Friday, July 18, 2014

peaches & thyme lemonade with maple agave syrup



My husband and I recently spent a wonderful weekend on Coronado Island celebrating my 40th birthday.

While we were there we enjoyed long walks on the beach, bike rides, and relaxed over long, leisurely meals.





One of the highlights of our weekend was having Sunday brunch in the Crown Room at Hotel del Coronado.

I'm still in awe over the incredible menu that not only included typical American brunch entrees, but also Mediterranean, Italian, Spanish, and French.  There were even fresh juices like cantaloupe & peach, honeydew & mint, and fresh lemonades.






There was one juice, in particular, that captured my heart (and taste buds). What made it so special was that it was sweetened with maple syrup, instead of sugar.

I know, sounds a little strange, right!?! But it was so good. Complex . . . and good.

After arriving home, I thought I would try my hand at a refreshing lemonade that's sweetened with maple agave syrup . . . and so inspired this unique and refreshing Summer drink.




While walking through our Farmer's Market with my little ones, I spotted beautiful yellow and white peaches. Within just a few feet of them, I could smell their intoxicating sweetness . .  and couldn't resist buying them.




While I was eyeing the peaches, my little ones were eyeing the lemons. No surprise, I guess. They love making lemonade, like blackberry & mint lemonade and blueberry lemonade.

I had a thought of pairing our two finds . . .  peaches and lemons . . . and making another flavored lemonade. A new one . . . inspired by the beautiful, fresh drinks we had on our trip.

Since I think that adding herbs to lemonade adds an incomparable freshness, I added thyme to this one (instead of mint), as it pairs well with maple and lemon.




This recipe has everything you love about homemade lemonade but with the sophisticated pairing of peach and thyme along with a healthier sweetener.

The meat of the peach gives this lemonade 'body' . . . and the maple and thyme warm the tart flavors of the lemon; together with the tender sweetness of the peaches and agave . . . you have a refreshing (and unique) Summer drink.




 maple agave lemonade with peaches & thyme
.     .     .     .     .     .
3 peaches, sliced and pit removed
zest of 1 small lemon
2 sprigs of fresh thyme, and a few extra for serving
3/4 cup maple agave syrup
4 cups water,  fresh or sparkling
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
.     .     .     .     .     .

Preparation
In a blender, combine the peaches, lemon zest, thyme, maple agave syrup and ½ cup of the water. Blend until smooth.

Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve and into a large pot or bowl. Discard the leftover pulp.

Stir in the lemon juice then top up with the water until you reach a desired taste and sweetness. Add more if needed.

Pour into a pitcher or glass bottle. Keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. 

To serve, pour over a glass of ice and add a few sprigs of fresh thyme, and a slice of lemon and peach, if you wish. 

I recommend having a petite carafe with extra maple agave syrup for those who like their lemonade on the sweeter side. 


For a fast and easy dessert, 
serve with a humble (and slightly sweet) cookie like a Madeleine
The tender flavor of the Madeleine will allow the sophisticated flavors of this lemonade shine!







LET'S STAY in touch!










17 comments:

  1. What a pretty lemonade without all the food coloring:)

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  2. Hmm...looks totally delicious and incredibly refreshing. Finished off with a cookie...well what more could you possibly want :-)

    Thanks for sharing at Marvelous Monday on Smart Party Planning :-)

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  3. Suzanne-happy birthday! I'm so glad you could get away, and it sounds like you had a wonderful time. I can see why you were inspired-all those summer drinks you listed sound so refreshing. This recipe looks divine. Thanks for sharing!

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  4. Sounds like you had a wonderful birthday! How refreshing this looks, love peaches and lemonade, will have to give this a try...
    Thanks so much for sharing at AMAZE ME MONDAY.
    Blessings,
    Cindy

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  5. A couple years ago, we visited my aunt and she took us to Hotel del Coronado for the day. It was gorgeous! Your stay sounds lovely and how wonderful you can drink this and remember it!

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  6. Maple Agave syrup? It sounds like such a luxury. Your drink looks fabulous. I am loving the thyme sprig! Yum! :)
    xox, Crystelle
    CrystelleBoutique

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  7. Beautiful pictures and the Madeleines look divine. A perfect combination! Thanks for sharing at the Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop! I always love it when you come by and link up. You have amazing posts!
    Blessings,
    Shari

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  8. Looks sooooooo pretty I wanna try

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  9. Ok, now ya did it! I have never seen lemonade that looked so pretty! LOL I pinned and printed this so I could pick up the agave next time I go grocery shopping....have to try this!

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  10. Anonymous10:37 AM

    Sounds delicious, I love the colour. Thanks for linking up to Sweet and Savoury Sunday, stop by and link up again. Have a great day!! Laura@Baking in Pyjamas

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  11. What a unique and delicious spin on lemonade! I found this lovely recipe on the Weekend Potluck link party and thought I’d stop by. I am currently doing a call out for no-bake recipes on my recipe link party, The Yuck Stops Here and would love it if you would bring this recipe and any of your other no-bake favorites to the party! The party starts tonight (Tuesday) at 8pm ET and can be found on my blog, Hot Momma’s Kitchen Chaos. I hope to see you there! HUGS

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    Replies
    1. So glad you came! I'll definately be including this in my roundup! HUGS

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  12. I'm going to have to give this a try! I appreciate you sharing with Home and Garden Thursday,
    Kathy

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  13. What a refreshing summer drink! Love the flavor combination.

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  14. Adding thyme to lemonade is such a good idea! I'm definitely going to pick some up at the farmers market tomorrow and give it a try. #foodiefridays

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  15. Visiting from the Show Stopper Saturday link up. This looks SO delicious! Thanks for sharing :)

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  16. Please take me on your next trip! But if you can't I guess I'll just have to make this awesome drinky drinky to console myself. ;)

    Thanks for sharing on Show-Licious. Pinning!
    ~ Ashley

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