Primavera Di Nonna

The Primavera Di Nonna is a cocktail that encapsulates the essence of spring and the comforting flavors of the classic Italian dessert, Torta della Nonna. This innovative cocktail combines a homemade pine nut orgeat, lemon pastry cream, and a basil-strawberry shrub to recreate the dessert's beloved textures and tastes within a refreshing, seasonally-inspired drink. Glass: Chilled coupe glass Ingredients: - 60 ml Gin (preferably a botanical gin for added floral notes) - 30 ml Homemade Pine Nut Orgeat (recipe follows) - 45 ml Lemon Pastry Cream Liqueur (recipe follows) - 15 ml Basil-Strawberry Shrub (recipe follows) - Fresh basil leaves for garnish - Grated lemon zest for garnish - Pine nuts for rimming the glass (optional) Homemade Pine Nut Orgeat: - 100 grams toasted pine nuts - 200 ml sugar - 200 ml water - 1 ml orange blossom water - 1 ml almond extract To make the orgeat, combine sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Add toasted pine nuts and let the mixture simmer for 30 minutes. Strain through a cheesecloth or fine sieve, pressing to extract all the liquid. Add orange blossom water and almond extract. Let cool and store in a refrigerator. Lemon Pastry Cream Liqueur: - 100 ml heavy cream - 50 ml whole milk - Zest of 1 lemon - 1 egg yolk - 50 grams sugar - 30 ml lemon juice - 60 ml vodka To create the liqueur, mix the cream, milk, and lemon zest in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolk and sugar until pale. Gradually pour the hot cream mixture into the yolk, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in lemon juice and vodka. Allow to cool completely. Basil-Strawberry Shrub: - 150 grams fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered - 100 grams sugar - 10 fresh basil leaves, torn - 120 ml apple cider vinegar For the shrub, combine strawberries and sugar in a bowl, mashing the strawberries to release their juice. Add the basil leaves. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Add apple cider vinegar to the strawberry-basil syrup, stir, and store in the refrigerator. Cocktail Preparation: 1. If desired, rim the edge of the coupe glass with crushed pine nuts. 2. In a shaker, combine the gin, pine nut orgeat, lemon pastry cream liqueur, and basil