Temple: From-scratch Shirley

This from-scratch Shirley Temple is made with from-scratch grenadine for a satisfying colorful drink! My go-to childhood beverage complete with sword toothpicks!

It’s the weekend and you probably would get a kick out of making this a little sooner than later. So I’ve decided to give you a fun-little weekend recipe. A beverage with history, a childhood go-to that’s simple and refreshing and one I happen to still love!

Shirley Temple’s anyone?

I remember vividly. I was 6-ish, the place was Annie McPhee’s. It was like the ONLY restaurant in my then small town of Ortonville, Michigan. Everyone at the table would get a giant pizza which came with the most memorable house-made breadsticks I’d ever tasted. My sister Julie and I would kick back with a couple “Kiddie Cocktails” (aka Shirley Temples) with a orange slice and cherry as garnish.

I’d toss that orange slice aside and save the cherry for the particularly last. It was the forbidden fruit, that maraschino. I could easily sit on the couch and eat a whole jar, make no bones about it.

TO Make These Shirley Temples Set out:

• all-natural cherry juice
• granulated sugar
• lemon-lime sparkling water or 7-up soda
• orange slices, for garnish
• maraschino cherries, for garnish
• sword toothpicks

I like to use lemon-lime carbonated water, you certainly could use 7-up or Sprite but I think this doesn’t make the drink overly sweet. My girls like these a lot and they’re crazy unfussy to make! You could also make other flavors and jazz these up by using different juices like pomegranate, currant or even blackberry! yumz.

Measure 4 cups of cherry juice.

Pour the juice into a sauce pan.

Then bring the cherry juice to a simmer over moderate heat.

Reduce by half, which should take about 20-25 minutes.

Next, remove off of the heat and add in 2 cups of sugar. See? Who needs pop when you have all this sugar??

Give it a good stir and let cool completely.

Lastly, add some ice to a gigantic glass or wide-mouth jar.

Fill the glass 3/4 of the way with lemon lime soda.

Top with the cherry syrup.

How purrrrty!

Complete with maraschino cherries and an orange wedge speared with one of those swashbucklers-sword toothpick thingies. So, so fun and thirst quenching!

I hope you love this from-scratch Shirley Temple as much as we do!

Enjoy! And if you give this kitchen-made shirley temple recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!