The holidays are in full swing now that we’re officially in the latter-half of December. Whether you’re hosting your whole family or just a few friends, ‘tis the season to think about the little things, like stocking stuffers and ice cubes(Opens in a new window). Did she just say ice cubes? She sure did. We have a few ideas for a festive twist on ice cubes.
Cranberry + Rosemary
Whether you’re making a few cocktails for a small get-together or a bowl of punch for a bigger gathering (hello, cousins we haven’t seen in years!), give your drinks a punch of color by adding raw cranberries and sprigs of fresh rosemary into your ice cube tray before adding water and freezing.
Pomegranate + Raspberry
If you’re in the mood for a fruity drink, why not go the extra mile and add fruit into the ice, too? Pomegranates and raspberries add a nice sweet-tart flavor to ice (and give it a beautiful pinkish-red holiday hue). Make these cubes in a Cocktail Cube Tray(Opens in a new window) so you can add them to a flute of champagne. Bonus tip: try muddling the raspberries in the ice cube tray before adding water for a sorbet-like consistency.
Hot Chocolate
Once you’ve put hot chocolate in the freezer, it's no longer hot chocolate, but I digress. These delicious frozen chocolate cubes are nice for cooling kids’ hot cocoa without watering 'em down (grown-ups can use them too; try adding them to crème de menthe-based cocktail for that classic mint-chocolate combo). And you can add the hot chocolate straight to a silicone ice cube tray without worrying about melting (ah, the joys of silicone).
Peppermint
Speaking of mint, don’t forget about one of the most iconic flavors of the holiday season! Add a few drops of peppermint oil to your ice cube tray or, for a subtler flavor and fresh-from-the-garden look, add a few mint leaves to the cubes.
Flower Power
Adding edible flowers like violets, rose petals, or lavender to your ice tray will lightly infuse the water with a subtle floral flavor, and the cubes look super elegant bobbing around in a glass.
Edible Glitter
New Year’s Eve brings with it the promise of celebration, reflection, and a whole lot of glitter. Don’t let your ice tray miss out on the fun—add gold edible glitter to your cubes and get ready to party like it’s 1999… or 2017. You can find edible glitter at select craft stores.
A Note on Champagne Cubes
Alcohol doesn’t freeze solid, but if you pour champagne into an ice cube tray and freeze overnight, it’ll become a granita-like texture to add to orange juice for a slushy mimosa the next morning.
