All The Pimm’s Recipes You Need This Summer

Nothing says summer more than a pretty jug of Pimms, clinking with ice, packed with fresh fruit and sprigged with mint. So whether you’re having a BBQ, heading out for a picnic, or simply enjoying a sunny Saturday, there are plenty of Pimm’s recipes to suit every palette. From fruit cocktail jellies to Pimm’s iced tea and iced lollies, here are the refreshing recipes to try this summer.

The Original Pimm’s

If you’re British and over 18, it’s a given you should know how to make a Pimm’s – it’s in our blood, like enjoying tennis or talking about the weather. But just in case you’re a bit rusty, here’s the lowdown – luckily for you, the hardest part is cutting up a lot of fruit.

Instructions:

1. Fill a tumbler or tall glass with ice cubes

2. Pour in 50ml Pimm’s No.1 and top up with lemonade

3. Add a few sliced strawberries, orange and cucumber

4. Stir and top with a sprig of mint

Pimm’s Spritz

Once you’ve mastered the original, it’s time to move on to some fancy new cocktails. Take this twist on an Aperol Spritz – refreshing and fruity.

Instructions:

1. Fill a Copa or wine glass with ice cubes

2. Pour in 50ml Pimm’s No.1 and 75ml lemonade, and top with sparkling wine

3. Add a few slices of cucumber and a sprig of mint

Pimm’s No.6 English Rose

Did you know that Pimm’s No.1 isn’t the only Pimm’s there is? There’s also Pimm’s No.6, also known as the vodka cup. The original No.1 bottle uses gin as its base, whereas vodka takes its place in the No.6. It was originally launched in the 1960s but later discontinued, and brought back by popular demand just last year. To make the most of the vodka cup, the experts at Pimm’s recommend mixing it with the delicate flavours of rose lemonade for a refreshing drink.

Instructions:

1. Fill a tumbler with ice cubes

2. Pour in 50ml Pimm’s No.6 (Vodka Cup) and 125ml Fentiman’s Rose Lemonade

3. Add a dash each of lavender syrup, lemon juice and orange bitters

Pimm’s Iced Tea

If you’re a fan of an iced tea on a nice hot day, then this recipe is for you – it’s living proof that there really is nothing that Pimm’s can’t make better.

Ingredients:

4 Everyday Brew tea temples ​

20g of mint

100g of caster sugar

Juice 2 large oranges, plus slices to serve

Juice 2 large lemons, plus slices to serve

400ml of Pimm’s

Strawberries and ice to serve

Instructions:

1. Put the tea temples and half the mint into a large shatter-proof jug. Pour over 1.2 litres of boiled water.

2. Leave to infuse for 10 mins, then remove the temples and sir in the sugar.

3. Once cool, remove the mint, add the orange juice, lemon juice and Pimm’s.

4. Chill overnight.

5. Serve with plenty of ice, slices of oranges and lemons, strawberries and any remaining mint.

Mexican Pimm’s

Fancy Pimm’s with a Mexican twist? This recipe from Cazcabel Tequila is sure to impress your friends and adds an interesting dimension to the classic. Grab a bottle of tequila and get mixing!

Ingredients:

25ml of Cazcabel Blanco Tequila

25ml of Pimm’s

2 large strawberries

1 large strip of cucumber

Top up with lemonade

Instructions:

1. Pour the Cazcabel Blanco and Pimms into a jar half filled with ice.

2. Cut the strawberries into quarters and add to the jar with the cucumber strip.

3. Fill jar with ice and top up with lemonade. Stir with a spoon and serve!

Pimm’s Summer Cup Ice Cream with Strawberry Lemon Ripple

That’s right – Pimm’s isn’t just for the drinking. This recipe from Clarence Court infuses the ice cream with the flavour of Pimm’s for a dessert just for grown-ups.

Ingredients:

500ml of whole milk

20g of fresh basil sprigs

20g of fresh mint 

1 lemon

4 Clarence Court hen egg yolks

150g of caster sugar 

400ml of double cream

4 tbsp of lemon curd 

400g of strawberries, quartered 

2 tsbp of Pimm’s

200g of caster sugar

    Instructions:

    1. Start by infusing the milk. Place the milk in a really clean medium size saucepan. Pick the basil and mint leaves and place to one side. Take basil and mint stalks, gently bruise and add to the pan of milk. Place the pan on hob on a low heat. Using a peeler take 2 good strips of lemon peel and add to the milk. Gently heat the milk for a few minutes until just steaming then remove the pan from the heat, take out the lemon peel and place to one side. 

    2. Meanwhile place the basil and mint leaves in a food processor and whiz up to a fine sand with the 150g caster sugar. Place the egg yolks into a mixing bowl and whisk well. Measure out 40g of the sugar and place to one side. Add the rest of the sugar to the egg yolks and whisk well until light and fluffy. Remove the herb stalks from the pan of milk and return the milk to a low heat. When the milk is steaming again but not boiling, slowly whisk the milk into the yolks. Quickly clean out the pan and return the custard to the pan on a slow heat, stir continuously until it lightly coats the back of the spoon. Pour the custard into a bowl and whisk over a bowl of ice to cool quickly. Lightly whip the cream to very soft peaks, fold into the custard and churn in an ice cream machine until ready to freeze (takes about an hour).

    3. While the ice cream is churning. Hull and quarter the strawberries, place in a medium sized saucepan with the 200g of sugar and Pimm’s.  Place the pan on a medium heat and cook the fruit until slightly thickened and jammy. Pour into a bowl and leave to cool.

