Sweet & Sassy: Fun Brunch Cocktails & Treat

The way we celebrate brunch is by having sweet treats, but spiked.
There's nothing better than sharing a fun morning cocktail or light dessert with friends.
This is what I came up with to keep things sweet, yet make it fun and different.

This Instructable will show you how to make:

Candied Bacon and Spiked Cantaloupe Granita & Bubble Tea Brunch Cocktails

Step 1: Ingredients -- Candied Bacon and Spiked Cantaloupe Granita

A fun dessert-like take on the typical Prosciutto-wrapped Melon.

Spiked Cantaloupe Granita
1 Cantaloupe
1/2 cup Sugar
Vodka (your preference)

Candied Bacon
4 strips bacon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tb maple syrup

Step 2: Make the Granita

Take the cantaloupe and cut it into 1 inch cubes.
Puree the cantaloupe in your blender, a bit at a time until it is smooth and with no visible pieces.
Add the sugar and pulse a couple times to mix.
Add your vodka (if desired).

Pour the mix into a freezable vessel (ours was 12 x 6).
Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer overnight.
The next day scrape at the granita with a fork to scratch the mix into small crystals.
Place back into freezer until ready to serve.

Proceed to making the Candied Bacon.

Step 3: Making Candied Bacon

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Mix brown sugar with maple syrup and add slices of bacon.
Toss bacon a couple times to coat and then lay the each of the slices flat onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.
Sprinkle the remaining brown sugar/maple syrup onto the strips of bacon.
Place another sheet of parchment paper on top and cover that with another cookie sheet (This will keep the candy flat).
Place into preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.
Once the sugar has carmelized and the bacon is cooked, remove for the parchment paper and place onto a rack to cool.
As it cools the caramel will harden into a sweet, salty, smoky candy bacon delight.

Step 4: Put It Together

Scoop out the Spiked Cantaloupe Granita and serve it with a slice of Candied Bacon.
Granita: Cool, Light, and Fruity
Bacon Candy: Sweet, Salty, and Smoky.
Together: Amazing

Step 5: Ingredients - Bubble Tea Brunch Cocktails

For the uninitiated, bubble tea is a sweet, oftentimes fruity (tea) beverage that contains small chewy balls of tapioca or fruity jelly (the bubbles). Invented in Taiwan, it has now become hugely popular worldwide.

We made three different cocktails for our lunch (each without tea, though feel free to add tea to yours).
Each cocktail theme was a cocktail within a cocktail.

White Sangria with Red Sangria Bubbles
White Sangria
White wine
Lemon-Lime Soda
Cut up oranges, lemons, berries

Red Sangria Bubbles
1 1/2 cups Red Wine
1/2 cup Lemon-Lime Soda
Lemon and Orange Zest
2 envelopes of Gelatin

Mojito with Pomagranate Vodka Bubbles
Mojito
Lemon-Lime Soda
White Rum
Mint Sprigs

Pomagranate Vodka Bubbles
2 cups Pomagranate Juice
few shots of Vodka
2 envelopes of Gelatin

Mimosa with Cranberry Champagne Bubbles
Mimosa
Champagne
Orange Juice

Cranberry Champagne Bubbles
1 1/2 cup Champagne
1/2 cup Cranberry juice
2 envelopes of Gelatin

Step 6: Make the Bubbles

We followed a standard recipe for each cocktail.
To make the bubbles:
Warm the juice component over medium heat until a light simmer.
Add into a bowl along with the alcohol and packages of gelatin.
Gently whisk to dissolve the gelatin completely and pour the mixture into a non-stick pan.
Place into the refrigerator to set overnight.
Once completely solid, turn out of the mold (Pour some boiling water over the bottom of the pan to facilitate this).
Cut the jelly into small 1.2 inch cubes.
Voila! Bubble tea cocktail jellies.

Step 7: Assemble Bubble Tea Cocktails

For the next step, just assemble the main cocktail in your favorite way. You can add some green or black tea as you like to make a more authentic bubble tea.
TIP: Add the cocktail jelly bubbles to the bottom of the glass and slowly pour the main cocktail into the glass along the side.
Disrupting the jellies too much back cause them to break, though they are very firm. Better safe then sorry.

To get the fat bubble tea straws, just go to your favorite bubble tea place and ask for them. Or you could probably find them in an Asian grocery store.