“Lifebuoy” Cocktail
The Lifebuoy Cocktail is anything but a punishment for your taste buds! Flavors of muddled raspberries and vanilla bean simple syrup make this bourbon cocktail a great holiday beverage. No profanity required!
Servings: 1 cocktail
Ingredients
- “Lifebuoy” Cocktail
- Makes 1 cocktail
- 5-6 raspberries frozen & thawed or fresh
- ¼ to ½ ounce vanilla bean simple syrup or orgeat depending on preferred sweetness
- 1.5 ounces bourbon
- 2 drops orange bitters
- Splash of seltzer water
For Lifebuoy “Soap” Garnish: {Directions in Notes}
- Red candy wafers
- Small rectangular silicon mold
- Toothpicks
For Dark Chocolate Peppermint Fudge:
- 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups good quality bittersweet 60% cacao chocolate chips
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter diced into small pieces
- ¼ cup chopped after dinner chocolate mints such as Andes
- Optional: ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
Instructions
Make simple syrup:
- Combine ½ cup granulated sugar with ½ cup water in a small saucepan. Scrape the seeds from ½ a fresh vanilla bean and add to mixture; toss in vanilla bean pod. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking a few times. Allow to boil for about 1 minute, then remove from heat and let steep and cool for about 10 minutes before straining mixture. Discard vanilla bean. Set syrup aside until ready to use. Refrigerate if not using right away (up to a week).
For cocktail:
- In a cocktail shaker, combine raspberries and simple syrup. Muddle to release juices from berries.
- Add bourbon and bitters. Fill shaker with ice. Place top on shaker and shake vigorously for about 10 seconds.
- Pour into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice and top with seltzer water.
- Garnish with “soap” if desired!
For Fudge:
- Prepare an 8x8 inch square baking dish by greasing with butter or spraying with non-stick cooking spray. Line with a sheet of parchment paper, creating overhanging “flaps” -- this will aid in removing the fudge once it is set.
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract (as well as peppermint extract if you are using it). Cook for about a minute,stirring continuously, until the mixture is warm and has thinned out a bit. (Make sure it doesn’t begin to scald. If it does, remove from heat.)
- Turn the heat down to low. Stir in chocolate chips and butter and mix until both are completely melted -- the mixture will become very thick. Stir until the mixture is smooth and uniform.
- Pour into prepared baking dish, spreading mixture out in an even layer. Sprinkle mint-chocolate bits over the top, patting down lightly to ensure they adhere.
- Refrigerate until set, about 3 hours. Cut into small (or large!) squares. Best served at room temperature.
Notes
For "Soap" Garnish: Simply place candy wafers in a small dish, heating in microwave for 30 seconds at a time and stirring until fully melted. Pour into silicon mold and allow to set (you may refrigerate to speed up the process). Once hardened, remove from mold and etch “SOAP” into bars with a toothpick if desired, then carefully skewer one end with the toothpick.