Pink Lemonade Recipe

I originally got this recipe from one of Little Lady's old books called Cookbook for Girls by Denise Smart.  Darling loves to look through it and tell me which cakes she would like me to make for her.  It had gotten a little battered and I was wondering if I should give it away, but thumbing through it I realised it had some nice, easy recipes that I wouldn’t mind trying.  This version of the recipe is my variation after trying and amending the original.  The drink is easy to make and experiment with and only takes about 15 minutes to make.

Ingredients

Juice of 2 fresh lemons

100g caster sugar

600ml (1 pint) boiling water

200ml (7 oz) water chilled

200ml (7 oz) water diluted with Vimto

The original recipe had the juice and also the zest of 4 lemons added into the boiling water, but I found the result too sour for my family’s liking, two lemons balances better with the sugar to make the drink a little more palatable.

Method

Bring the water to a boil and add the sugar and lemon juice.  Remove from heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.

Strain into a serving jug, sieving out the zest and any pulp or seeds that have slipped in.

Pour in the chilled water and the water diluted with Vimto and place in the fridge to chill.

The original recipe used cranberry juice in place of the Vimto, which I am yet to try, but which sounds like a nice alternative.  Cherry cordial also has a strong colouring effect, so a few drops of that would also probably give a nice colour.

I refrigerated the leftover lemonade and it was fine the next day.  I also used it to add a bit of taste and colour to my fruit smoothie and to thin it out a little.