for your liking add in a touch of water and hand mix until you get the consistency desired
7. Take a small dish and squeeze the juice of half a lemon into it, while in another small dish sprinkle in your basil sugar mixture. These cute rimmers will do the trick!
8. Take a champagne glass and dip the rim into the lemon, then into the sugar mix
9. Pour champagne into the glass, top with a tablespoon of the strawberry mix, and top It off with a fun and festive stir stick
10. Bottoms Up!