    4. Once the ice cream is churned ripple in some of the strawberries and fold in dots of lemon curd. Transfer to a freezer proof container and freeze until set. To serve scoop out balls of ice cream serve with the remaining strawberries on top and a sprinkle of the remaining basil and mint sugar.

    Pimm’s Cupcakes

    If you haven’t got the time or the tools to make a whole tub of ice cream, then try these easy cupcakes – light and fruity, they’re ideal for a picnic on Henman Hill.

    Ingredients:

    For the cupcakes:

    125g of unsalted butter

    150g of golden caster sugar

    Zest of 1 lemon and 1 lime

    3 eggs, beaten

    50ml of Pimm’s

    150g of self-raising flour

    For the buttercream:

    50g of unsalted butter, softened
    400g icing sugar
    2 tbsp Pimm’s
    1 tbsp milk

    For decoration:

    6 small strawberries, sliced

    12 mint leaves

      Instructions:

      1. Line a 12-hole muffin pan with cupcake cases. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4.

      2. To make the cupcakes, cream the butter and sugar with the zest until light and fluffy. Combine the eggs and Pimm’s then add one third of this to the butter mixture with one tablespoon of flour, mix well and repeat twice. Add the remaining flour and mix well.

      3. Divide the cupcake mix between the cupcake cases and level the tops.

      4. Bake for 18-20 minutes until they are golden on top and spring back when lightly pressed with a finger. Remove from the pan, place on a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

      5. To make the buttercream, beat all the ingredients together until smooth, transfer the mixture to a piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe onto the cakes. Top with strawberry slices and use a small sharp knife to push a mint leaf into the top of each cake.

      Pimm’s Fruit Cocktail Jelly

      For something a little lighter, these jellies by Niki Webster of RebelRecipes.com ​work as the perfect dessert for the adults at the party. Plus, they’re choc-full of fruit – say hello to your five-a-day!

      Ingredients:

      100g of strawberries, sliced 

      1/2 a mango, peeled and cut into slices 

      Handful of mint 

      25g of cucumber, peeled and chopped into small cubes

      100g of cherries (de-stoned)

      100g of raspberries 

      3 tbsp of Pimm’s 

      1 tbsp of maple syrup 

      1/2 of vanilla essence 

      200ml of water 

      Sachet of vegetarian gelatin 

      3 tbsp of Pimm’s 

      4 tbsp of elderflower cordial 

      4 tbsp of maple syrup 

      1/2 tsp of vanilla essence 

      400ml of water 

        Instructions:

        1. Add the fruit, Pimm’s, maple syrup and vanilla to a large bowl. Stir to combine and set aside. 

        2. Divide the fruit between four glasses. 

        3. Mix a sachet of vegetarian gelatin with 200ml cold water. Stir to dissolve. 

        4. In a pan add the mix, Pimm’s, elderflower cordial, maple syrup and vanilla and additional water. Heat until just boiling then pour over the fruit. 

        5. Allow to cool then transfer to the fridge to firm up for a couple of hours. 

        6. Top with more fruit and mint. 

        Pimm’s Ice Lollies

        If there’s one thing more refreshing than a cocktail, it’s an ice lolly. But who says you can’t combine the two? Fruit specialists BerryWorld have created a recipe for their alcoholic lollies, filled with fresh fruit and Pimm’s.

        Ingredients:

        300g of BerryWorld strawberries and raspberries

        Handful of mint

        50g of icing sugar

        100ml of Pimm’s

        200ml of lemonade

        4 slices of cucumber, quartered

        4 strawberries, sliced

        Instructions:

        1. Put the strawberries, raspberries, mint leaves and sugar into a blender and whizz until smooth. Pour through a fine sieve to remove the seeds.

        2. Combine the berry mixture with the Pimm’s and lemonade and stir well.

        3. Put the cucumber and strawberry slices into the lolly moulds and pour in the liquid. Freeze for four hours or until solid.

        Pimm’s Glaze

        Great news: Pimm’s doesn’t even have to be used for something sweet. This Pimm’s glaze by Quorn is perfect on real or meat-free chicken fillets (and even better if you’re planning on taking part in World Meat Free Week from 17-23 June), accompanied by a summer salad.

        Ingredients:

        4 Quorn Fillets, defrosted

        For the dressing:

        300ml of Pimm’s

        2 tbsp of apple balsamic vinegar

        2 tsp of cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp of cold water

        For the salad:

        150g of sweet tomatoes, thinly sliced length ways

        Drizzle of olive oil

        1/2 pack of mozzarella pearls or mozzarella pieces

        40g of strawberries, thinly sliced

        6 basil leaves, roughly torn.

        Freshly ground black pepper

          Instructions:

          1. Pre-heat a small pan, add the Pimm’s and heat until the liquid has reduced by half. Then add the apple balsamic and cornflour, reduce the heat and simmer for two minutes or until thickened.

          2. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas mark 6, glaze the fillets with the dressing and place onto a lightly greased baking tray, cook in the oven for 10 minutes.

          3. Place the sliced tomatoes on a plate, drizzle with the olive oil. Scatter over the mozzarella, strawberries and basil leaves, grind over a generous amount of black pepper.

          4. Tear or cut the glazed Quorn Fillets and place on top of the salad, drizzle over the remaining dressing. Can be served warm or cold.

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