Puerto Rico

I recently traveled to Puerto Rico with Eric to attend his brother's wedding. The trip was beyond amazing. Walking along soft white beaches and brilliantly turquoise waters a block from our hotel. Delicious food and drink everywhere I went (though I sadly didn't stick with my vacation requirement of a daily dose of ice cream).  A beautiful old city with cobblestone streets and lovely buildings in an array of tropical colors.  Meeting wonderful family from Guatemala. Lazing by the pool. The best wedding reception ever, filled with more dancing than I imagined possible in a single night.  Best of all was sharing it with Eric. Thank you endlessly. And congratulations and best wishes to his brother and his wife!

I definitely want to go back.

A Poofy Breakfast

I'm not much of a morning person.  I try to be...but I still haven't figured out how to do that.  So you could see why breakfast is the highlight of the morning.  Weekday breakfasts are quick affairs, thrown together in the morning from a rotating list of options. Yogurt with fruit and nuts (and now some homemade granola!).  A muffin or bread I made with some kefir.  Oatmeal with either PB and dried fruit or milk/coconut milk and a fruit sauce.  Occasionally cereal and milk.  Don't get me wrong. I love my weekday breakfasts.  They're delicious and, most of the time, nutritious.  But going off a short list every week makes me crave something different on the weekends, when I have more time to put into breakfast.

Eggs are the favorite choice of Eric.  He makes killer omelettes and scrambled eggs.  Sometimes we indulge in Trader Joe's Cinnamon Rolls.  I sneak raisins into one roll for me, but leave the rest unsullied by such things for him.  Waffles occasionally make an appearance too, though I keep the fruit limited to toppings on my plate.  For weekend breakfasts, these are perfect, especially when enjoyed at an actual dining room table with a place mat.  Holy cow, we're talking crazy-luxurious here!

A few weekends ago, I took a walk on the wild side and made an Alton Brown recipe I've had bookmarked for years--the Dutch Baby pancake.  I'd never even tried it at The Original Pancake House because the menu notes it has a 20-30 minute wait, and every time I've been there, I've already waited 30 minutes to sit down and order.  So I was curious and I was nervous and I was excited.  The perfect storm of culinary exploration, right?

The good news:  making a Dutch Baby pancake is actually really easy.

The better news:  there are several flavor combinations you can fit in this recipe. I made a bacon + vanilla one here, but I'm going to try a nectarine + raspberry one in the very near future.

The best news:  a Dutch Baby pancake is delicious!  And huge!!!

Dutch Baby Pancake
From Alton Brown

Ingredients:
3 tbsp. unsalted butter (separate into 2 tbsp. and 1 tbsp. amounts), each melted
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. granulated sugar (vanilla sugar, if you have it)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
lemon wedges

Directions:
--Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit

--Place 2 tbsp. of melted butter into a 10-inch cast iron skillet.  Put the skillet into the oven and wait about 10 minutes before assembling the remaining ingredients. You want to get the skillet incredibly hot.

--Put the remaining tablespoon of melted butter, flour, sugar, salt, milk, and eggs in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 30 seconds to form a batter.

--Remove skillet from oven (careful, it's hot!) and carefully pour the batter into the skillet.  Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 30-35 minutes, until the edges are puffed and brown.  The whole pancake will puff up inside the oven, but instantly start deflating when you remove it.  Don't worry, it still tastes fantastic.

--Cut into wedges and serve with additional sugar and lemon juice sprinkled on top.

Notes:
--Above all, remember the skillet is hot!  I like to set a pot holder over the skillet's handle after I've removed it from the oven, just to remind myself not to touch.

--Vanilla sugar is super easy to make. Pour granulated sugar into an air-tight container or jar and add a vanilla bean.  I used a vanilla bean I had scraped the seeds out of for a recipe, and it still flavored the sugar quite thoroughly.  Seal the container and give it a shake every few days.  After a week or so, the sugar should have enough vanilla flavor to use.

