I have been in a funk this holiday season.  Every time I go to bake cookies I get de-railed.  I thought I would make a final push and get a few done, but I was struck by the flu bug which put the big kabash on any last minute baking. This effectively ended all hope of any more scrumptious cookies.  I have the dough for these wonderful crescents from Rose’s Christmas Cookies and for Mrs. Sugaya’s pecan tartlets chilling in the fridge. But they will have to wait until after Christmas.

But all is not loss.  I did manage to make some homemade goodies that I hope you will try.  I made favorite breakfast munchies, Juli’s granola and my cousin Bonnie’s spicy pecans. Cookies are little gifts of love, peace and hope and I just couldn’t bring myself to bake many.  I wish everyone love and joy with family and friends during this holiday season even if a few of us are on opposite sides of the political spectrum.

So, what did I make instead of cookies? Who guessed booze?  You would be right!  I started a couple of weeks ago after searching for a homemade Kahlua recipe. Big mistake, there must be a thousand recipes for something so simple!  So I came up with my own concoction that I think is pretty darn good and very easy.  Couple of tips, you are using a boat load of sugar and coffee, DO NOT break the bank on the vodka or rum.  I used the same vodka I used to make vanilla extract with last year, a brand from TJ’s. I picked it cause the bottle was cool looking.  I had some Meyer’s rum so I used that too.

I started with 1/4 cup instant expresso (Medaglia D’Oror) and my first batch didn’t have enough coffee flavor so I made a second batch using 1/2 cup and mix the two batches.  So I leave it to you to decide how much coffee flavor you want.  I will keep you posted on the feedback!

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Homemade Coffee Liqueur

Make your own coffee liqueur aka Kahlua, easy and sure to impress your friends and family!

Course Drinks

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword coffee liquer, easy to make, kahlua

Ingredients

Adapted from Creative Culinary

• 4 cups water
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1/3-1/2 cup dried espresso
• 500 ml vodka
• 250 ml Rum
• 2 vanilla beans split
• 2 shots of chocolate liqueur or 1 tablespoon cocoa nibs

Instructions

• Combine the water, sugars and dried espresso in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Bring to a boil; turn the heat to low and simmer for a minimum of 1 hour.to reduce the mixture and make a more syrupy consistency. I had a final volume of approximately 3 cups.
• Watch constantly and stir occasionally. It will boil over if not watched!!!
• Remove from heat and let cool.
• Add vodka, rum, vanilla beans and chocolate liqueur or cocoa nibs
• Pour everything into a clean storage container. I love these Ball Jars.
• Age for 3-4 weeks in a cool, dark location; stirring once or twice a week.
• When ready to bottle, remove vanilla beans, bottle mixture and store. I strained the mixture into the bottle.
• How easy is that?
• Serve straight, over ice cream, mixed drinks