Key Lime Pie Martini (Gluten-free, of course)

My youngest two graduated high school ending our 17 years journey of homeschooling. So I'm celebrating by expanding my cocktail recipe repertoire. Tonight I made sweet and sour mix from scratch and made a batch of simple syrup. I made my husband a Tom Collins and I'm now ready to celebrate Independence Day!

I've always loved PF Chang's key lime pie martinis. I finally found a recipe to make them.  Perfection in a glass. It tastes just like a tart key lime pie! YUM! I didn't believe it would turn out until I tasted it. The results are nothing short of amazing. It really tastes like key lime pie!

Simple to make and oh so refreshing for summer. I used Schar gluten-free graham crackers to rim the glass. Of course, if you aren't allergic to wheat or gluten, you can use regular graham crackers.

I bought key limes at the grocery store to make my version, but you can purchase bottled key lime juice, too.  Licor 43, a Spanish liqueur, is the secret ingredient. It's a citrus liqueur made with 43 ingredients, hence the name. It is fairly affordable, which is a bonus. I paid $24 at the ABC store.

Key Lime Pie Martini

1 1/2 ounces Licor 43
1 teaspoon sugar
1 ounce key lime juice
3/4 ounce half-and-half
canned whipped cream

Rim martini glass with crushed graham crackers. I use a slice of lime and roll it around the rim before dipping it in the crushed graham crackers. It adds a bit of tart to each sip.

Fill a shaker with ice, add Licor 43, sugar, key lime juice, and half-and-half. Add 3 -4 swirls of whipped cream to the top. Close shaker, shake and strain into glass.