--My first pancake included bits of bacon I had cooked in a separate skillet and cooled.  After pouring the batter into the hot skillet, I crumbled the bacon on top and put it back into the oven to cook.  I enjoyed the salty-smoky and vanilla sugar contrast, but I'm guessing I'll enjoy the fruit version even more.  Get creative and remember this can be sweet or savory!

Bacon is good for you!!!

Friday Cheer! Two For One

I've got a two for one deal for you today. Two drink recipes in one post. Because one recipe was not delicious, and the other one was delectable.  It just wouldn't be morally right to offer a sub-par drink to you.  Thankfully, I have a doubly wonderful second drink recipe to set my morality back on track...and just in time for Easter!

Recipe 1:  Lychee Mojito
(To continue with honesty, I must admit this is the one I did not like, though it was really only the lychee floating around like miniature brains in my drink.  Omit the lychee and it's a marvelous mojito, which I'll drink any day.)

Ingredients:
--Seltzer water or club soda
--2 oz. white rum
--2 tbsp. lime juice, fresh squeezed
--generous handful of fresh mint (at least 10 leaves), washed
--1 1/2 tsp. sugar (preferrably turbinado, but granulated sugar works too)
--2 lychees and about 1 tbsp. of their juice or syrup

Seltzer water, white rum, lime, mint, and lychees in syrup

Directions:
--Remove mint leaves from their stems and put in the bottom of your glass.
--Add the sugar to the mint. Use a wooden spoon (or the handle of a butter knife or an actual muddler) to grind the sugar into the mint leaves. Your goal is to smash the mint leaves as much as possible so they release their oils. You don't need to work it to a paste...just bruise the leaves quite a bit.
--Pour white rum and lime juice into the glass.
--Place 2 lychees and their juice or syrup into the glass. Stir ingredients.
--Add seltzer water or club soda to taste. I usually add about 4-6 oz.

Notes:
--Though the sugar helps abrade the mint leaves, you can replace the sugar with agave nectar or simple syrup.  Either liquid sweetener will dissolve more readily into the drink. Just make sure you thoroughly bruise the mint with your utensil so you release all those tasty oils.
--I'm not a huge fan of sipping a clump of mint in with my drink, so I often add the seltzer water, wait a few seconds, and most of the mint will float to the top of the drink.  Then I can scoop most of the mint out and enjoy my drink.  Stir the drink to release any mint trapped at the bottom, under the lychees.
--As I said earlier, if you omit the lychees and their syrup, you've got a rather tasty mojito on your hands.
--Ginger ale makes a lovely switch from seltzer or club soda.

Lychee Mojito, before (left) and after (right) the addition of seltzer water

Recipe 2:  Vodka-Citrus Cocktail

Refreshing and perfect for relaxing on the porch on a warm evening.  Definitely a personal favorite.  Adapted from the We Are Not Martha blog.

Ingredients:

--2 oz. vodka
--2 oz. grapefruit juice
--2 oz. blood orange juice (Use orange juice or a mix of pomengranate and orange juice instead)
--1 oz. lime juice

Oxo's mini measuring cup (4tbsp. or 2 oz. capacity) is the perfect tool for making cocktails.
Or for watering seedlings I'm attempting to start in my apartment...

Directions:

--Combine all the ingredients in a glass. Give it a stir. Drink.

Blood orange and grapefruit juice make a beautiful drink!

Notes:

--Blood oranges are out of season now and impossible to find. I had a container of juice from the last of my blood orange hoard.  Since a regular orange wouldn't replicate the taste of a blood orange, I'd recommend adding orange juice plus something else (pomengranate or cranberry are my best nominations).

--Add some seltzer water or club soda for a little fizz, if you're craving it, though this drink doesn't need it to succeed.

Happy Easter Weekend!!

Brilliant? Luxurious? Or Just Crazy?

Four words for you. They'll blow your mind. You'll wonder why you hadn't thought of or heard of it before.
Bacon. Chocolate. Chip. Cookies.

Genius or insanity? Either way, it's tasty with a kick from cayenne!

