Orange Creamsicles are trending like nuts. Maybe it's because Wendy's launched their creamsicle-inspired Dreamsicle. Or maybe they are just gosh darn delicious. Orange, sugar, and cream are a wonderful combination, but do you know what makes it all better? Booze! I mean, what DOESN'T booze make better, #amIright?
But first, let's find out what mad scientists decided that dairy and oranges needed to be a thing. 11-year-old Frank Epperson decided that vanilla ice cream and orange fruit ice may work together in 1905 and it was an instant hit for the little citrus savant. Initially, it was called the "epsicle," which frankly sounds meh. Eventually, it was marketed as the creamsicle, and the rest is history. OK, so enough funsicle facts. Let's see how to mixologize this wonderful mutant ice cream libation.
Before you start making this drink, stick your serving glasses and tumbler in the freezer till they get good and frosted. This isn't just for aesthetics. We're working with dairy and citrus here, so you want to make sure everything is cold at every stage to avoid the possibility of curdling. Curdling in a word? Gross. If you don't have vanilla vodka, you can make your own by adding 1/8th teaspoon of vanilla extract to the 2 ounces of vodka called for in the recipe.
1. Once your tumbler is good and chilled (think the pole scene in a Christmas Story), add ice to it and pour in the vanilla vodka.
3. Add the Cointreau orange liqueur.
4. Slice a round from one of the oranges, that's about ¼ inch thick. This will be used for garnish. Squeeze the juice from both oranges. You will use 4 ounces (½ cup) for the drink. Reserve the rest for another preparation. (Or for your second drink. Because these go down easy.)
5. Stir the 4 ounces of fresh-squeezed orange juice in ice and strain into the tumbler.
6. Shake it like you wanna break it so the OJ froths up.
7. Add only a couple of ice cubes (we don't want a watery drink) to your chilled glasses and pour it all in.
8. Garnish with sliced orange.
If you have a serious sweet tooth, top it off with some whipped cream out of a squirty can and some shaved white chocolate. Though you don't have to shotgun this drink like a frat boy, don't let it sit in the hot sun at a BBQ forever. Again, curdling is the enemy. Enjoy!