Nothing says ‘celebration’ quite like bubbles. Raise a glass of these Champagne cocktails with chamomile and berries at your next gathering.

SERVES 2 // COOKING TIME 25 min

INGREDIENTS
For the chamomile syrup
3 chamomile tea bags
2 cups boiling water
1 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
2 tsp lemon zest
For the champagne cocktails
½ cup chamomile syrup
1 L sparkling wine, chilled
¾ cup berries of your choice

METHOD
For the chamomile syrup
1. Add all the ingredients to a pot over medium-high heat and boil for 4–5 minutes.
2. Squeeze all the excess liquid from the tea bags before discarding them. Then, boil again until reduced and a syrup has formed.
3. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.
For the champagne cocktails
1. Add 2–3 teaspoons of chamomile syrup to the bottom of each Champagne glass and top up with sparkling wine. Mix gently.
2. Top with some berries and serve.

Recipe: Chiara Turilli
Styling: Elizabeth Mackenzie
Photography: Jotham van Tonder // HMimages.co.za

For a slightly more casual shindig in the sun, try our summer bubbly ice lollies.

The post Champagne cocktails with chamomile and berries appeared first on MyKitchen.

You don’t need a special occasion to create this stunning pink Champagne cake! Host your own high tea and enjoy this sweet and decadent dessert with your favourite hot beverage.

MAKES 1 // COOKING TIME 1 hour 15 min

INGREDIENTS
For the champagne cake
375 g cake flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
6 egg whites
250 ml rosé sparkling wine
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla essence
400 g caster sugar
225 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp pink food colouring
For the buttercream icing
250 g unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla essence
500 g icing sugar
1 tsp pink food colouring
Edible flowers, to decorate

METHOD
For the champagne cake
1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Grease and line two 22 cm cake tins.
3. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
4. In a second bowl, whisk the egg whites, sparkling wine, oil and vanilla.
5. In a third bowl, cream together the sugar and butter with an electric beater until light and fluffy, about 3–5 minutes.
6. Add of the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture; then add ½ of the liquid ingredients. Continue alternating dry and wet ingredients, mixing well. Add the pink colouring.
7. Pour the batter into the tins and bake for 40–45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out.
For the buttercream icing
1. Beat the butter with an electric beater until smooth; then add the vanilla.
2. Add sugar and colouring. Beat on medium speed until it is a spreadable consistency.
3. When it is completely cool, sandwich the layers together with icing and ice the top and sides.
4. Decorate the cake with edible flowers of your choice.

Recipe & styling: Diane Heierli
Photography: Christoph Heierli

The post The perfect pink Champagne cake with buttercream icing appeared first on MyKitchen.

Make a toast to the weekend with these stunning granadilla frozen Champagne cocktails for a different and classy taste.

SERVES 4–6 // COOKING TIME 10 min, plus freezing time

INGREDIENTS
1 bottle sparkling wine
6 tbsp honey, slightly heated
6 granadillas, juiced, plus slices to serve

METHOD
1. Mix the sparkling wine and honey.
2. Pour into ice trays and freeze overnight.
3. Place ice cubes in a blender and blitz until slushy consistency. Add granadilla juice.
4. To serve, spoon into glasses and garnish with granadilla slices.

The post Granadilla frozen Champagne appeared first on MyKitchen.

If you love Japanese cuisine, Champers and luxury, we are happy to tell you that the new head chef at Nobu, Harold Hurtada is joining forces with the team at the One&Only in Cape Town as well a number of iconic Champagne houses to bring you a series of evenings never to be forgotten.

Nobu General Manager, Carl Heinz Habel, and his team have personally selected the finest Champagne houses, one to be showcased each night in the series. Each evening also promises a sensational 5 course menu throwing back to signature Asian and South American flavours, paired perfectly with each glass.

THE DETAILS

When:
– Billecart Salmon – 5 April
– Louis Roederer (http://www.louis-roederer.com/en) – 3 May
– Tattinger – 7 June
– Moët en Chandon & Dom Perignon – 5 July
– Pol Roger & Lanson – 2 August
– Nicolas Feuillatte – 6 September
Where: One&Only, Dock Rd, V & A Waterfront, Cape Town, 8001
Price: R2 200 per person
Reservations: 021 431 4511 // restaurant.reservations@oneandonlycapetown.com

The post The One&Only Nobu Champagne Dinner Series appeared first on MyKitchen.

With the holiday season almost upon us, we have no doubt you’ll soon be popping many a bottle of your favourite bubbly. Here are a few fun facts you can share over your next glass of champers.

1. What’s in a name?
Champagne can only bear the name if it was made in the Champagne region of France. The proudly South African cousin is known as Méthode Cap Classique. Bubbly varieties that are not made in the traditional style are simply called sparkling wine.

2. Pop with caution
A bottle contains 49 million bubbles and packs more pressure than a car tyre!

3. Quality assurance
A sign of a good Méthode Cap Classique is the collerette (a collar of bubbles), which forms on the surface of the liquid.

4. Sweet endings
Bubbly is the perfect partner to pudding. Try a dry MCC with a sweet slice of cake or a generous scoop of ice cream.

5. From flat to fabulous
Bubbly looking a bit flat by the end of the night? Drop a raisin into the bottle to restore the effervescence.

The post 5 super fast things you didn’t know about sparkling wine appeared first on MyKitchen.