That's right. When I read those four words together, I was floored.  My thought process went a little something like this:  Seriously, someone had to put bacon in chocolate chip cookies? Get over the bacon craze, people! Wait, wasn't that chocolate bar with bacon in it (Vosges Mo's Bacon Bar in dark chocolate) pretty darn tasty? It'd be kinda fun to try making these... It'd be even more fun to watch people's reactions when I offered them a bacon chocolate chip cookie... I know at least 4 people at work who'd flip out. Okay, let's do this...!


So I did.  I'll warn you that these cookies are a bit different because they replace some of the butter with a hefty dose of bacon fat.  Also, even with my cookie monster-like tendencies and ability to eat several cookies at once (should I be proud of that? hmmm...), I couldn't consume more than one of these cookies in a day. They're rich, they're satisfying, they're more than a little over the top.  And they might not be for everyone, but I guarantee you'll find some eager tasters should you decide to dispose of your stash.

Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Damaris Lewis, Cooking Channel

Ingredients:
10 ounces bacon (preferably applewood smoked)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
pinch of cayenne pepper (about 1/8 to 1/4 tsp. depending on your tastes)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (chips or chopped into chunks)

Directions:
Cook bacon in a large skillet until golden and crispy.  Remove bacon to paper towels to drain and cool.  Save the bacon fat in the skillet!  Place a paper towel inside a mesh strainer and pour the bacon fat through to remove any bits of bacon.  Set the strained bacon fat in the refrigerator to partially harden; you want it to achieve similar consistency to the room temperature butter.

Bacon is good for you!

Once the bacon is cool enough to touch, crumble or chop the bacon into approximately 1/2-inch pieces.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Farenheit.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and cayenne pepper.

Dry Goods, mixed nicely and waiting to play with the Wet Goods

In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter, chilled bacon fat, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla together.  Beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar-egg mixture and beat until just combined.  Stir in the chocolate and bacon, being careful not to overmix.

Batter plus bacon

Then there was chocolate

Drop tablespoonfuls of the dough onto the lined cookie sheets, leaving 3 inches between drops.  Bake until set, 8-12 minutes.  Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Ready for the oven

Fresh out of the oven

Notes:
--Because the amount of fat you acquire from 10 ounces of bacon may vary, look to add about 1/2 cup of fat.  If you do not have enough bacon fat for 1/2 cup, use additional unsalted butter to cover the difference.

--If you have extra bacon fat, save it!  Store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container (I am particularly fond of a small glass jar formerly housing mustard) and use a little dollop of the fat in a wide variety of dishes.  So far, I've employed my extra bacon fat to saute brussel sprouts, onions, mushrooms, and potatoes.

--Words of hard earned wisdom:  add the smallest possible amount of cayenne pepper at first.  Taste the dough and add more if you want.  Though I didn't think it was possible, there is such a thing as too much cayenne pepper.

--Personally, I enjoy the bacon in smaller pieces so I don't have a hunk of bacon to eat in between bites of cookie.  But this is an individual preference, so bacon as you see fit!

You decide-- Crazy or Brilliant?

Friday Cheer! The Doppelrock and Plum Biercake

Maybe it is just me, but this week has felt excessively long. In Ohio, the weather switched from end-of-winter rain and grey skies to what constitutes a heat wave for March:  70-80 degrees, sunny, blue skies, and even humid!  To me, it's gorgeous. It's perfection. It begs me to go outside and play!  Or drink a margarita on the porch, but I can consider that part of my definition of playing. So it may not come as a surprise that I've been eagerly anticipating the weekend, when I can relax and enjoy the sunshine.  I strongly suspect my anticipation added to the slow crawl of this week... I'm equally sure that my eagerness for time in sunshine magically made today arrive overcast and rainy. Drats. Sorry, everyone in Ohio. My bad.

Looking out the window, though, I can't help but remain optimistic the sun will return shortly. The grass is brilliantly green and the trees are budding or displaying a full complement of delicate white flowers. And--this may just be me again--I think I can see a hint of warmth and light in the cracks between the grey storm clouds.

Great Lakes Brewing Company's The Doppelrock may be the perfect beer for today, when it's not yet summer but I know it's just hiding around the corner.  I even tried a recipe that fits that category too -- Plum Biercake (made with The Doppelrock).  It's a spice cake topped with plums that mentally call summer out of it's hiding place.

