Every so often I have a craving for a cocktail - and therefore keep a wide variety of alcoholic beverages in the cupboard, which sit there, waiting for me to get creative. I've even got a stylish shaker and some martini glasses to help me get into the... (pardon the pun) 'spirit' of things.

Of course, I never seem to have any ice in the freezer when I need it - which always sets my creative ambitions back an hour or so!

I'm not talking about girlie cocktails with stuff like Peach Schnapps and cranberry juice - No, none of that nonsense, i'm talking man cocktails - drinks like the 'White Russian' - a favourite tipple of Jeff Bridges ('The Dude') in 'The Big Lebowski'. Having said that, I do own some of those fancy little umbrellas for a bit of an 80's Club Tropicana revival - and we can't exactly claim George Michael is all-man now can we!

Anyway, I would like to share with you my (current) favourite cocktail. I say current, because I go through phases of having different tastes on a weekly basis. This month I have been enjoying milk-based concoctions, and the one which follows is a simple creation with only a few ingredients, but it does the trick!

The ingredients are readily available, although Ameretto and Kahlua can be quite expensive, especially if you are buying from an off-license rather than a supermarket.

Toasted Almond
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2 oz. (60 ml / 4 tbsp.) Ameretto

2 oz. (60 ml / 4 tbsp.) Kahlua

2 oz. (60 ml / 4 tbsp.) Single Cream
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Mix the ingredients together and serve. This is great if you have a blender, and you can chuck the whole lot in with ice - delicious. The flavour is lovely and creamy, and if you prefer it less strong, you can add more cream - or even try adding a bit of milk if you're particularly health conscious.

If you follow my blender tip, then you should (hopefully) end up with finely ground ice, and a consistency similar to that of a 'Slush Puppy' - albeit a very alchoholic Slush Puppy!

This one is great for a hot summers day sitting in the garden relaxing. Unfortunately I don't have a garden, so I would have to be sitting *in someone else's* garden, relaxing.

Enjoy! - sensibly of course...