I prefer to have any sort of mixed drink that involves fruit soaked in alcohol to be equal parts fruit and alcohol. For this reason, whenever I'm making a large batch of any fruity mixed drink I always slice fruit and let it soak a few hours in advance so it can be nice and saturated. This also adds flavor to whatever alcohol you are using, whether it's wine for sangria or, in the case of this recipe, Pimm's. I love fruit, so my goal after all of the liquid alcohol is gone is to be able to keep enjoying the drink via a fruit cocktail (literally). Who wouldn't want a delicious little snack at the end of their drink? 

Pimm's Cups are my new favorite boozy fruit drink. Pimm's is variety of gin, but it has much more flavor which makes it perfect when absorbed into fresh fruit. I think it tastes a bit like tea.  I don't like gin and I don't like tea, but I like Pimm's. Go figure.

Sadly, the days are numbered for delicious fresh fruit filling our farmer's markets and grocery stores. So, you're all going to need to make these cocktails as soon as possible. It's really a spring and summertime drink, but considering it's 90 degrees this week in DC I don't think fall is here quite yet. If you want to get aggressive with the amount of fruit you use (like I do) cut up any fresh, in-season fruit you can find. I like it with strawberries, plums, peaches, raspberries and apples. I always add limes and lemons as well. The goal is to use fresh, bright fruit. However, I'm going to give everyone the original recipe first so you can choose whether to keep it simple. If you want to take it up a notch, see my version of Pimm's Cups in the second recipe. I'm always serving a crowd, so I use the whole liter of Pimm's. The fruit soaks up a lot of the alcohol, so you don't end up with as much liquid as you would think. You may want to warn your guests of this when they are eating the boozy fruit. It packs a punch.

Enjoy!

Original Pimm's Cups
1 part Pimm's No. 1
3 Parts Lemonade
Add some Mint, Cucumber, Orange and Strawberry

Mix and serve in a tall glass over ice.

Sarah's Pimm's Cups

Serves 8+

1 Liter Pimm's No. 1

Sliced Fresh Fruit (crisp apples, strawberries, plums, peaches/nectarines, lemons and limes)

Ginger Ale, Sparkling Lemonade or Lemon-Lime Spda

Toss all fruit together and place in one or two large pitchers. Pour entire liter of Pimm's into pitcher (or divide evenly between pitchers). Let soak for 3+ hours. Do not add mixers, as they will lose their carbonation during this time.

When ready to serve, pour Pimm's liquid into tall glasses filled with ice, keeping about a one part Pimm's to 3 parts mixer ratio in mind. Pour in mixer of choice -- ginger ale, sparkling lemonade or lemon-lime soda. Add in a scoop or two of the Pimm's soaked fruit. 

Always serve cold. The fruit will taste delicious, so a key part is eating the fruit as well. You'll have leftover fruit after all of the Pimm's is gone. Don't waste it! It's good for you, obviously.

I'm pretty sure in the south it's a sin to change your grandmother's pimento cheese recipe. This is especially true when your grandmother is like mine and incredibly particular about the way she makes pimento cheese. She uses Duke's Mayonnaise, Cracker Barrel Sharp Cheddar Cheese and diced pimentos. In her world, don't even think about subbing in Hellmann's or low-fat mayo. She also would never understand why someone would use another cheese when Cracker Barrel is so delicious.

So, it is with slight shame that I offer my sincerest apologies to my grandmother...I altered the family recipe. 

In an attempt to keep the most important elements of the recipe I still use the Cracker Barrel Sharp Cheddar, Duke's and pimentos. I see no reason to change that since I, too, seem to be very particular about my pimento cheese ingredients. I just enhanced the original recipe a bit by adding sharp white cheddar, cream cheese and a dash of cayenne pepper. Cream cheese adds a level of creaminess (shockingly) that makes it even more wonderful with crackers or grilled on sandwiches. You don't need too much since the mayo is also in there, but even a little bit makes a noticeable difference in flavor. I've used the plain and cracked pepper sharp white cheddar varieties. If you like pepper you will love the cracked pepper, but you can go ahead and omit the extra that is in the original recipe. The cayenne gives it an extra little kick to complement the creaminess of the cheeses. 

For those of you not from the south, you may think adding mayo to shredded cheese is disgusting. My brother and I don't like mayonnaise on its own, and my grandmother once compared that to not liking cheese (not at all comparable). I still don't like mayo by itself, but I do like mayo and cheese. How's that for compromise?

This is top notch pimento cheese. You will probably have to pry yourself away from it. I can't count the times that I've finished off a batch of pimento cheese with a few friends only to then have it sink in that there are two whole blocks of cheese in there. Whoops. I've also included this recipe in my Breakfast Sandwiches post, but I felt it deserved its own space here.

Enjoy!

Homemade Pimento Cheese

Makes a full serving, feel free to cut this amount in half

2 8-ounce blocks Cracker Barrel Cheese, one Sharp White Cheddar, one Sharp Cheddar, grated
2 heaping tablespoons diced pimentos (not sliced!)
1 to 2 ounces cream cheese, softened*
1/2 cup Duke's mayo
1 teaspoon cracked pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

Grate the sharp white cheddar and sharp yellow cheddar cheeses together in a bowl. Do not buy pre-grated cheese, as these cheeses come with a waxy coating on the outside and will not melt as well (or taste as good). Throw remaining ingredients into bowl, and blend gently with a spatula, forks, spoons, or whatever you have on hand until completely incorporated. Store in the refrigerator, and remove at least 15 minutes before you are ready to serve. Pimento cheese is delicious on crackers, veggies, burgers, sandwiches, pretzels, etc. (yes, basically everything).

*Adjust amount of cream cheese and mayonnaise to suit your personal preference. If you prefer a creamier and tangier cheese use slighly less mayo and 2 ounces cream cheese.