Strawberry and Lime Refresher

Summer is just over the horizon (only 2 weeks away till the official start for us Southern Hemisphere peeps.)  So a refreshing and fruity drink is just the thing - call it agua fresca or a spritz!  Storm season has started early, and we've been having huge storms with hail and horizontal rain and winds.  So summer storm season is looking dodgy to say the least - eek! :=)   

FYI, I'm a member of the Tweed Regional Art Gallery which is just over the border in New South Wales.  We usually head down there three or four times a year.  So on our most recent excursion in October, we had lunch at the adjoining café/restaurant - where we had their housemade sodas (as they call them).  I loved the strawberry version I had, and decided to make my own, basing it on the citrus cordial I usually make. 

my version - so pretty! and so pink!

their version at Apex Dining

Sherrys' Recipe:

Makes 1 big jug:

ingredients:

1 cup (250 mL) simple sugar syrup, made with 1 scant cup of sugar and 1 cup water   see Notes

3 limes - zest and juice of 2 limes (= c. 50 mL/1.7 oz) and 1 lime for slicing - do the zesting then the juicing 'cos a floppy lime ain't easy to zest

c. 275g./10 oz fresh strawberries = 1 cup of pulp

1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

750 mL/25 oz sparkling water/mineral water for serving

fresh strawberries and lime slices, for serving

freeze-dried strawberries for serving (optional)

strawberries

Method:

First make the sugar syrup by stirring the sugar into the water (in a small saucepan) 

Stir till dissolved, then let it simmer gently for 4-5 minutes, and allow to cool right down

Hull the strawbs and cut into big chunks

Then purée them in a food processor or blender, and push them thru a sieve a couple of times (maybe 3 times) to get rid of the seeds and funny bits :)

Now grab yourself a big jug (glass is good 'cos you can see the pretty)

Pour in the sugar syrup, add lime zest and juice, the strawberry puree and the vanilla extract

Give it a really good stir with a muddler or a long wooden spoon

And add the sparkling water, then throw in the lime slices and freeze-dried strawbs.

Give it all another really big stir, chill it for a bit, and then serve in icy glasses

Leave out the sparkling water and add in some vodka and/or champers for an adult twist!

lime

Notes:

Use whatever sugar you fancy - I used white caster sugar, but you can use any kind you have

Obvs. you can use whatever fruit you have - this would be equally good with other berries, or citrus slices or your fave fruit - even a veg. like rhubarb!

ingredients gathered

make up your sugar syrup and let it cool

zest and juice 2 limes  (don't you just love my Japanese knife?)

purée your fruit

ready for the sieving

push the purée thru a sieve a couple of times (or 3)

ready for mixing

I made a small jug-full to begin with

it looks so pretty too!

yes it's very refreshing indeed!

I put some of the base drink in the fridge for later - just add sparkling!

Chocolate Muffins - the Nagi (RecipeTin Eats) Way

'Twas Bookclub night, so time to bake!  I actually made these in April, can you believe?  I had some Easter eggs lurking in the fridge, so thought I'd whip up something chocolatey.  And these are indeed chocolatey!  With Dutch cocoa, and heaps of chocolate chips.  

I found this fab recipe online, on the RecipeTin Eats website.  (Yes RecipeTin is one word.)  Nagi is a beloved Aussie cook, who also runs a food bank RecipeTin Meals, feeding 600 vulnerable people each day.  Her cookbooks and recipes are wonderful, as is Dozer, her beautiful Golden Retriever.  Okay, you get the picture - I am a Nagi fan:=)

so chocolatey!

Serves 12:

ingredients:

260g./9.2 oz plain flour

1.25 tsp bi-carb soda/baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

60g./2 big ounces Dutch cocoa (just any good cocoa, my friends)

1 Tbs instant coffee granules/powder

185 mL/6.3 oz milk - full fat and HOT

125 mL/4.3 oz neutral veg. oil (I used grapeseed oil)

200g./7 oz brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

200g./7 oz sour cream or Greek-style yoghurt

1 large egg

300g./10.5 oz dark chocolate chips

all-purpose flour for my American friends

baking/bi-carb soda

Method:

Whack on your oven to 210C/410F, and put the oven shelf in the top third 

Line your 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners/cases

Grab a large mixing bowl, and sift in the flour, bi-carb soda and salt

Then you have to bloom your cocoa (never heard of that before) by sifting the cocoa into another large bowl, and then adding the coffee and the hot milk ...  And you whisk away till smooth

