Christmas 2012: Homemade Coffee Liqueur

Homemade Coffee Liqueur

A couple of years ago, I found an English toffee bark recipe that I gave as Christmas gifts. It was an educational experience on a number of levels. First, the recipients really appreciated homemade gifts. Second, stretching the budget for Christmas gifts is unnecessary. Third, fighting crowds at the local shopping mall is unnecessary too especially in this day and age when you can have items delivered to your doorstep.

This year, I gave a coffee liqueur. One of the most popular is Kahlua. I was inspired to make this food when Liz of That Skinny Chick Can Bake made hers and thought it was a creative idea.

The Challenge

Making food at home from scratch.

The Source

I didn't use Liz's recipe because Kahlua describes their liqueur as rum-based and she used brandy and vodka. After some research, I found that vodka was a common ingredient in homemade versions because it adds no flavor, but I was able to find one that used solely rum by a bartender on yumsugar.

Ingredients

1 750-milliliter bottle white rum
1 1/4-cup dark rum
1 1/2 cups sugar
12 ounces whole coffee beans
1 vanilla bean
1 cinnamon stick
1 orange peel

Method

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a sealable container. Shake hard to combine. Record the date on the container and store in a cool, dark place for three weeks. Shake or stir the mixture several times of week.

2. Strain through cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer into a clean vessel. Use like you would Kahlua or any other coffee liquor.

Successful?

Yes. The aromatic scent of the liqueur once I opened the container was very fragrant. I had the time, so I stored the mixture for four weeks instead of three. The picture above where the solids were strained was taken on Sunday, December 23rd.

I hope you all enjoyed your holiday and spent it with family and friends.