Name: Orange Vanilla Simple Syrup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 1 cup water; 1 cup granulated sugar; 2 cinnamon sticks; 2 orange peels (large oranges) ((you will need the peels of 3 oranges if they are small oranges)); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ((you want to use good quality vanilla extract))

I’m so excited to bring you this special Academy Awards inspired post! We got together with a bunch of talented cooks and bloggers and developed movie inspired treats to help you plan your Oscars Party. Like this Orange Vanilla Martini inspired by the movie, The Post.

And be sure to check out the other Academy Awards inspired treats below.

The Academy Awards are coming March 4th. I must admit, I rarely have time to go to the movies anymore, but the Academy Awards are always on my “must see” list. The movies, Jimmy Kimmel, the celebrities, the DRESSES!

And who doesn’t need a cocktail to celebrate all of that?

We chose the Academy Award nominated movie “The Post” to inspire our recipe for the Orange Vanilla Martini recipe featured here today. Set in the 1970s it features the uber talented Meryl Streep as Katherine Graham, the first female publisher of a newspaper, which happens to be the Washington Post. Tom Hanks plays the Washington Post’s editor, Ben Bradlee. The two pair up to determine how and if they should expose what they believe to be a massive government cover-up that spans many decades and multiple presidents. And of course these decisions have consequences. Big, big consequences.

Strong female lead. Big government. Independent press with consequences of freedom of speech. Let that sink in.

Government versus The Press. Sound familiar? Turns out the themes of the 1970s may not be so far from the themes of 2018.

Orange Vanilla Martini Please.

Brings us right back to that cocktail, right?

If you’re a hardcore “I want to taste my gin with salty olives, none of this fancy stuff” martini fan, this one may not be for you. If you’re a “I want my drink to taste great but still pack a punch” martini fan, tune in for the Orange Vanilla Martini. This is your cocktail. Flavored simple syrup plus gin plus Cointreau plus fresh squeezed orange juice equals a sweet but strong sipper.

Strong female lead indeed.

Here are the links to our fabulous bloggers and their Academy Awards inspired creations:

Darkest Hour: Chocolate Tuile Cigars with Whisky Ganache from Suzanne of Flour Arrangements

Dunkirk: Strawberry Brie Crostinis from Sharon of The Honour System

Call Me By Your Name: Peach Focaccia from Kara of K&R Adventures

Get Out: Black and White Cookies from Julia of Girl Meets Kitchen

Lady Bird: Orange Baked Chicken Sandwiches from Alice of Dining With Alice

Phantom Thread: Mushroom Toasts from Haley of Cheap Recipe Blog

The Post: Orange Vanilla Martinis from Holly and Lane of With Two Spoons

The Shape of Water: Tuna Fish and Avocado Appetizer from Greta of Pickles Travel

Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri: Sadly, Jessica of Femme Fraiche is down and out with illness, so you’ll have to come up with your own appetizer or drink for the movie that I predict will win!

Orange Vanilla Martini with frosty shaker

5 from 6 votes

Orange Vanilla Simple Syrup

This is a simple syrup that is easy to make and can be used to create a delicious Orange Vanilla Martini.

Course cocktails

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 16 1/2 ounce servings

Calories 50 kcal

Author With Two Spoons

Ingredients

1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
2 orange peels (large oranges) (you will need the peels of 3 oranges if they are small oranges)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (you want to use good quality vanilla extract)

Instructions

Pour water into a small saucepan.
Add sugar, orange peels, cinnamon sticks and vanilla.
Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute (all sugar should be dissolved).
Remove from heat and allow to steep for 1 hours.
Strain syrup into a glass jar, discarding orange peels and cinnamon sticks.
Keep simple syrup in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Recipe Notes

This will make approximately 1 cup of simple syrup.

You can certainly use the scraped inside of a vanilla bean instead of vanilla extract, if you have this readily available to you. If you're using vanilla extract like we did, just make sure you use good quality vanilla extract.

5 from 6 votes