Tea. A beverage that is synonymous with Britain and images of quaint cafes offering cakes on doily-covered plates, to be enjoyed at a leisurely pace, in front of a portrait of the Queen.
Unlike its brash cousin, coffee, that seems relentless in its world domination of morning pick-me-ups, tea has a history of lengthy rituals and strict rules that are often more important than the ultimate consumption.
I don’t like alcohol.
There, I said it. It’s alright, I can tolerate it, but if it suddenly disappeared off the planet I’d not miss it. A little like chocolate. And coffee. Ooh, who said you need politics and religion to be controversial?! 😉
However, sometimes I need to leave the house and be sociable and indulge in a glass or two – there are only certain times and places that it’s acceptable to drink tea and nobody wants to sit with their pint whilst I sip on a glass of milk! Designated driver duties work wonders but still, I can’t always use that excuse.
So when it comes to ‘preferred’ beverages over 0% ABV, I skip straight to the harder stuff – I’ve developed a liking for vodka, probably because I don’t think it has that much of a taste (and I can pretend I’m an international spy…), although I’d like to think I’m a little more discerning these days than liking bog-standard Smirnoff.
However, anyone who knows me realises that I do love cake – so joy of joys, when a drink tastes like a cake, I’m a happy bunny! Perhaps this is another reason why I opt for vodka: the beauty of the spirit being that you can infuse it with anything and it will pick up the flavours. Strawberries, Skittles, even bacon or pickles (?) can be used to create a distinct base for a cocktail.
Therefore, as tomorrow marks my… *cough* birthday, I thought I’d share some delicious cocktails, that imitate classic cakes and treats for this week’s Monday Munchies. Because, what says celebration more than cakes and cocktails? (Okay, okay, presents, balloons, flowers, fireworks, champagne, parties all work too!)
Shakers at the ready for CAKE. IN A GLASS!
The first time I ever had to appear on stage at the tender age of four, this song was my offering to the world. Donned in a red cardboard ‘teapot’, dodgily hung around my neck with a bit of rope, I looked out at the audience of parents, teachers and older kids. I knew it would be a tough crowd, nobody loved giving up their afternoon to watch nursery children squawking out of key unless it was one of their own (and that was debatable!)
Prodded along by my teacher, I dutifully performed the actions, stomping around as the dumpy little vessel, trying to get the words out as quickly as possible. Of course, it’s me so it should be no surprise that when I was almost finished, tipping myself up for the final line, I promptly toppled to one side, fell in a heap and ran off-stage crying. Sigh…at least it got a laugh!
So that’s the story of inspiration for today’s Monday Munchie’s title (and my 50th post!), but what about the recipe? Well, as we’ve just returned from Ireland, I thought it would be nice to try and link in something authentic, so I opted to try a good old stout cake (recipe found on My Bacon-wrapped Life). I’ve never baked with beer before, but S has been dropping hints for a while. You see, he’s well into his craft beer, ever since I bought him a brewing kit just over a year ago, refusing to drink such ‘abominations’ as Carlsberg or Becks these days! And because of this, Ireland was slightly problematic because (shock, horror!), he doesn’t rate Guinness.
Aloada Bobbins 