Tantalise Your Taste Buds this Summer with These Quick Dessert Recipes Infused with Gin and Tonic

You’d think that gin is only limited to cocktails like the Negroni, Tim Collins, and Martini, but you’re in for a surprise. You can infuse the crisp and botanical freshness of this spirit into desserts too. Usually, gin is distilled with a wide range of botanical ingredients like coriander, citrus peels, angelica root, cardamom, and cinnamon. However, the predominant flavor of gin comes from juniper berries. Here are some quick dessert recipes for gin-infused adults-only treats that you can try, if you’re willing to experiment:

Gin and Tonic Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• 250 gm crushed digestive biscuits
• 100 gm melted butter
• 600 gm cream cheese
• 100 gm icing sugar
• Zest and juice of a lemon
• Zest and juice of a lime
• 130 ml gin
• 160 ml tonic water
• 280 ml heavy cream
• 2 tbsp sugar

Instructions:

1. Mix the melted butter and digestive biscuits to create the cheesecake base. Press it into the bottom of a springform cake tin. Refrigerate to set the base.
2. Whisk the cream cheese, icing sugar, and lime juice and zest in a large bowl. Then add 65 ml of gin and heavy cream.
3. Pour this mixture over the cheesecake base and let it refrigerate.
4. Create a gin and tonic syrup by reducing these two ingredients with caster sugar. After the syrup has thickened and slightly cool, mix in the lemon zest and juice.
5. Before serving, pour this syrup over the cheesecake and decorate with lemon slices.

Gin and Tonic Tart

Ingredients:

For the tart pastry:

• 200 gm sifted flour
• 35 gm sifted icing sugar
• 75 gm chilled and chopped unsalted butter
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 1 egg yolk
• 60 ml chilled tonic water

Pastry filling:

• 4 eggs
• 165 gm caster sugar
• 185 ml fresh lemon juice
• 150 ml heavy cream
• 60 ml gin

Gin and tonic syrup:

• 150 gm caster sugar
• 250 ml tonic water
• Zest and juice of 2 lemons
• 60 ml gin

Instructions:

1. Mix all of the ingredients along with the chilled tonic water in a food processor until you get a firm dough. Wrap it in cling film and let it chill.
2. Preheat the oven to 180 C and then grease a round tart pan.
3. Roll this dough out on a lightly floured surface. Roll it out slightly bigger than the tart pan and then flip it into the pan.
4. Cut the sides of the dough, so it looks clean. Let the pan chill in the fridge for about 15 minutes.
5.  
6. Pierce the dough with a fork so that when you partially bake it, the steam can escape.
7. Place a layer of parchment paper over this and fill it completely with uncooked beans or rice. Blind bake for 10 minutes. Then remove the paper and bake it for another 5 minutes.
8. For the filling, whisk all of the listed ingredients and pour it into the tart shell.
9. Bake for about 220 to 25 minutes at 180°C until the top has completely set and the custard is cooked.
10. Create the gin and tonic syrup by simmering sugar, tonic water, and lemon juice on low heat. Take it off the heat and add the gin. Finally, add the lemon zest.
11. Pour it over the baked tart and serve.