PEARTINI

Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

1 cup vodka

1/4 cup dry vermouth

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 3 large limes)

Two 8-ounce ripe pears, such as Comice, peeled, stemmed, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces

Ice

1/2 unpeeled pear, cored and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices, for garnish

Directions

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and 1/2 cup water over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the syrup to cool, about 15 minutes.

In a blender, puree the syrup, vodka, vermouth, lime juice and pears until smooth. For each drink, pour some of the pear mixture into an ice-filled cocktail shaker and shake well. Pour into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with pear slices and serve.

Glassware: Martini Glass

Served: Straight Up