I'm Cheating on Kahlua!

I've been keeping this secret and well, i need to get it off my chest.  Be warned though, once you realise how easy it is to give into temptation, you might just consider infidelity too!

 

There are many recipes for DIY Liqueurs and they are pretty awesome, cheaper than the brand names and delicious.  They make great gifts and even better cocktails.  You can find my Thermomix Recipe for White Chocolate Liqueur here. 

 

There are a few basics that nearly everyone who buys a Thermomix makes.  Vanilla Essence or as I like to call it, Vanilla Vodka because I just can't leave it long enough to turn into essence. It's pretty easy and in fact doesn't require a Thermomix at all.  But it does require Vanilla beans.  My passport expired, but fortunately I have an awesome friend who went to Bali recently and bought home plenty of beans.  Most of the popular Thermomix pages discuss where to source vanilla beans from, so you don't have to book a holiday. (But you do deserve one!) 

 

 

 

Another popular recipe doing the rounds is Iced Coffee Syrup.  Posted by Fruityone on the Recipe Community, it lends itself perfectly to a little tweaking depending on your tastes.  I'm not a coffee snob, so instant coffee works fine for me, but if Espresso is more your style, then use that instead.  No judgement here.

 

 

 

And here's the dirty little secret, if you mix both of these together, you make Kahlua. Its seriously that easy and totally authentic.  I have perused many recipes and I can tell you that this is the real deal, hiding in plain sight and next to each other on the pantry shelf.

 

 

Here's the details......

 

Ingredients 

Vanilla Essence

750ml Vodka (medium quality stuff, about 30% proof)

10-12 whole vanilla beans

 

Iced Coffee Syrup (as per Recipe Community)

1 cup raw sugar

1 cup instantcoffee 

1 cup boiling water

 

Method

Vanilla Essence

Place your vanilla beans in your vodka.

Place in a dark place for a few weeks - months.

 

Notes:

If you already have a batch of this steeping away in your cupboard, then grab it out and use it right now. 

You can adjust your finished essence back to vanilla vodka by combining half essence and half plain vodka.

Top up your bottle of essence with more vodka and pop it back in the cupboard for next time!

 

Iced Coffee Syrup

Dissolve your coffee and sugar with a cup of boiling water in your TM bowl.

Let steep for 10 minutes.

Cook at 90 degrees for 10 minutes, speed 3.

Allow to cool.

And now for the magic

Kahlua

Into a sterilised bottle (any size), add half Vanilla Vodka and half Iced Coffe Syrup.

Give it a quick shake, you can use it straight away,  no need to set aside to infuse.

Seriously, that's it. Temptation bottled.

 

Now for a cocktail.  Have you tried my Iced Espresso Martini? How about a White Russian Milkshake?

 

 

 

Candy Liqueur presents the Foxy Roxy

This week I am showcasing Candy Liqueur, a fabulous new product, just 3 months old and already wowing customers in QLD and NSW.

 

         

 

 

This raspberry flavoured vodka, created by Matthew Fraser of Brisbane is a game changer.  Sales enquiries and stockist information is available at http://thecandyliqueurco.com.au or check out the Facebook page https://www.facebookcom/candy liqueur 

 

Candy Liqueur - Raspberry is produced using certified organic, 5 times distilled and 3 times charcoal filtered Vodka. That's a mouthful, but basically it means this is good for you and the environment! Say thank you Mr Liver!

 

 

Candy Liqueur has a wonderful raspberry nose, creamy textured mouth feel followed by sweet raspberry and vanilla flavours, balanced with just enough fire on the finish.  Slap a dress on her and she might just take you dancing!

 

Best served over ice with lemonade, it tastes like Shirley Temples or Creaming Soda, and it is versatile; helping to recreate many favourites like the Fruit Tingle, Cosmo and the Moscow Mule which you can find here.

 

This week we have assembled the Signature Cocktail from Candy Liqueur, The Foxy Roxy. It is sweet but tart, very moreish and super easy. I'm sure you will love it! 

 

 

You'll need some of my Strawberry Syrup and a few other staples.  Scale this recipe up if you have hangers on hovering about. This recipe serves 1.

 

 

Ingredients 

60ml  Candy Liqueur

10ml Strawberry Syrup

45ml Guava juice

45ml Cloudy Apple juice

Squeeze of lemon juice

Sugar to rim your glass 

 

Method

Add Candy Liqueur to your TM bowl with Strawberry syrup and juices.

Throw a handful of ice in and mix gently on speed 2.5 for 5 seconds.

Rim your Martini glass with lemon and sugar.

Pour into glass and enjoy.

 

 Stay Foxy xxxx

 

Raspberry Moscow Mule

I am so excited to introduce you all to my new favourite Vodka. And it's Raspberry flavoured!

Matt from Candy Liqueur Co. sent me this shiny new bottle of heaven to showcase and I am slowly (alright very quickly) working my way through a list of favourites. I will share a few of them with you over the next few weeks, including the Candy Liqueur signature cocktail, Foxy Roxy.

I was already channeling ginger beer this week, and I'll use any excuse to buy new cocktail crockery, so a Moscow Mule it is. Pretty simple cocktail really, vodka, ginger beer and lime, but what if you added raspberries? Now what about Raspberry flavoured vodka? I think the KGB might have something to say about that!

Mother Russia presents, the Raspberry Moscow Mule.

Ingredients 

180gm ice

50 gm frozen raspberries

100ml Candy Liqueur Raspberry Vodka

75gm ginger cordial

Soda Water

Lime juice

Method

Add ice, frozen raspberries and candy liqueur to your TM bowl.

Blend speed 6 for 15 seconds.

Add ginger cordial and combine 5 seconds speed 3.

Over ice, pour half your raspberry mixture into a copper mug.

Top mug with soda and a squeeze of lime.

Garnish with mint leaves

Head on over to www.thecandyliqueurco.com to order your bottle of Candy Liqueur or visit the Facebook page 

Pomegranate & Strawberry Mimosas

It's Mother's Day this weekend and like many of you, I will wake up early on Sunday morning and wait in bed much longer than my bladder would like, to receive my luke warm cup of milky tea and burnt toast.  But I won't complain (much) because shortly after breakfast, comes brunch!  And do you know what goes with Mother's Day Brunch?  Mimosas!  The cocktail that justifies drinking booze before noon, as long as it has juice in it. 

 

These Pomegranate and Strawberry Mimosas are perfect for celebrating the joy of motherhood and help you forget all about the burnt toast and cold tea!  

 

 

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 Pomegranates 

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon sugar

Sparkling wine (Prosecco or Champagne)

Strawberry syrup (See here for the recipe)

 

Method

Scoop out the seeds of 2 Pomegranates into the TM bowl, reserving about a tablespoon for garnish.

Add a 1/2 cup of water.

Blitz on speed 7 for 30 seconds.

Pour through a fine seive, pressing all the liquid through with a spatula.

You should end up with about a cup of dark pomegranate juice.

 

There are plenty of useless tips for how to get the seeds out of a Pomegranate. Don't bother trying too hard, it will always end up looking like a crime scene!

 

To assemble the Mimosa

Add 1 tablespoon of juice and 1 tablespoon syrup to a champagne flute and top up with Wine!

Garnish with a strawberry and reserved pomegranate arils.

 

To all the mums out there, whether you are one, have one or wish you could be one!  Have a wonderful day!