Homemade Chocolate Liqueur
Godiva is the chocolate liqueur guru—they have dark, milk, and white chocolate flavors along with caramel and mocha. Their dark chocolate version is the most flexible for mixing and, when used judiciously, works well in dry, spirit-forward cocktails as well as more sugary creations. The rest of Godiva's liqueurs, while delicious, are exclusively for dessert drinks.
Mozart Black Chocolate has a higher cacao content for more of a bitter chocolate bite. It also performs like a champ in dry and sweet drinks, but those who don't like super dark chocolate won't be a fan and will probably like the original formulation better.
Bols, Hiram Walker, Marie Brizard, and DeKuyper all make creme de cacao, which is essentially also chocolate liqueur. They're a little easier to find than the Godiva and Mozart, and are available in both dark and white versions. What's the difference between dark and white creme de cacao? Just the color—dark is brown; white is clear. White creme de cacao comes in handy when adding brown to your drink would make it look unappetizing.
Delicately sweet with a hint of bitterness, a homemade chocolate liqueur made with cacao nibs is like an expensive dark chocolate bar in your drink. Refrigeration isn't necessary, and the liqueur should keep for about 2 months.
Notes: Cacao nibs are are pieces of cacao beans that have been roasted. Many grocery and health-food stores carry them, but if yours doesn't, you can order them online from a variety of sources.
DIY Chocolate Liqueur
from http://www.seriouseats.com/
2/3 cup cacao nibs
1 1/3 cup vodka
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup water
2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
Combine the cacao nibs and vodka in a sealable glass jar. Shake and then let steep for 8 days [other recipes say 2 weeks].
After the initial steeping period, bring the sugar and water to a boil. Let this syrup cool, then add to the jar along with the vanilla extract. Let steep for an additional day.
Strain out the nibs through a sieve and then filter through a coffee filter into the bottle or jar you'll use for storage.
Makes 2 2/3 cups
Godiva® Chocolate Liqueur
Note: Godiva® chocolate liqueur is creamy. Add cream when mixing a drink if using this in place of Godiva® chocolate liqueur.
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup water
100 g 72% cocoa Godiva® chocolate (3.5 oz.)
375 ml vodka (or 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 whole vanilla bean, split open
1-1/2 cups simple syrup (or whey syrup*)
Bring the vanilla bean, water and sugar just to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until melted.
Pour into a Mason jar. Add the vodka, seal and shake well. Let sit for about 1 week, shaking daily.
After 1 week, wet a piece of fine cotton and place in a strainer. Pour the chocolate through the cloth letting it drip naturally. This process may take overnight to strain completely through. The result will be a lot of sludge in the strainer and 2 cups of liquid beneath.
Repeat the process with a dampened coffee filter to remove as much sediment as possible if necessary.
Heat 3/4 cup sugar with 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Combine with the infused liquor and bottle.
Makes about 700ml
Homemade Chocolate Liqueur
2 vanilla beans
2 1/3 cups Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
1/2 cup water
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder (the best quality you can find)
3/4 cup half and half, warmed
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate (chopped fine)
1 liter quality vodka
In medium pan, over medium high heat, combine sugar, water and salt. Stir until it comes to a boil then allow to boil unstirred until it turns a deep amber color and smells like caramel. Be careful it can turn from caramel to burnt sugar really quickly.
Remove from heat immediately and add cocoa powder, stir vigorously. Add half and half and stir until combined.
Add semi-sweet chocolate and stir until completely smooth.
Pour into large glass container with tight sealing lid, add vodka and vanilla beans and seal.
Shake vigorously. Store in cool dark place; shaking every few days for 2 weeks.
After a few weeks, strain the liqueur through a coffee filter set in a mesh strainer, into a clean jar or large pourable container.
Pour into bottles or jars, seal and store in refrigerator.
Yield: 40 - 50 servings
