Want to impress your guests at your next cocktail party? Food blogger Claire Thomas of The Kitchy Kitchen shares some of her favorite tips that will turn any drink into a gourmet treat. Decorative ice cubes, she says, are a creative new way to dress up your cocktails.
"All you do is you put an edible flower in every single ice cube cavity, fill it with water like you would make a regular ice cube, and then freeze it," Thomas says. "And then as the ice cubes melt, you get these beautiful flowers that sort of float on top of your drink."
The key word is "edible," Thomas notes. Purchase food-safe, pesticide-free flowers like nasturtiums, rose petals and marigolds at your local grocery store. "Nothing poisonous," she says. "We don't want to pick any exotic flowers. Nothing too pokey, either. You want something that's just going to dance on top of the drink."
If you can't find edible flowers, Thomas suggests using fresh fruit as a gorgeous substitute. Just avoid watery fruits or anything that will lose its texture or color, she warns. A slice of banana, for instance, probably wouldn't be the prettiest. Raspberries and other whole berries, on the other hand, freeze beautifully.
To make your frozen creations look their best, Thomas likes to use square, one-inch ice cube trays. "I think it looks absolutely beautiful, and it's also not so big that you lose the flower in there, so the flower really becomes the star of the ice cube."
And if you're wondering how to get crystal clear ice cubes, Thomas has a tip that she swears by. "I boil the water, and that's how I get really clear ice cubes," she says.
More: All you need is an ice cube tray to make this frozen dessert.
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