Cocktail Pop Recipes From Jeanne Benedict (Access Hollywood Live)

Entertaining expert Jeanne Benedict stops by Access Hollywood Live with some fun and frosty cocktail pops — a great way to liven up your holiday party!

The recipes are from her new book “Cocktail Pops and Spiked Frozen Treats.”

Cranberry or Pumpkin Mojito Pops

• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup simple syrup (recipe below)
• 3 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree OR jellied cranberry sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons white rum
• 1/2 cup mint leaves
• 6 cinnamon sticks

Mix together water, simple syrup, pumpkin or cranberry, lime juice, and rum. (Note: place cranberry sauce in a small bowl and microwave for 10-20 seconds until melted.) Fill 6 (2 oz.) plastic molds 3/4 full with mixture and freeze until slushy; reserve remaining mixture. Insert cinnamon sticks as pop sticks when mixture is a firm slush and freeze completely.

To get a “window pane” look with mint leaves, unmold pops and place in freezer to keep firm. Re-fill each mold with 1 tablespoon of reserved mixture. Coat mint leaves in sugar glue (recipe below) and adhere to pops. Submerge pops back in molds so mixture in bottom comes up around mint leaves and is level with top surface; freeze completely. Remove pops from molds and serve on ice in a large bowl.

Makes 6 (2 oz.) pops

Simple Syrup

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup water

Stir sugar and water together in a small saucepan until sugar is moistened. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture boils and sugar dissolves; about 5 minutes. Cool completely and transfer to a cruet or container with a spout. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Sugar Glue for Garnishes

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup water

Stir sugar and water together in a small saucepan until sugar is moistened. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture boils and sugar dissolves; about 5 – 8 minutes. Cool completely and transfer to a cruet or a container with a spout. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Peppermint Schnapps Pops with Rosemary Twig Sticks

• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup simple syrup (recipe below)
• 3 tablespoons peppermint schnapps
• 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 6 (8-inch long) rosemary stems (use thick stems)

Mix together water, simple syrup, peppermint schnapps, and extract. Fill 6 (2 oz.) pop molds with mixture and freeze until slushy.

Strip needles from bottom of rosemary stems to where needles are on a 3-inch portion of the tip. Insert rosemary stems, with needles in mold, when mixture is a firm slush; freeze completely.
Remove pops from molds, and serve on ice in a large bowl.

Makes 6 (2 oz.) pops

Simple Syrup

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup water

Stir sugar and water together in a small saucepan until sugar is moistened. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture boils and sugar dissolves; about 5 minutes. Cool completely and transfer to a cruet or container with a spout. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Bubblegum Vodka Word Pops

• 1 pack strong flavored Bubble Gum (15 stick count)
• 1/3 cup simple syrup (recipe below)
• 1 cup water
• 4 teaspoons vodka

Place 8 sticks of Extra Long-Lasting Flavor Bubble Gum in a bowl of simple syrup. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and steep overnight to infuse pink color and flavor into syrup. Discard gum.

Mix together bubble gum syrup, water, and vodka. Fill 6 (2 oz.) pop molds 3/4 full with mixture and freeze until slushy; reserve remaining mixture. Insert pop sticks when mixture is a firm slush and freeze completely. Use food-safe culinary snips, scissors, or mini letter cookie cutters to cut out letters and shapes from remaining bubble gum sticks.

Unmold pops and place in freezer to keep firm. Re-fill each mold with 1 tablespoon of reserved mixture. Coat bubble gum letters in sugar glue (recipe below) and adhere to pops. Submerge pops back in molds so mixture in bottom comes up around letters and is level with top surface. Use a skewer to straighten or adjust letters in mold if necessary. Freeze completely.

Remove pops from molds and serve on ice in a large bowl.

Makes 6 (2 oz.) pops

Simple Syrup

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup water

Stir sugar and water together in a small saucepan until sugar is moistened. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture boils and sugar dissolves; about 5 minutes. Cool completely and transfer to a cruet or container with a spout. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Sugar Glue for Garnishes

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup water

Stir sugar and water together in a small saucepan until sugar is moistened. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture boils and sugar dissolves; about 5 – 8 minutes. Cool completely and transfer to a cruet or a container with a spout. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.