Gingerbread Sparkler

• 2 tablespoons ginger syrup**

• 1 thin slice crystallized ginger

• Dry Champagne

• Apple Pie Spice Mix + sugar (cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, all spice and ginger)**

Moisten Champagne flute with water or lemon juice.  Dip rim of glass in spice mix and sugar to coat.

Pour ginger syrup in the bottom of a Champagne flute.  Top with Champagne; gently stir to mix.  Drop ginger slice into glass.

Ginger syrup products can usually be found where coffee or cocktails supplies are sold.  Starbuck’s carries a “Gingerbread” syrup.  A popular brand is Monin, at some Central Markets.  I make my own ginger syrup, as I like to use it to sweeten tea, brush on scones and muffins, drizzle on pork or chicken or in cocktails!  It will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks, but it won’t last that long, you will find many uses for it.

**Gingerbread Syrup**

• Zest of 1 lemon

• 2 cups fresh ginger, unpeeled, cut into big chunks

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 cup water

Place lemon zest and ginger in a food processor and finely chop.  Scrape into a medium saucepan and add water and sugar.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, until thick and syrupy.  Strain and transfer into a glass jar.  Cover and keep refrigerated.

Apple Pie Spice can be found in some grocery stores in the spice aisle.  Again, I make my own and keep it on hand for sprinkling on muffins, in soups, on toasted bread, in oatmeal and, of course, in all kinds of holiday desserts that call for these spices. You can add in about 1/2 cup “bakers sugar” (coarse), if you desire.  I call my mixture Baker’s Sprinkles

Baker’s Sprinkles

• 1/2 cup ground cinnamon

• 1/4 cup ground nutmeg

• 2 TBS allspice

• 1 TBS ground cloves

• 1 TBS ground ginger

• 1/2 cup baker's sugar (coarse decorator's sugar)

Mix all spices together and store in an airtight jar.