The beer:
Great Lakes Brewing Company is another incredible Ohio brewery, based out of Cleveland.  Fun fact:  they were the first microbrewery in the state of Ohio, opening in 1988.  They produce a variety of brews, from amber lager (Elliot Ness) to pale ale (Burning River) to white ale (Holy Moses) to their fiercely coveted seasonal Christmas ale (shockingly, it's called Christmas Ale).  I love the historical or clever names they assign to each brew!  Many of the historical names tie in to Ohio history, so that I like them even more.  I can't think of a single beer style from Great Lakes Brewing Co. that I haven't enjoyed, and many of their brews are among my favorites, such as Holy Moses white ale, Conway's Irish Ale, Christmas Ale, and Elliot Ness amber lager.  Even Eric's cat, the Fonz, enjoys Great Lakes Brewing Co.; she actually licks the lip of the Edmund Fitzgerald porter bottle!  She doesn't do that with any other beer, and, trust me, we've tested plenty of beers around her!

The Doppelrock is a seasonal offering from Great Lakes Brewing Co., whose name pays homage to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame located in Cleveland. It's a doppelbock beer, with a dark amber color with a creamy and highly flavorful mouth feel, with notes of burnt caramel, toffee, and dark fruits.  Doppelbocks--literally "double bocks" in German--are higher alcohol versions of German bock beers (bocks are strong German lagers).  The Great Lakes Brewing Co. Doppelrock has 8.7% alcohol by volume, so it's a stronger than your average brew but there is not a strong taste of alcohol from it.  Doppelbocks also have a full-bodied flavor and enough maltiness to be considered a meal in a glass (like stouts).  While I would say this version had a rich and complex flavor, I wouldn't consider it a meal replacement.  Then again, I like to eat, so there are very few beers that actually sit heavily enough in my stomach to make me feel full.

Rock and Roll and Dopplebock

The gorgeous deep amber color of The Doppelrock promises a rich flavor...and it did not disappoint. The toasty warm richness of the malted barley was the most prominent flavor, followed by a caramel/toffee flavor and a very slight coffee or chocolate taste.  Personally, I didn't notice any dark fruit notes, but I've never claimed to have the best palate.  In terms of drinkability, The Doppelrock was very smooth and balanced (neither too sweet nor too hoppy) with medium body, so it had some heft but wasn't heavy in the stomach. Overall, an excellent choice for this time of year when you're transitioning away from heavy winter beers and into lighter spring and summer ales.  It's got body and flavor and an awesome name. What more could you ask for?

My purchase of The Doppelrock was designed to hit two birds with one stone.  First, I would finally try this seasonal beer I'd fallen in love with last year.  Second, I could use it in a fantastic Plum Biercake recipe from  The Boozy Baker by Lucy Baker.  You know I'm a sucker for a well-written description and her words for the plum biercake evoked images of wintery gingerbread and summery roasted plums.   As it was baking, a spicy and malty smell emanated from my oven and made me even more eager to taste the biercake.  I waited barely 15 minutes before I sliced into the cake and topped it with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Ohhhh, perfection!  A tender and moist spice cake, sweet and soft plum slices, and melting cream.

Plum Biercake made with The Doppelrock

Plum Biercake
From The Boozy Baker (by Lucy Baker)

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
3 tbsp. molasses
1 cup doppelbock beer
4 small plums, washed and pitted and cut into wedges

Preparation:
1)  Preheat the oven to 350 degress Farenheit.  Butter a 9-inch round (or square) cake pan. Line bottom of the pan with parchment paper.

2)  In a medium bowl, mix the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.

3)  In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about two minutes.  Beat in the egg and molasses.

4)  Add a third of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and blend until just combined.  Add half of the beer and, again, stir until just combined.  Repeat this process, so that you add in this order:  a third of the flour mixture, the rest of the beer, and the last third of the flour mixture.  After the last flour mixture addition, stir until the batter is smooth and just combined; do not overmix.

