apricot bellini champagne

Every hostess should have a few sparkling cocktail recipes in her back pocket, including this twist on the classic Champagne Bellini. And because this recipe uses canned fruit filling, you can serve up this sweetly refreshing drink all year-round. Just be sure you use a dry Champagne or sparkling wine, to keep the Bellini from becoming overwhelmingly sugary or cloying.

What You’ll Need

• Can of apricot cake & pastry filling
• 1 – 2 ounces lemon juice, to taste
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, to taste
• Chilled Champagne or sparkling wine, dry
• Fine mesh strainer

Let’s Do It

• Warm the apricot filling in a sauté pan over medium-low heat and then stir in the lemon juice and the sugar, to taste (the lemon and the sugar should enhance the apricot flavor and not overwhelm it)
• Remove the pan from heat, strain mixture into a bowl and let cool
• Scoop 2 – 4 teaspoons (to taste) of apricot mixture into a Champagne flute and then fill the glass with Champagne/sparkling wine
• Carefully stir the cocktail until the apricot mixture is evenly distributed, and then serve immediately
  

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