Apple Pie Martini

I set out New Year's Eve with grand plans to make all sorts of amazing martinis.  It didn't quite turn out that way, but it was fun and I did end up with one successful drink recipe and got some practice making the glasses pretty. 

How to decorate the rim of a martini glass:

Part of the coolness of martinis is the fancy decorated rim.  For the candy cane martini, this involved (as one would expect) crushed candy canes.  I had picked up some broken candy canes on a clearance rack for super cheap and what a great use for them!  Crush them into as fine a powder as possible - I suggest a very strong ziplock bag between a marble rolling pin and a cutting board.  Make sure no plastic bits get mixed in with the candy.  The candy itself didn't stick so I mixed in a spoonful of white sugar and that did the trick.  Prepare the candy first, you'll want it in a shallow dish.  Moisten the edges of the glass: use a fruit wedge that matches the drink or a paper towel dipped in one of the alcohols used in the drink (I used the paper towel method).  Gently but quickly dip the edge just a bit at a time in the candy/sugar until the whole edge is done.  It seems like dipping the whole glass upside-down at once would save time, but it doesn't pick up as much of the candy/sugar.  Chill the glass until it's time for serving.



Alas, the candy cane martini tasted exactly like cough syrup.  By next New Years Eve I plan to have a recipe for one that looks like this and tastes good.  Next!

Apple Pie Martini

The apple pie martini idea came from Pinterest, although it was just a photo with general ingredient ideas so I don't have a link. I mixed together the vodka and apple juice and a couple dashes of cinnamon (totally not scientific there), then chilled it in the fridge since I didn't have ice on hand.  Once cold, I poured it into the serving glass and topped with a lovely swirl of whipped cream and more cinnamon.  The sweet whipped cream was a great offset to the alcohol.  It melted almost instantly but was oh so delicious. 



Apple Pie Martini

INGREDIENTS
2 oz Vanilla Vodka
4 oz Apple Juice
Cinnamon (1/4 tsp-ish)
Whipped Cream

DIRECTIONS
Mix together vodka, juice, and cinnamon.  Pour over ice (or chill before serving).  Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.