5)  Pour batter into the prepared pan.  Arrange the plum slices on the top of the cake.  Bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack.  Store up to three days in an airtight container.*

Notes:
--You can substitute other malty beers here if you can't find a doppelbock.  Try a stout or porter.

--I love the darkest molasses I can find at the store.  To me, the darker the molasses, the better.  But any molasses should work here.

--I used a total of 6 plums on my cake (minus a few slices that were tested for taste purposes), and I had a hard time finding room for all of them. But I enjoyed having plenty of plum in each slice.  So feel free to add or subtract plus to meet your desires.  You could also try this recipe with other stone fruits, like peaches or nectarines.

*--I found this cake did not store well for me at room temperature, because the moist plums on top of the cake became mushy with time.  I was also worried the moisture and sugar in the plums would promote faster-than-usual mold growth.  Next time, I'll either serve this cake immediately or try keeping it in the refrigerator (probably in an airtight container).

--I recommend eating this cake when warm, whether from the oven or a brief stint in the microwave.  A scoop of vanilla ice cream or Greek yogurt would be a welcome addition too.

Roasting plums works the usual magic - a crunchy,
tart, underripe plum transforms into a tender, sweet slice of perfection

Plum Biercake with vanilla ice cream and plum slices

Happy Friday!

Friday Cheer! ~ Christian Morlein's Friend of an Irishman Stout

It's almost St. Patrick's Day.  That means I'm baking like a madwoman and accumulating Irish beers like, well, a madwoman. While my heritage is almost completely German, and we have our own holiday centered round drinking--Oktoberfest!--I love partaking in St. Pat's fun.  Not the going to an Irish pub and get smushed in the mass of rowdy, mostly annoying people part.  That's not fun.  I'd rather relax at the house with some friends, sharing several beers, lots of food, and maybe some Irish car bomb shots.  For me, the fun of St. Pat's rests in wearing green and producing Irish-inspired treats, like soda bread or stout cupcakes. Oh, and drinking some of those Irish beers I've acquired.

This year, I've discovered two new brews to try in addition to the classic Guinness stout.  One is from a Cincinnati based brewery, Christian Moerlein.  Their seasonal edition Friend of An Irishman Brewer's Stout is an Irish Dry Stout, meaning it falls into the same category as Guinness and Murphy's.  Irish Dry Stouts have a lighter body to be more drinkable, low carbonation, and a strong roasted malt flavor.  I'm a big fan of Christian Moerlein beers, not only because they are a local brewery but because I haven't tried a single beer from them that I have not liked. Seeing the Friend of An Irishman Stout in the store, I read the label:

You've made a discovery - a handcrafted stout dedicated to the friendship of mid-1800's Cincinnati immigrants from Ireland and Germany - Friend of an Irishman. The Irish and Germans overcame cultural differences, banded together, and forged a lasting alliance. Moerlein Friend of an Irishman Brewer's Stout has a mild coffee-like aroma and a brownish-black appearance. Oats enhance a complex yet smooth flavor with a subtle sweetness. Raise a pint to friendship! Slainte!

A bit overdone, but I couldn't resist the description. Coffee aroma, oats, smooth flavor, not too sweet....yes, please!

Deep, dark and infinitely drinkable

As you can see, the description is entirely accurate in that this beer is a deeply dark brown.  It has a surprisingly light mouth feel for such a dark beer, so that it drinks like an ale rather than a rich and heavy stout. Meaning you could have a few of these stouts without feeling like there is a stone in your stomach.  The flavor is certainly smooth and well-balanced (not sweet, not bitter), with a very minor coffee flavor. Personally, I'd enjoy this equally with a steak or with a chocolate dessert.  And I'd choose Christian Moerlein's Friend of An Irishman Brewer's Stout over Guinness any day.

I stumbled upon the second St. Pat's brew while in a liquor store with a wonderful beer selection. The design of the six pack case lured me in, along with the tongue-in-cheek name:  Arcadia Ales Loch Down Scotch Ale. I haven't tried it yet, but after this weekend, you can bet you'll receive a report.

 

Nessie, is that you?

