DIY SUGAR CUBES FOR NYE CHAMPAGNE COCKTAILS

Although NYE will most likely be spent on the couch (though if I'm being honest that's usually what happens around here anyways), you can still have a fun cocktail! Champagne is the go-to for this night, but I prefer Prosecco or Cava. A friend gifted me little flavored sugar cubes for my birthday that were meant to pop into a glass of sparkling wine and add a fun twist. I loved them, and was wondering if I could make them myself. Well, you can. It's actually incredibly easy to make sugar cubes. It only takes a few ingredients (which you probably have laying around) and you can create a whimsical addition to your drink. These would also be great at a tea party or for a really sweet gift (see what I did there). Moving on, here's how you make them...

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Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1-2 tsp water
A few drops of your favorite flavored extract OR zest from a lemon or orange
A candy mold or small ice tray
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Add your sugar, and one tsp of water to a bowl along with a few drops of your extract (or your zest if you're going that route). Mix and continue to add water 1 tsp at a time until you get the consistency of sand. Not wet muddy sand, or dry sand you would put your towel on, but sandcastle sand (you know what I'm talking about). 
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Pack the sugar into a mold. I used a candy mold for fun shapes, but you could also use a small ice cube tray if it's what you have on hand. I think you could have a lot of fun here using different shapes depending on the occasion. 
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Flip the cubes out onto parchment paper and let dry for 30 minutes. Done!

If you're gifting these I think they'd be really cute in a glass jar or in a small plastic bag with a ribbon. You could attach the bag to a bottle of sparkling wine, or include a few bags of your favorite tea. 

If you are pairing with tea I would be inclined to make plain, vanilla, or orange flavored cubes. If you'r pairing with Prosecco or Cava then I would do a citrus or fruit flavor. Orange and lemon are great, or a raspberry flavoring would also be lovely. The idea is not to add too much flavoring, you still want the sparkling wine to shine through. Since the sugar is so sweet I think this lends itself to a dry or brut sparkling wine. 
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I'd love to know if you make these and what you pair them with!