Hey guys. Lindsay and John from Bird and Cleaver here. We have said before that we are really thrilled to be a part of M.K, right? Well, we really and truly are. This little site never ceases to amaze us with fantastic little snippets of things we had all but forgotten. Kind of funny how one picture can bring back a whole flood of memories. So, as kind of an homage to this idea, we whipped up a simple little recipe born from some of our favorite summers of the past.
Who doesn’t like a shave ice? Back then we called it a sno cone. Or was it a slushie….or slurpee? Well, whatever you call it, I am sure we all have at least one good memory about this sweet, icy little life saver. Whether it was a quick trip to 7-11, a post beach dessert, or something you only did with your “cool uncle”. If you were really lucky, you may have been blessed with a machine to create them at home. One awesome summer, my brother and I actually acquired the Snoopy Sno Cone Machine and proceeded to plow through our entire stockpile of Kool-Aid, trying to create the perfect sno cone flavor. Pretty sure we just ended up making a mess! Every once in a while, our mom would break down and buy us a bottle of sno cone syrup to share. Mmmmmmm, artificial sugar syrup. Of course, we loved it! We were hot…it was cold. We were kids in the 80’s…it was neon. Match made in heaven!
These days, we still love a good shave ice. There is a little stand right around the corner where we are certainly not strangers. However, this is not the 80’s, and we cannot deny that anything made almost entirely of colors not found in nature should not really be ingested on a regular basis. So, as with most things in the Cheesebrew house, we err on the side of moderation. We used a few non-radioactive ingredients, and made our own syrup. And I have to say, I think we are onto something. Also, being at home means you can turn these into a slightly more adult treat. And that’s pretty great too! So here’s to summer memories, and to staying cool! Cheers!
boozy blackberry + lime sno cone {shave ice}
makes enough for 4 servings
( 1 cup each)
for the syrup :
- 1 cup fresh blackberries
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- pinch of salt
additional ingredients:
- vodka
- blackberries for garnish
- mint for garnish
special equipment:
- shave ice maker (you can get an electric Shave Ice Machine
 for around $28….not too bad!)
Combine blackberries, sugar, water, lime juice and pinch of salt in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until mixture has cooked down into a syrup. Remove from heat and strain through a fine mesh sieve. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile shave your ice. Place in bowls.
Combine syrup and vodka. We used a 2 part syrup to 1 part vodka ratio, but feel free to adjust according to your personal taste preference. Or of course you can leave the vodka out entirely for a more kid friendly treat!
Pour over shaved ice and garnish with a fresh blackberry and mint sprig. Enjoy!
We’ll see you next week….
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