To celebrate St. Pat's,  I also expect we'll take at least one Irish carbomb shot at some point.  Note: a shot glass heavy enough to sink to the bottom of the beer is essential for the success of this shot. I may or may not have learned that the hard way.  Irish whiskey may also make an appearance, at least in Eric's glass. My palate just isn't sophisticated enough (phew!).

The baking portion of my madwoman St. Pat's preparation/celebration consists of Irish soda bread and stout cupcakes with Irish cream frosting.  Every year, I follow a different recipe for soda bread.  The candidate this year was from Melissa Clark's Cook This Now, which is a fantastic book that I come to love more with each recipe I make. (I must guiltily admit upon first glance, I was afraid I didn't really want to make most of the dishes; the flavor combinations just didn't appeal to me.  Then I made the cardamom apple and fig crumble...and took a second look...and found a few recipes that appealed.  After testing the parsnip and leek soup with pumpernickel croutons, I now have at least 20 post-it notes flagging recipes of interest.  And that's only in the first half of the year!  So, needless to say, I'm a fan and am going to get her previous book, In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite, very soon.)  Melissa Clark's soda bread recipe uses whole wheat flour, raisins, and caraway seeds to provide a balanced sweet-and-savory flavor and a slightly more hearty taste.  It came together quickly and easily and smelled amazing as it cooked in the oven.  I exerted more than my usual self-control to wait 10 minutes for the bread to cool enough to eat without scorching my mouth.  And I ate some for breakfast.  

I most certainly did not have any self-control while I made the Guinness stout chocolate cupcakes.  I may have tested the batter more frequently than is acceptable. I may also have worn some of that batter on my shirt.  Somehow, chocolate cake batter just leaps out of the bowl and decorates my shirt. I have no idea how or why. It's a mystery (like Nessie!).  For such an incredibly delicious recipe, these cupcakes come together very quickly and easily.  I prefer them without frosting, but because I had the Bailey's Irish cream out for a carbomb shot later that night, I whipped up some buttercream frosting with Bailey's in it.  

Irresistible chocolate-stout batter. Note it's escape attempt on the right...

Fresh out of the oven, sans icing

With Bailey's Irish cream frosting

Have a wonderful Friday full of cheer!  And Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Friday Cheer ~ Pamplemousse!

It's been one of those weeks. You know what I'm talking about. Exhausting on all fronts (mentally, emotionally, physically).  You're dragging both at work and at home. Things seem too routine, but you don't have the energy to change it up. You plug away at your to-do list only because you know things will be Alice in Wonderland crazy if you don't cross at least some of those things off.

But it's Friday. The week is over, and there are two days to bust out of this funk.  I'm desperately hoping there is sunshine.  And this drink.  Meet The Pamplemousse.

Oh, hello, my friend. You're looking exceptionally lovely today.

Pamplemousse is the French word for grapefruit and is insanely fun to say. Try it: PAHHHHM-puhl-lay-moossssssse!  I've been known to say it for the heck of it. Pamplemousse!

This drink is a cinch to prepare, so it will be ready to ease you into the weekend the minute you're ready.

Cupcake Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, 

Trader Joe's Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice, 

Aperol Apertif

The Pamplemousse
From Orangette, via The Walrus and the Carpenter restaurant

Ingredients:
2 oz. grapefruit juice
2 oz. dry white wine
0.5 oz Aperol liquor

Preparation:
Combine all three ingredients in a glass. Stir gently to mix. Enjoy!

Notes:
--Aperol is an Italian apertif with a brilliant pinkish-orange hue and a bitter taste.  It's become more popular is liquor stores as of late, but if you cannot find it, try another Italian apertif, Campari.  Be warned, though--Campari has twice the alcohol content of Aperol and is a darker color, so your resulting drink may be less electric salmon.

--I found my first glass to have a bit too much grapefruit juice; I just couldn't taste the wine or the Aperol.  So for my second (and my third. Don't judge.) glasses, I reduced the grapefruit juice to 1-1.5 oz. and added just a wee bit more Aperol.  Play around to find what tastes best to you. It's your cheer, after all.


Here's to a wonderful weekend!