Now add the oil, sugar, vanilla, sour cream and the egg to the cocoa mixture - and whisk away - yep you guessed it - till smooth

And pour your wet mixture (mm, sounds a bit dodgy hehehe) into the flour mixture - and whisk till smooth and glossy - Nagi says not to mix too vigorously, just till smooth

Stir in nearly all the chocolate chips - keep aside about 1/4 cup

Spoon the batter evenly (equally?) into the muffin holes, and throw on the rest of the choc chips

Now bake for 5 minutes at the 210C temp., then turn down to 190C/375F, and bake for another 20 minutes (but check at 15)

You want your cake skewer to come out clean (but as Nagi says, melted chocolate ain't raw batter)

Let 'em cool for 4-5 minutes in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack for 15 minutes

milk!

vanilla paste/extract

Notes:

Nah, nothing to say here :=)  Oh yes I do have.  Dutch cocoa is in fact Dutch-processed cocoa, not necessarily from The Netherlands.  (And did you know that the correct name is not Holland, but rather The Netherlands?!)  It refers to the process of treating the cocoa solids with an alkalising agent to reduce the acidity - which makes it darker and less bitter.  Funnily enough, I do often buy Van Houten's cocoa powder.  Van Houten's (invented by a Dutch chemist) was subsequently owned by Callebaut who sold it to Hershey's - but only in some areas!  Callebaut still owns the name; how very confusing it is.

ingredients gathered

flour mixture and cocoa mixture

luscious sour cream!

look at all those eggs :)

spoon into the paper cases

and baked - so let 'em cool, then eat

I made a couple more than 12! 

For some reason, I had more batter than for 12 muffins, so I ended up with 14!  Yay!

you guessed it - muffins

I am joining in with Jo's linky for BKD Cookbook Club.  This month's theme is Thanksgiving, which can refer to the actual Thanksgiving in the U.S., or for non-Americans it can refer to a dish that makes you thankful, or is a family fave, or reminds you of a loved one.  

Muffins, you ask?  Why them?  Mr P. and I have celebrated two Thanksgivings in the U.S. with our dear friend M'Annette.  To our Aussie surprise, sweets like pumpkin pie and blueberry muffins were served with the turkey!!  So while not fruity, these chocolate beauties are a reminder of good times and dear friends.

In My Kitchen - November 2025

Here we go again, my friends :=)  Halloween just left the building, and already Christmas shenanigans are squeezing through the front door.  October has been very weird, weatherwise.  We had a huge storm with a super-cell (and massive 7cm hailstones), then the next day was 38C, then the day after that it dropped to 23C, and lots of rain.  EEEK!  What's next?  The Apocalypse?    

oh my word, friends - we had a storm!

Oh boy, did we have a storm!  See the green layer?  Yep, massive hail in some areas (not ours luckily).  And a house which was being renovated came off its stumps in the 96 kph winds.  I think 70,000 homes/people were without power.  Weirdly, our power went off, but only for about 30 seconds.  Other poor souls lost it for hours (and days).  For some reason (geographical?), our suburb rarely gets the bad stuff!

In My Kitchen:

a gorgeous tumbler/pour cup - Snow Gum - from Magnolia Mountain 

mmm, yep another cookbook

the green matcha bikkies are like Tim Tams! but green, and matcha :)

a dear friend sent me these!  Ah childhood memories ...

I bought the best dukkah ever - again!

I had to buy me some more Dubai chocolate

I tried dark chocolate, milk chocolate and ruby chocolate versions.  Nah to the ruby for sure, and nah to the dark - but yay for the milk choc version.  Which is odd for me, 'cos I don't normally go for milk chocolate!  But it just worked here!

who could resist these cute bees on a tea-towel from Donna Sharam?

yep, we went to Tropical Fruit World :=)

and I got these

don't laugh, my friends - yes more wooden spoons, and a cute jug

new to me! - turtle chips (and I got some more pistachio spread)

bought this one - love his Instagram videos

the curveball - crabby wire sculpture by Russell Solomon

Well, that's it for this month.  See you in December.  Hoping to see you all here for IMK.  Everybody welcome!

c. Sherry M.

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