While I’m sure you’ve been busy, I hope you’ve all been able to take some time to enjoy the holiday season with your friends and family. Mine has been full of delicious food and drinks, as I tried to make my way through all of Chicago’s fun holiday activities for my daughter’s first holiday season. She won’t remember any of it, but I sure will!
We had brunch with Santa, a fairy lunch in the historic Walnut Room, visited the Christkindlemarket, and walked through Lincoln Park Zoo’s Zoo Lights. I always had a delicious beverage in hand!
I enjoyed my annual gluehwein at the Christkindlemarket, and my spiked hot chocolate at Zoo Lights, and a delicious apple cider sangria at my annual cookie exchange with my girlfriends, but my focus has shifted to thinking about bubbly for New Year’s Eve. I’m a true believer in bubbly anytime, especially for celebrations, but it is an absolute must for New Year’s Eve, and we’re just days away from ringing in 2024!
There are so many options when it comes to bubbly – Prosecco, Cava, Champagne, etc. It can be really overwhelming and confusing, but I highly recommend our Bubbles and Bites class on Friday, December 29 at 6:30pm as our Advanced Sommelier Mary Ross does a fantastic job breaking down all the options.
You can also cook with sparkling wine in some really delicious savory applications like champagne cream sauce for chicken or pasta, and risotto, or bake it into sweet applications like champagne cake. I was looking for something that would look beautiful, taste delicious, and take as little time as possible (high expectations, I know). I saw a recipe for mimosa jello shots online, and decided to do my own, more elegant spin, by making champagne gelée in coupes. Think elevated jello shots! If you’re looking to serve kids, you can just use the sparkling grape juice and leave out the bubbly.
Prosecco Gelée
Serves: 6
1 cup cold water
2 packets unflavored gelatin (each packet is 1/4 oz)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups prosecco or champagne (about half a bottle), cold
1 cup sparkling grape juice, cold
Raspberries, or strawberries
1. Set up a large bowl with an ice bath, and a 4-cup measuring cup in the middle. Full disclosure: I had no ice so used ice packs.
2. Add water to small saucepan.
3. Sprinkle over unflavored gelatin. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes.
4. Turn heat on low and allow the mixture to heat and dissolve the gelatin, about 5 minutes (do not boil).
5. Add the sugar and allow it dissolve.
6. Pour the hot gelatin mixture into a 4 cup measuring cup to go in the ice bath.
7. Allow the mixture to cool for 5 minutes.
8. Add prosecco and sparkling grape juice to the gelatin mixture in the measuring cup.
9. Pour mixture into coupes or flutes.
10. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Add raspberries to the coupe or flute and push gently into the gelatin.
11. Chill for 2 more hours until completely set.
12. Enjoy at midnight (or noon!)!
I’m sending you all my good wishes for a happy and healthy new year. If you don’t have New Year’s plans just yet, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Join us for the perfect date night, or a fun night out with friends for:
- New Year's Eve Surf and Turf Friday, December 29 6:30pm
- Southern Holiday Brunch Sunday, December 31 10am
- New Year's Eve Festa Italiana Sunday, December 31 5pm
Looking to celebrate the New Year with your kids? Join us for Noon Year’s Eve on Sunday, December 31 at 10am.
Don’t want to leave the comfort of your own home? Join us virtually for our last regularly scheduled virtual class and learn how to make homemade tamales on Sunday, December 31 at 5pm.
And if learning to cook is one of your New Year’s resolutions, we can’t wait to get you cooking! Take a one-off class, or dive in and sign up for our Culinary Boot Camp in February 2024.
If you need to grab some bubbly to ring in the new year, come and see us in our retail store. We’ve got traditional Champagne, pink Champagne, Cava, Moscato, and Prosecco. We look forward to seeing you in the new year. Cheers!
