from The Weatherstaff PlantingPlanner – intelligent garden design software
I’m reliably informed that sloe gin tastes better and better the longer you leave it, but that’s a theory I’ve not had the patience to test!
The sloes we picked last October had been infusing the gin with their gorgeous berry flavours for three months when the serious business of bottling-for-Christmas began.
The eclectic assortment of bottles looked beautiful – lined up with their home-made labels and colourful twirls of ribbon – and I was all set to become the family’s favourite person this festive season. But what to do with all those gloriously alcoholic sloes?
Inspiration lay with the pretty petit four cases I’d once bought in a fit of domestic goddessness. Here’s the recipe for achieving top present-giver status next Christmas:
- De-stone the sloes – I crushed mine with the flat blade of a knife which worked quite well but it was a bit of a long-winded process and I did end up with purple finger nails. Any suggestions for more efficient destoning gratefully received.
- Place 3-4 sloes in a petit four case and pour over melted dark chocolate. Leave to set.
- Divide up at a rate of one for each gift box and one for me, until you reach the end of your chocolate/sloes/patience.
- Bask in your new-found popularity whilst sipping your reserved bottle of sloe gin and tucking into deliciously boozy chocolate liqueurs.
We also sampled brandy-infused chocolate blackberries , which were rather wonderful too, but I wouldn’t recommend getting behind the wheel of a car after more than 2!
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