Simple Blueberry Gin Sour Cocktail

Warm weather is coming and one of my favorite things to do is sit on the deck and have a nice chilled cocktail. Our dogs love running around in the backyard and Len loves having her ball thrown, so we sit outside quite a bit in the spring and summer.

I don’t know where I originally came across this recipe and I usually tweak it depending on how I am feeling. Sometimes I like it more sour so I add a little more lemon juice, or a little less simple syrup. If you try this and find it not quite sweet enough, just use the 1:1 ratio of simple syrup to lemon juice and it should work nicely.

Always using fresh citrus for each cocktail because it’s the best!

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, freshly squeezed citrus is one of my favorite scents, especially when the warm weather is rolling in.

Leni always gets an ice cube when we get ice for a cocktail

Ingredients

  • 1/4-1/3 cup fresh blueberries
  • 2 oz dry gin
  • 1 oz lemon juice (or the juice from 1/2 a lemon)
  • 1/2 oz simple syrup (1:1 water to sugar)

Directions

  • Rinse your blueberries and place them in your cocktail shaker, then add your gin and muddle.
  • Add your fresh lemon juice, simple syrup and a handful of ice and shake until drink is chilled (20-30 seconds)
  • Double strain into a nice cocktail glass and add your garnish, enjoy!

Helpful tip: If you need to make a quick simple syrup. Just add water to a pan and bring to a simmer. Turn off your heat and pour in the sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved and pour into a heat safe glass container. Put in the fridge to cool, when cooled, put in an airtight container like a mason jar.

The ratio is always 1:1, so if you add 1/2 cup water, add 1/2 cup of sugar.

The Best Lemon Square Recipe

One of my favorite scents is freshly squeezed citrus. It makes me think of spring, it’s fresh and it just makes me happy! Lemon bars made with freshly squeezed lemons with a flakey sweet crust, even better.

Lemon bars are one of the things I made a lot when I started to bake by myself. They were easy and we always had all of the ingredients on hand. I loved making these for friends because I would always hear them say “I don’t really like lemon” or something to that extent. But when they took a bite of my lemon bars, I could tell by the look on their face that I had changed their mind.

To this day, this recipe still brings me joy and remembering how many people love them. I want to share this recipe in hopes that they will be enjoyed even more.

Your crust might look dry/crumbly, that’s okay!
I judge my crust by the edges, they are a nice golden brown.
Fresh out of the oven.
My helper for today, Leni

Ingredients For the Crust

  • 1 cup or 2 sticks butter (I use salted at room temperature)
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar (plus more for topping)

Ingredients For the Filling

  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice (I use fresh but you can use bottled)
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Directions

  1. For the crust: Mix butter, flour, and powdered sugar together with a hand mixer, then use your hands to really incorporate the butter. Your mixture will look a little dry/crumbly and that’s totally fine!
  2. Press the mixture into a 13×9 inch baking dish, and bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until light brown.
  3. For the filling: Mix the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, flour and baking soda together and pour over the crust, return to the oven for an additional 25 minutes.
  4. Cool and cut into squares, sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy!

Notes

I like to loosen the edges of the bars a few minutes after they come out of the oven, it makes it easier later to remove them from the pan.

I like these baking dishes because they come with nice lids for food storage: Baking Dishes

This is the hand mixer I have used for the last 10+ years and its great: Hand Mixer

The camera we use: Fujifilm Camera Fujifilm Camera with Lens