Beat The Heat: Frozen Arnold Palmers

So, it's hot and you want to make frozen drinks with friends, but making them can be time consuming, messy, and usually not everyone gets their drink at the same time.

Other recipes for frozen "granita" style drinks require freezing in a baking dish and then scraping the frozen mixture out with a fork, which, apart from being a slow and sticky process, makes me cringe from the thought of the nails-on-a-chalkboard sound. Even with a specialty blender like the Margaritaville (which yes, I do have), your party won't get all their drinks at the same time if you've got more than two other people with you.

This easy and fun recipe is great for big groups as long as you have enough lidded jars and ice cubes for everyone.

Frozen Arnold Palmer
Lemonade:
5 large lemons
1-2 limes (optional)
3 cups water
1 cup simple syrup (directions below)
or ½ c. agave syrup diluted in ½ c. water

Iced Tea:
Black Tea bags of choice

Simple Syrup:
1 cup water
½ cup sugar

You'll Also Need:
Mason Jars or upcycled peanut butter/jam/etc. jars with lids
Ice cube trays
Optional: cocktail muddler, straws

Make both lemonade ice cubes and iced tea ahead of time. If you're planning for a larger group, make the ice cubes in batches the day before and store in the freezer in a large bowl or freezer bag. Make iced tea accordingly.

LEMONADE ICE CUBES:

Combine the juice of the lemons and lime with the water and sweetener of choice. Adjust proportions to taste. Using a measuring cup, pour lemonade into ice cube trays and freeze

for at least 4 hours, or adjust for your freezer. A softer set will be easier to break up in the jar.

PREPARE THE ICED TEA:

My favorite way to make ice tea is to throw 8-10 tea bags into a heatproof container such as a coffee pot and pour boiling water onto the tea bags and leave it sitting on the counter until the coffee pot is no longer hot to the touch, transfer it to a carafe, then put it in the fridge. You're welcome to prepare your iced tea however you'd like.

ASSEMBLE THE FROZEN ARNOLD PALMER:

If preparing for a big group, you can set up a "Frozen Arnold Palmer" bar and have everyone do this process themselves (you can even ask them to bring their own upcycled jar). In a clean jar, loosely drop in frozen lemonade ice cubes till about ½ - 1 inch from the

top. Make sure not to pack them in or else it will make breaking them up via shaking the jar more difficult.

Close the lid tightly on the jar. With a firm grip, shake the jar vigorously for 15-20 seconds, stopping intermittently to make sure the slush doesn't all form at the top. The most effective way to shake the jar is in a 360-degree style, vertically, horizontally, upside down, and then horizontally again. To break up stubborn cubes, use a utensil such as a cocktail muddler.

If you have enough jars for everyone, go ahead and add the cooled black tea directly to the

jar, otherwise, transfer the frozen lemonade to a chilled tumbler. Stir

Add more lemonade ice cubes to taste. Garnish with a lemon wedge.

SUGGESTIONS:

Feel free to add your favorite liquor such as silver tequila, vodka, or rum to your concoction.

To switch it up, use mango, watermelon, or strawberry puree in place or in combination with your lemonade. Substitute black tea for green tea or an herbal tea such as hibiscus tea. Maybe make a variety of cubes for your Frozen Arnold Palmer bar and let your guests get creative!

Enjoy!