Hibiscus, horchata (rice is so nice), and tamarind are classics, but the real beauty of aguas frescas is how easy they are to remix. Just grab some fresh fruit, lime juice, a touch of sweetener (if you need it), maybe a few mint leaves for flair, and you’re already halfway to hydration heaven. Blend it all up, and bam—liquid sunshine in your glass.
Aguas frescas can be any number of different beverages depending on the fruit you choose to add. Try this super easy and refreshing, bright beverage on a hot summer’s day!
Ingredients
1 cup roughly chopped fruit
1 cup water
1 lime
1 tsp sweetener (sugar, agave, whatever you like!)
Optional: Fruit slices for garnish
Directions
If your fruit’s already peak-level sweet, you might not even need the sweetener.
For an extra twist, toss in a few fresh mint leaves—because why just hydrate when you can elevate? Blend it all until smooth, taste-test for sweetness or minty-ness, and serve over ice. Boom.
This simple blueberry jam recipe is done in 20 minutes and uses just 3 key ingredients. Skip the canning process, skip the pectin. You can freeze it for up to a year so when you have a bounty of berries, whip up a bunch for later. Makes 1.5 cups of blueberry goodness!
Ingredients
4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 lemon , zested and juiced
Pinch salt
Directions
Pump up the jam!
In a medium saucepan, stir together blueberries, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and pinch of salt over medium heat. Stirring frequently, bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally while gently crushing some of the blueberries, 7 to 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened and a digital thermometer reads 220°F or until jam thickens on the back of a spoon (dip a spoon in and coat the back. Run your finger through the jam—if it leaves a clear path, it’s done).
Let cool. 5 minutes in the saucepan before transferring to jars. Leave unopened and let come to room temperature. Once the jam is at room temperature, seal jars and store in the refrigerator. The jam might take 24 to 48 hours to fully set up, but it can be eaten immediately.
Pro Tips: If you don’t have a thermometer: To check if the jam is ready, dip a spoon in and coat the back. Run your finger through the jam—if it leaves a clear path, it’s done. When cooling the jam, leave it uncovered after filling the jars, then refrigerate. It should keep in the fridge for up to 10 days; in the freezer, store it up to a year by storing it in a freezer-safe zipper bag.
Fruit salad meets citrusy bubbles. Just the thing to sip on a summer day!
Ingredients
1 bottle dry white wine, chilled – like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio
½ cup lemon-flavored vodka
1 can lemon-lime seltzer
4 cups watermelon, cut in ½-inch cubes
2-3 kiwis, cut into rounds
4 cups papaya, cut in ½-inch cubes
1 cup blueberries
2 cups strawberries
Directions
Place layers of fruit into serving glasses, leaving berries for later.
Stir together wine and vodka in a pitcher. Add in lemon-lime seltzer and pour mixture into fruit-filled glasses, up to about ½ inch from the rim. Top with berries and serve with straws and spoons.
Adding sake to dessert recipes will give your sweet treats an exciting and complex twist that most folks won’t be able to place, but they’ll just know it tastes great.
Here’s a bundt cake recipe using sake in both the batter and glaze. Any sake will work. If you use nigori sake (the unfiltered type) it will lend more sweetness than the clear varieties. Remember the same rule as cooking with wine; if you wouldn’t drink it, don’t cook with it.
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups white granulated sugar
5 eggs, at room temperature
3 1/3 cups cake flour
1 Tbsp + ¼ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp kosher salt
½ cup sake – nigori or other
¼ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
zest of 1 orange
½ cup almond flour or additional granulated sugar for pan
Glaze:
6 Tbsp butter
1 ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
¼ cup sake – nigori or other
Directions
Preheat oven to 325°.
(Do not prep your bundt pan until right before pouring your batter in. This will prevent sticking, especially if you have a pan with lots of nooks and crannies!)
In a mixer, beat butter, zest, sugar and salt together until light and fluffy.
Whisk together flour and baking soda together. In a separate container, mix sake and juice together.
Add eggs one at a time to butter/sugar mixture, beating and scraping between each egg. After all eggs are fully incorporated, add flour and liquid mixtures alternately – 3 batches of flour and 2 liquid, ending with flour. Beat until just incorporated.
Now, prep your pan! Spray pan thoroughly with nonstick spray. If you don’t have this, use a neutral-flavored oil on a paper towel. Butter/flour mixture has a tendency to stick in the crevices of fancier bundt pans. After the pan is thoroughly greased, toss almond flour or sugar to coat inside of pan, knocking out excess.
Pour batter into pan and bake 50-65 minutes, until skewer comes out clean. Remove from oven and let sit for five minutes. Make sure edges aren’t sticking to pan, then invert onto a plate. If cake doesn’t fall out by itself, you can put it back in the oven for a few minutes then remove and immediately try inverting again.
While your cake is baking prepare your glaze. Microwave or heat glaze ingredients and stir until melted. Carefully brush over cake while it’s still warm – it will be clear. It is meant to impart flavor and additional moisture. Let the cake cool before cutting.
Here’s a great dessert recipe where wine’s depth and decadence really shine. The secret to these brownies is to not overbake them. When you test them with a knife in the center, you want some chunks of brownie to come out- a clean knife means it’s overdone- it won’t be bad, but the edges may be pretty hard.
Learn more about cooking with wine in our The Union article.
Ingredients
2 cups dried cranberries
2 cups Zinfandel wine
3 ¾ cups sugar
2 ½ cups AP flour
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 ¼ cups cocoa powder (dark/black cocoa is especially nice!)
1Tbsp + 1 tsp kosher salt (use a bit less if using fine or sea salt)
2 sticks and 5 Tbsp (21 Tbsp) unsalted butter
1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
8 eggs
2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped almonds
Directions
In a bowl, soak cranberries in wine for at least three hours, until plump. Strain and reserve 1/3 cup of remaining wine.
Preheat oven to 325°. Butter rimmed sheet pan and line with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients.
Melt the butter and 1 ½ cups chocolate chips in a bowl until very warm. Whisk together, then whisk in eggs. Fold into dry ingredients just a few turns, then pour in reserved wine and continue folding until all is just combined.
Spread onto prepared pan. Bake about 45-55 min…keep checking every 5 or so at 45 with a knife in the center.
Let cool. Run knife along sides. It’s easiest to flip this out by laying another sheet pan on the top of the brownies and then flipping it, taking the parchment off, putting a cutting board on the bottom (which is facing you) then flipping back over again. With the long ends toward you, make five even cuts – six columns. Turn the brownie vertically, then cut three even cuts, making 24 squares.
