These cocktail cubes are a fun way to entertain your guests. They are rum infused strawberries encased in a daiquiri cube. When you bite into them the cube starts off with a sweet and tart flavor followed up by the kick of the rum-infused strawberries.
To gel the daiquiri base I use a combination of agar and locust bean gum so the gels will be semi-elastic with a nice bite to them. They will also be strong enough to hold the strawberries when people pick them up. I prefer to use square molds but any mold that is big enough to hold a strawberry piece works well. They will last at room temperature for several hours or in the refrigerator for several days.
I use a whipping siphon to quickly infused the strawberries with the rum, but if you don't have one you can combine them in a sealed container and let them sit for several days to infuse.
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Also, if you are just getting started experimenting with molecular gastronomy and modernist cuisine then I highly recommend one of these molecular gastronomy kits. They have everything you need to do many different dishes.
Because they use modernist ingredients, these amounts are given in metric by weight. For more information on how to measure modernist ingredients check out this article.
Combine all ingredients in a whipping siphon. Seal the siphon, charge it, and shake well. Let the strawberries sit for 20 to 30 minutes, either in the refrigerator or on the counter.
Vent the siphon then pour out the infused strawberries into a container. They are ready to serve or can be stored in the refrigerator for a week.
First, prepare the square molds by placing one or two pieces of rum infused strawberry in each one.
Combine the pineapple juice, water, sugar, agar, and locust bean gum in a pot and blend well to combine. Bring to a boil while stirring occasionally. Let simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
Whisk in the triple sec and lime juice then gently add the daiquiri base into the square molds around the strawberries. Once the molds are filled, let them set completely.
Remove the agar gels from the molds and place on a dish. Top with a mint leaf and dehydrated strawberry then serve.
Modernist Cooking Made Easy: Getting Started covers many of the popular modernist techniques such as gelling, spherification, and foams. It also explores modernist ingredients like agar, sodium alginate, tapioca maltodextrin, and xanthan gum.
This article is by me, Jason Logsdon. I'm an adventurous home cook and professional blogger who loves to try new things, especially when it comes to cooking. I've explored everything from sous vide and whipping siphons to pressure cookers and blow torches; created foams, gels and spheres; made barrel aged cocktails and brewed beer. I have also written 10 cookbooks on modernist cooking and sous vide and I run the AmazingFoodMadeEasy.com website.
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