Love Cashew, Cocktails & Dessert? We Have 5 Sweet Recipes For You
Although they remain quite underrated, cashews figure prominently in cocktail craft and are used to make many delicious drinks which incorporate their creamy, silky and smooth qualities to prepare indulgent mixes. These cocktails are sometimes crafted using feni, or the popular Goan liqueur made by fermenting cashews, whose distinct aroma and potent flavour make its addition to mixology quite an interesting affair. Other cocktails make use of orgeat syrup infused with cashews or cashew cream and milk to give them the creamy texture characteristic of the milk or paste prepared using the dried fruit.
Cashews are one of the most luxe alternatives to make your cocktail game decadent and rich. A brilliant way to serve these cocktails is to turn them into dessert offerings especially if your guests enjoy delicious nutty, earthy, sweet and dense mixes. You can prepare cashew cocktails as desserts when you are hosting an Asian or south Asian themed evening because the drink will be the perfect end to a meal which will undoubtedly be filled with some heat packed foods, crispy salads, tangy dips and aromatic curries.
Read on below to know more about some of the dessert cocktails you can prepare using cashews at your next dinner party:
Nutmeg And Cardamom Cashew Milk
One of the best desserts to serve when you are hosting an Indian or West Asian themed night is aromatic milk that is creamy and comforting after a particularly heavy meal. You can add a touch of vodka or white rum to the milk to convert it into a cocktail enriched with the aromas of nutmeg, cardamom, scented rose water and of course, cashews. You can either prepare the drink with milk and add a dollop of cashew cream or drop in a generous proportion of scented cashews that would make for a lovely crunch when caught between your teeth.
Cashew Cream Martini
The martini is a drink which can be fashioned according to your flavour preferences. Over time, so many variations of the cocktail have reimagined its ingredients and preparation techniques that the martini has become a rather sought after drink in mixology experiments. One such martini variation is the cashew cream martini which incorporates vanilla flavoured vodka and cashew cream in a drink that is infused with the zesty notes of lime juice and the bitterness of orange liqueur. This is the perfect tipple for anyone who enjoys a sweet and tart dessert course.
Cashew White Russian
Making a cashew white russian is another way to incorporate this nutty fruit into cocktail craft. The drink can be served chilled in summers as a rich but refreshing dessert made using generous helpings of coffee liqueur and vodka. You can add a large dollop of cashew cream for its silky texture and a slightly sweet taste or simply prepare fine cashew milk which will act as the drink that brings the cocktail together. Use coffee flavoured vodka or feni if you are looking for a slight variation.
Mudslide With Cashews
Mudslide is a very popular shake and mix it with some Bailey Original Irish Cream and a little bit of chocolate liqueur and you will end up with a thoroughly seductive drink perfect as a dessert cocktail for winter evenings spent by the fire, curled up with a good story book. Incorporate the earthy goodness of cashews into this mudslide shake by adding feni or a generous helping of cashew cream into the recipe. You can make cashew cream easily at home by soaking the dried fruit and blending it with cream and water. Add rose water to perfume the cashew cream.
Cashew Flip
A flip cocktail necessitates that you use egg whites to prepare a foam which garnishes the drink, bringing all its different bitter and tangy elements together. Add bourbon or whisky to your flip cocktail along with some lime juice and bitters and for a dessert-like twist, infuse it with cashew cream or orgeat syrup. You can garnish the drink with nutmeg powder and a twisted orange peel to make its flavours pop.
