Infusapalooza

 
It also marked a few birthdays and so this went hand in hand with some research in the nearby city of Chester. We went to a few new bars but unfortunately none were able to impress, so although I won't go in to detail there, I am pleased to say that Hickory's did the complete opposite and failed to disappoint! Everyone knows how good their pulled pork is, but we sampled their frickles as well this time, and every thing was to die for!
 
Service was great, and the team really allowed us to be awkward in rearranging cocktails to suit our tastes. I am on the path to loving gin, but couldn't resist switching it for rum in a couple of drinks, as well as adding it to the children's blue raspberry and cherry slushies! Perfect for the hot weather! Wish I had one now!




This river based delight aside, we were very uninspired by the other bars and still craved some great drinks, so we headed home to raid the Infusapalooza cupboards, and this is where the Blueberry Pancake and Banoffee Pie concoctions were discovered! 

As with most infusions, you have to plan ahead for your future cravings because they tend take a minimum of a few days to infuse. So, after eyeing up some large, bright lemons on the way back, I decided a future craving would be Limoncello! This is one of the longest infusions that I've tackled to date, so we'll come back to that another time.

The reason I mention the Limoncello now, is because I only needed the rind, but had the fruit and juice of eight lemons leftover, hmmmmm what shall I make? Lemonade, OF COURSE!!!!!

This one tastes so good, so refreshing, it's just perfect for sunny afternoons like today!



Ingredients
8 Lemons
450g Castor Sugar
1.5 Litres Water
Ice


Road to Sweet Refreshment
First of all, have a think if you might fancy some Limoncello.......if you think you might do, you need to use a grater or potato peeler to remove the rind, but be super careful not to take the pith with the rind, this is bitter and will ruin the infusion.

Now, juice those lemons!
You should yield about 500ml of juice.
(Mary Berry Tip - Pop the lemons in the microwave for 20 seconds before juicing to get extra juice out!)

Separately in a pan, dissolve the sugar in 500ml of the water over a low heat.
Once dissolved in to a simple syrup, remove from the heat, and add the lemons, along with the remaining water.
Fill a large jug with ice and pour the lemonade over the ice.

Now grab a glass and drink, and drink, and drink, and try and put that stuff down!

There's quite a bit of sugar in this, that's my taste, you can use less, or just add extra lemon juice or water at the end if it's too sweet or strong for your taste.


Additional Ways to Enjoy It:

• I added a few springs of mint from the garden, no muddling, I just tore the leaves and added to my glass with a stir to give a subtle hint of mint. So refreshing!
• Add rum - That's my answer to a lot of things! 
• In the sunshine, in the garden, and with freshly baked Banana Cinnamon Rolls!! - Almost forgot about those, I had bananas to use up, but after eating 6 out of the 12 buns in 24 hours, I think the diet would have preferred I just eat the bananas raw, my tummy has a different opinion!

Limoncello guide coming soon.....See you next time!