Candy Cane Champagne

For a truly scrumptious holiday pairing, I've combined this strawberry and champagne cocktail with a new and improved bacon-wrapped scallop dish.

A triple threat of taste pairings --sweet & salty, crunchy & chewy and hot & cold -- I highly recommend giving it a try at your holiday dinner party.

If you prefer to just toast the season, this sweet sip makes for the perfect Christmas cocktail to do that with!

Ingredients:

1 chilled & iced champagne or sparkling wine

1 basket of strawberries, cleaned and hulled, about 8 ounces<

3 Tablespoon agave nectar

Fresh mint or small candy cane peppermint sticks

Directions:

Chill a bottle of champagne and set in an ice bucket.

Clean and hull one basket of strawberries. Mix with three tablespoons of agave syrup and let sit for a few minutes.

In a blender, whip the strawberries into a puree and carefully spoon 3 generous tablespoons into the bottom of a champagne flute.

Slowly pour the champagne into the flute. Be careful not to overflow in the glass as it fizzes.

For an extra dash of fun, garnish with a sprig of fresh mint or a candy cane stick.