It's time to round up your girl gang and get ready for the ultimate ladies celebrating ladies holiday. That's right, it's time for Galentine's Day - the holiday popularized by the one and only Leslie Knope from Parks and Rec, where we gals get together to appreciate and celebrate our female friendships.
We’re serving up our favorite hosting tips and ideas for the ultimate Galentine's Day bash, complete with a boozy cupcake recipe, the best sweet wines and show-stopping charcuterie board ideas. So, grab your girls and get ready to raise a glass (or a few) to your gal pals!
It's time to round up your girl gang and get ready for the ultimate ladies celebrating ladies holiday. That's right, it's time for Galentine's Day - the holiday popularized by the one and only Leslie Knope from Parks and Rec, where we gals get together to appreciate and celebrate our female friendships.
We’re serving up our favorite hosting tips and ideas for the ultimate Galentine's Day bash, complete with a boozy cupcake recipe, the best sweet wines and show-stopping charcuterie board ideas. So, grab your girls and get ready to raise a glass (or a few) to your gal pals!
Indulge in a little self-care with these delicious Love Yourself Cupcakes! These tasty treats are the perfect way to show yourself (and your friends) some love. With a fluffy vanilla cupcake base and a creamy, dreamy frosting - these sparkling wine cupcakes are guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth and show your girls how much you care. For extra glammed up cupcakes, sprinkle with edible glitter!
Cupcake Recipe:
1, 15.25 ounce box vanilla or white cake mix
1 cup La Bella Prosecco
3 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
3-5 drops red food coloring, depending on desired color
Sparkling Buttercream Frosting*
*Sparkling Buttercream Frosting:
2 sticks salted butter, softened
4 ½ cups powdered sugar
2-3 drops red food coloring, depending on desired color
2 tablespoons heavy cream
½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
¼ cup La Bella Prosecco, room temperature
For the sparkling wine buttercream: In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar, food coloring, heavy cream, lemon zest and room temperature sparkling wine. Mix on low speed just until combined, then increase to medium-high speed and beat for 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy. When ready to decorate cupcakes, transfer to piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, whisk together the cake mix, sparkling wine, eggs, oil and red food coloring. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. Fill each ¾ full with batter. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until fully cooked. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pans, then transfer the cupcakes to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Once cupcakes are cooled completely, pipe the icing around the outer edge of the cupcake, spiraling into the center until the cupcake is completely covered.
Get ready to swim through a sea of love with these rum-based, refreshing Mermaid Mojitos. Perfect for a Galentine's Day party with your BFFs, this batch cocktail is sure to put a little sparkle in your celebration. And don't forget the edible glitter - because who says mermaids can't be extra? So, grab your mermaid tails and get sipping!
The Recipe:
9 ounces Cayman Reef White Rum
2 limes, quartered
12 strawberries, sliced
10 fresh mint leaves
4 ounces simple syrup
Edible glitter
8 cups club soda
In a pitcher, add rum, limes, strawberries, mint and simple syrup. Let ingredients sit for 5 minutes, then muddle everything together in the bottom of the pitcher. Add edible glitter, top with club soda and stir. Serve in glasses over fresh ice. Garnish with a strawberry heart and mint sprig.
The Recipe:
2 ounces Svedka Vodka
1 ounce hazelnut liqueur
1 ounce espresso
Cinnamon
In a shaker with ice, add vodka, hazelnut liqueur and espresso. Shake vigorously for 10 to 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a pinch of cinnamon.
The Recipe:
1 ½ ounces Pinnacle Original Vodka
½ ounce Chambord Raspberry Liqueur
½ ounce simple syrup
½ ounce fresh lemon juice
Blackberries
Thyme sprig
In a shaker with ice, add vodka, crème de cassis liqueur, simple syrup and lemon juice. Shake and strain into a glass with fresh ice. Top with soda water and stir to combine. Garnish with blackberries and thyme sprig.
The Recipe:
2 ounces Patrón Reposado Tequila
¾ ounce lime juice
3 ounces grapefruit soda
In a mixing glass, add tequila and lime juice. Mix, then pour into a glass with fresh ice. Top with soda.
The Recipe:
1 ½ ounces Suntory Roku Gin
½ ounce dry sake
1 ounce blood orange syrup
½ ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
Blood orange wheel
Combine gin, sake, syrup and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a glass. Top with sparkling wine and garnish with a blood orange wheel.
The Recipe:
Absinthe (optional)
1 ounce lemon juice
¾ ounce rose syrup
1 dash aromatic bitters
1 egg white (optional)
1 dash Peychaud’s Bitters
Rose petals
If desired, rinse a glass with absinthe. In a shaker, add tequila, lemon juice, rose syrup, aromatic bitters and egg white (if desired). Shake vigorously without ice. Add ice and shake again until chilled. Strain into rinsed glass over fresh ice. Top with Peychaud’s bitters and garnish with rose petals.
No self-respecting Galentine's Day celebration is complete without wine, and if you're stumped on which bottles to bring, fear not - ABC's resident wine expert Nathan Dale has you covered with six sweet options that are sure to impress. Not only are these wines delightful and easy to sip, but they also go great with all kinds of snacks - think chocolate, cheeseboards and fruit. So go ahead and get your drink on, ladies!
Watch to see what we thought of them during our taste test.
What’s a girl’s night without your favorite assortment of cheeses to pair with your wine and cocktails? Get ready to chow down on some seriously sassy charcuterie this Galentine's. These fun and funky board ideas will have you and your besties snacking in style.
The Heart Breaker - an assortment of pink and red meats, including prosciutto and salami arranged in the shape of a heart. Add some heart-shaped crackers and a few jars of artisanal jams for a tasty twist.
The BFF Platter - feature a selection of your favorite cheeses and meats along with some playful additions, like dark chocolate gummy bears. Don't forget the chocolate-covered strawberries for a sweet touch.
The Boss Lady - impress your friends with an elegant spread of fancy cheeses, such as brie and camembert, and top-quality meats like truffled salami and prosciutto. Don't forget the sparkling wine to really make it a celebration.
The Friendship Brunch - mix it up with a breakfast-themed charcuterie board featuring savory breakfast meats like bacon and sausage along with an assortment of bagels, cream cheese and flavored butters.
The Spicy Siren - heat things up with a selection of spicy meats and cheeses, such as jalapeno-stuffed olives and ghost pepper cheddar. Cool down with some refreshing cucumber slices and a bowl of ranch dressing for dipping.
The Sweet and Sassy - satisfy your sweet tooth with a charcuterie board featuring an array of sweet treats like chocolate-covered pretzels, gourmet cookies and salted caramel sauce. Don't forget the cheese for balance – a soft goat cheese would be perfect.
