Here's how it all started. Yesterday was my birthday, so to celebrate, my angel-husband assembled (most) of our family to go to the Summer Shack - one of my favorite seafood restaurants in my original hometown, Cambridge, MA. Because I'm spoiled rotten, I was fabulously feted with the best company ever, incredible food (oysters and prosecco - seriously, dude, bury me with that combo), and....way too many gifts.Among them was a beautiful Hobnail glass decanter (circa 1930's) with matching shot and aperitif glasses, found in Flint, Michigan and purchased on eBay by Kat, my rockin' sister-girl, friend and mother-in-law. Well, with me, one thing always leads to another, so driving home, I started thinking (that's where the trouble always starts too), when I announced to my somewhat startled husband that the decanter "wanted" liquor in it and that I aimed to fill it with homemade Kahlua. Knowing better than to try to talk me out of it, or God forbid, suggest something different, he kept his eyes on the road and his hands upon the wheel, nodding in saintly agreement.
This recipe can be doubled if you want to make it as a gift, but plan ahead as it takes 30 days (longer if you can wait) for all the flavors to age and blend. In the meantime, while I wait for the hooch to age to it's desirous and luscious flavor, I'll be thinking about other things...like, how I might get our local zoning board to agree to let my husband build me a backyard still - you know, for cooking purposes...nothing too complicated.
Homemade Kahlua
1 cup dry, instant coffee
3 1/2 cups white sugar
2 cups water
2 cups 80 proof vodka (any brand)
1 whole vanilla bean
1. Bring water to a full boil. Remove from heat and add the instant coffee and sugar.
2. Stir until sugar and coffee are completely dissolved.
3. Allow mixture to cool, then add vodka and stir.
4. Pour into 1 quart glass, sealable container.
5. Drop one whole vanilla bean into container.
6. Seal and wait 30 days or more before drinking.
10 comments:
Sounds sinful! And delicious. Beautiful decanter, can also be filled with cordials and liqueurs, I make a rich hazelnut-chocolate liqueur with hazelnuts I harvest right here on the island. If you try it, they soak up a lot of the liquid (vodka) so either use few hazelnuts or more vodka. Soak them with sugar for a month or two, strain, then pour in chocolate syrup to taste. Rich and decadent! And I like to tell myself it's nutritious, too...what with the hazelnuts and all. Wonderful heated and poured over vanilla ice cream, or chilled and sipped. Wonderful blog! Take care! Holly
Very nice, Sarah! Who else could make alcohol seem so "healthy"... Your website is great... your personality and humor show through with each recipe and all those re-creating your beautiful recipes should have some fun doing so... My clients are loving this ! ... and, Ruthie T. will love this Kahlua recipe... !!
Thank you Holly and Cathy - H, can you send me the recipe for the Hazelnut hootch? And Cathy, so glad your clients are enjoying this...I thank you so much for all the support and friendship. xox
This sounds amazing!
Happy birthday!
Thank you, Laraine! I'll let you know in 29 days! And thanks for the b-day wish as well :)
Happy birthday Sarah! You sure know how to make the best of a great gift!
Yum! Wow, I need to make this for the next special occasion.
Thank you! I'll let you know in about 25 days how it turned out :)
Homemade Kahlua sounds like just the thing. Happy belated birthday!
Thank you! I can'!t wait to try it
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