Sundays are fabulous, aren’t they? I know, I know, tomorrow’s Monday. But when Sundays are done right, they’re the absolute best day of the week. And my favorite way to start any Sunday is by eating a delicious brunch.

Brunch is breakfast-lunch, or a “mid-meal” between breakfast and lunch. Nowadays brunch is a glorified version of breakfast, eaten all the way until 3 PM. You’ll see dishes like oversized omelets on avocado toast, stacks of pancakes dripping with maple bacon syrup, and mixed berry-stuffed crepes with crème fraîche all over your social media feeds. Brunch can legitimately be the most epic meal of the week, and it’s usually combined with a cocktail (or two).

This brings me to this month’s Recipe Redux theme-  Healthy cocktails and mocktails for May celebrations! Thanks to brunch, you can use every Sunday as an excuse to celebrate. You can’t say cheers without a cocktail, can you?

My favorite liquor happens to be gin. Gin is a distilled spirit made from malt or grain. It’s main flavor profile comes from juniper berries. Juniper berries have piney and woody flavors, mixed with notes of fruit and pepper. Although juniper berries look like berries, they’re not actually berries at all. They’re seed cones of the juniper tree.

Thanks to juniper berries, the flavor of gin is very versatile. Gin pairs well with both sweet and salty foods, and it can be used in all different types of dishes. For this Sunday’s brunch, I made a healthy, refreshing, vibrant version of a gin fizz, along with some muffins for pairing. Pomegranates, lemons, and rosemary are used in both of these recipes to add some antioxidants and vitamin C to your Sunday morning ritual. Next time you have a party, be sure to use these recipes to impress your Sunday guests.

Pomegranate and Lemon Gin Fizz with Rosemary Muffins

• Servings: 1 drink and 12 muffins
• Time: 30mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients

For the Pomegranate and Lemon Gin Fizz
• Mason jar (about 10 oz)
• 1.5 oz gin (optional if you want a mocktail)
• 2 oz pomegranate juice
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Seltzer or club soda to fill the rest of the jar
• Ice (optional)
• 1 slice of lemon
• 1 sprig of rosemary

Directions

1. Add the gin, pomegranate juice, and lemon juice to the mason jar. Stir well. Add enough seltzer to fill the rest of the jar. Add some ice, a slice of lemon, and sprig of rosemary for garnish.
2. You can make this drink in a larger pitcher by multiplying the proportions of the gin, pomegranate juice, and lemon juice as necessary, and filling up the remaining pitcher with seltzer. Only add the ice, lemon slice, and rosemary sprig when pouring individual portions.

Ingredients

For the muffins (Recipe adapted from Food52)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tbsp dried lemon zest
• 1 1/2 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary
• 2 Tbsp pomegranate juice
• 1/2 Tbsp gin

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a muffin tin with papers and lightly grease each one.
2. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the sugar with the eggs until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the Greek yogurt. Mix well.
4. Add the olive oil and lemon juice. Mix well.
5. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until combined.
6. Add the dried lemon zest and rosemary into the batter. Mix until combined.
7. Add the pomegranate juice and gin. Mix until combined.
8. Divide the batter evenly between the muffin tins.
9. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes. DO NOT over-bake these, or they won’t stay moist. A toothpick should come out cleanly from the muffins.
10. Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes in the pan before eating.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1 Pomegranate and Lemon Gin Fizz
Calories 130 Total fat  0 g  Saturated Fat  0 g Cholesterol  0 mg  Sodium  6 mg  Total Carbohydrates  9 g Dietary Fiber  0 g  Sugars  8 g  Protein 0 g  Potassium 146 mg