February is the month of love, and nothing says “Happy Valentine’s Day” like an elegant cocktail. For V-Day, we’ve mixed up some special treats just for you, The Cupid’s Bow & Crab Rangoon Mozzarella Sticks!
Here are the most important ingredients of this romantic, fruity, but not-too-sweet cocktail:
Tart Cherry-Infused Jeptha Creed Original Vodka
Jeptha Creed’s original vodka is made with 100% Bloody Butcher corn, imparting a nectar-like quality, a deliciously delicate cake batter taste, and a warm, sweet finish. Mix a dozen tart cherries into one bottle of Jeptha Creed original vodka and let the flavors infuse for three days.
Strawberry Shrub
A “shrub” is a concentration of fruit, vinegar, and sugar. We got our strawberry shrub from Shrub & Co., but you can easily make one at home:
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups (8 ounces) Strawberries, hulled and quartered
½ cup Sugar
½ cup Balsamic Vinegar
Directions:
- Place strawberries and sugar into a medium bowl. Stir to combine.
- Cover and allow to macerate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or up to one day.
- Position a fine-mesh strainer over a small bowl and pour the mixture through to remove the solids.
- Combine the strained syrup with vinegar. Whisk well to incorporate.
- Pour syrup and vinegar mixture into a clean jar. Cap and shake well to incorporate any undissolved sugar. Place back in the fridge for a week before using.
Tip: You may have some sugar clinging to the strawberry solids after straining. If so, set the strainer with the solids over another small bowl. Pour the syrup and vinegar mixture over the solids to wash the sugar into the bowl. Repeat as needed.
Champagne or Bubbly
Champagne is the quintessential Valentine’s Day drink, so we had to top the Cupid’s Bow with a pour of bubbly (we use André or Wycliff behind the bar at Jeptha Creed), before garnishing with the perfect Valentine’s Day dessert: a chocolate-dipped strawberry.
Our Cupid’s Bow will be on special the week of Valentine’s Day, or you can make it at home for your special someone. It pairs well with boxes of dark chocolate and salty, savory small bites like our Crab Rangoon mozzarella sticks with sweet chili dipping sauce. Try your hand in your own kitchen or swing by the Creed Café this month for a hot plate, made from scratch.
Cupid’s Bow
Ingredients
2 oz Jeptha Creed Cherry-Infused Vodka
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
3/4 oz Strawberry Shrub
Champagne or Bubbly
Fresh Mint
Chocolate-Covered Strawberries or Cherries
Directions
Add vodka, simple syrup, shrub, and mint to a shaker with ice. Shake until chilled. Double strain into a coupe glass. Top with champagne or bubbly. Garnish with chocolate-covered strawberries or cherries.
Crab Rangoon Mozzarella Sticks
Ingredients
For filling:
8 oz Cream Cheese
12 oz Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
8 oz Crab or Surimi
1 cup Sliced Green Onions
1 Teaspoon Sriracha
1 tablespoon Sugar or Mirin
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon Granulated Garlic
For breading:
3 Eggs
3 tablespoons Water
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
3 cups Fine Panko Breadcrumbs
Directions
Combine filling ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly with hands. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread filling out on the baking sheet and freeze for 2 hours.
Whisk eggs and water together.
Set up a breading station with three bowls, one of each: whipped eggs, flour, and breadcrumbs.
Cut filling into .5-inch by .5-inch by 3-inch rectangles. Roll in flour; transfer to egg wash and roll until completely coated; transfer to breadcrumbs and roll to cover completely.
Add enough oil to a tabletop fryer, Dutch oven, or cast-iron skillet to ensure full submersion. Heat oil to 350 degrees. Fry sticks until golden brown (about 3 minutes.) If you see cream cheese starting to leak from the breading, pull the stick out of fryer within 15 seconds, and be careful of oil popping. If too much cream cheese is escaping, double bread by going back into the egg wash after the panko and then into the panko again.