Sparkling cocktails shouldn’t be reserved for special occasions or the holidays though it’s certainly a very good reason to pop the cork on the bubbly! This is a delightful, seasonal twist on the classic Bellini delivered with a subtle sweetness from fresh pears, a depth from pear brandy and a hint of spice from cinnamon and nutmeg.
In preparation for the holidays we always have an extra bottle or two of Prosecco in the fridge. And I happened to have a handful of ripe pears on my counter, so why not mix the two along with some pear brandy and warm spices of nutmeg and cinnamon.
Simply purée the ripe pears to creating a luscious base.
Then add a splash of pear brandy – a gorgeous spirit made with over 30 pounds of pears in very bottle. Even if you’re not one to sip on brandy and cognacs, they add a beautiful depth of flavor in cooking or cocktails. Toss in a spicy layer of the season with a sprinkling of ground cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg to highlight the delightful flavor of pears.
The finish with a generous splash of chilled bubbly! You’ve got an elegant drink for your brunch menu or cocktails for a relaxing afternoon or evening curled up in front of a fire!
Spiced Pear Bellinis
½ cup pear purée, about 2 ripe pears peeled and cored
1 teaspoon of Fruit Fresh*
2 teaspoons pear brandy
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2-½ cups Prosecco or Champagne, well chilled
1 to 2 teaspoons simple syrup, optional
Pear slices for serving, optional
Purée the ripe pears using an immersion blender or standard blender. You will need ½ cups of the purée. Stir in the Fruit Fresh to help preserve the light color of the pears. You can refrigerate the pear purée, covered for a day or two.
Pour the pear purée into a cocktail mixer or pitcher and add the pear brandy along with the cinnamon and nutmeg.
Stir or whisk to blend the spices into the pear purée then add the chilled Prosecco, pouring in slowly to keep it from bubbly over the top. Stir well to blend in the spices. If you like a slightly sweeter cocktail, stir in the simple syrup to suit your taste.
Place a slice of pear inside either white wine goblets or Champagne flutes and pour the Bellinis into the glasses. This recipe makes 2 generous cocktails served in white wine goblets or 4 servings served in Champagne flutes. *Fruit Fresh is an optional ingredient. It helps protect the color of fresh cut fruit and can be found in most food markets alongside canning products.
Spiced Pear Bellinis
Equipment
- Immersion blender
- Cocktail mixer or pitcher
Ingredients
- ½ cup pear purée, about 2 ripe pears, peeled and cored
- 1 teaspoon Fruit Fresh*
- 4 teaspoons pear brandy
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 2-½ cups Prosecco or Champagne, well chilled
- 1 to 2 teaspoons simple syrup, optional
- pear slices, for garnish
Instructions
- Purée the ripe pears using an immersion blender or standard blender. You will need ¼ cups of the purée. Stir in the Fruit Fresh to help preserve the light color of the pears. You can refrigerate the pear purée, covered for a day or two.
- Pour the pear purée into a cocktail mixer or pitcher.
- Add the pear brandy along with the cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir or whisk to blend the spices into the pear purée along with the simply syrup.
- Add the chilled Prosecco and stir well, pouring in slowly to keep from bubbly over the top.
- Place a slice of pear in each glass and pour the Bellinis into white wine goblets or Champagne flutes.
