Italian Liquor Recipe List

• Rose Water
• Alchermes
• Limoncello - Lemon
• Liquore agli Agrumi - Citruses
• Liquore all'arancia - Orange
• Liquore al basilico - Basil
• Liquore al cacao - Cocao
• Liquore al caffe - Coffee
• Liquore alla menta - Mint
• Liquore alle noci - Nuts

Rose Water

Ingredients:

• 2-3 quarts fresh roses or rose petals
• Water
• ice cubes or crushed ice

Directions:

1• In the center of a large pot (the speckled blue canning pots are ideal) with an inverted lid (a rounded lid), place a fireplace brick. On top of the brick place the bowl. Put the roses in the pot; add enough flowers to reach the top of the brick. Pour in just enough water to cover the roses. The water should be just above the top of the brick.
2• Place the lid upside down on the pot. Turn on the stove and bring the water to a rolling boil, then lower heat to a slow steady simmer. As soon as the water begins to boil, toss two or three trays of ice cubes (or a bag of ice) on top of the lid.
3• You've now created a home still! As the water boils the steam rises, hits the top of the cold lid, and condenses. As it condenses it flows to the center of the lid and drops into the bowl. Every twenty minutes, quickly lift the lid and take out a tablespoon or two of the rose water. It's time to stop when you have between a pint and a quart of water that smells and tastes strongly like roses.

You must be careful when purchasing rose water to buy only the 100 percent pure form. Often what is available in pharmacies and even some natural food stores is synthetic rose oil and water with preservatives added. Pure rose water is the distilled water of roses. It is usually made by stream distillation, and it smells heavenly and tastes delicious.

Availability: Besides health food stores and herb stores, you can often find rose water in delicatessens; it is used as a flavoring in fancy Greek pastries, puddings, and cakes.

Rose Water, Method #1

This recipe is the more traditional way to prepare rose water. Though it's a little more involved, its fun to do and the results are outstanding. You can make a quart of excellent-quality rose water in about 40 minutes. However, if you simmer the water too long, you will continue to produce distilled water but the rose essence will become diluted. Your rose water will smell more like plain distilled water, rather than the heavenly scent of roses.

Be sure you have a brick and heat-safe stainless steel or glass quart bowl ready before you begin.

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Alchermes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 (half) a litre of 90 proof alcohol
• 2 pounds of sugar
• 1/2 (half) a stick of vanila
• 15 grams of cinnamon
• 10 grams of coriander
• 10 grams of cordamom
• 2 cloves
• 5 grams anice
• 100 gram rose water

Special note: spice descriptions can be found here

Directions:

1• Crush together the vanila, cinnamon, coriander, cloves, cardamom and anice.
2• Add in a bottle 1/2 a litre of alcohol (90 proof) and a cup of water.
3• Seal the bottle tightly and shake it briefly twice a day for two weeks.
4• Melt 2 pounds of sugar with 1 cup of cold water then add it to the preparation (bottle).
5• Shake it well and let it rest for two days.
6• Filter it properly and add the 100 grams of rose water.

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Limoncello - Lemon

Ingredients:

• 1 litre of 90 proof alcohol
• 700 grams of sugar
• 7 large lemons

Directions:

1• Clean the lemons and cut them in very thin pieces.
2• Let the lemons pieces soak in 1 litre of alcohol 90 proof for three weeks.
3• Filter contents.
4• Melt 700 grams of sugar in 1 litre boiling water then add it to the preparation (bottle).
5• Let stand for fifteen days

Special note: Make sure your preperation bottle is glass and can hold at least two litres.

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Liquore agli Agrumi - Citruses

Ingredients:

• 1 liter of 90 proof alcohol
• 2 pounds of sugar
• 4 oranges
• 4 lemons
• 4 mandarins
• 2 cloves

Directions:

1• Clean the fruits very well.
2• Grate the peel of each fruit carefully and stopping at the white of the fruit. Do not grate any part of the white skin.
3• Add the alcohol and cloves in a well sealed container for seven days.
4• Filter liquid.
5• Melt the sugar in 1/2 a liter of water and add to mix.
6• Bottle and seal tightly and let rest for one month before use.

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Liquore all'arancia - Orange

Ingredients:

• 1 liter of 90 proof alcohol
• 800 grams sugar
• 5 oranges
• 2 cloves
• 4 finely crushed walnuts

Directions:

1• Clean the oranges very well.
2• Grate the peel of the orangnes carefully and stopping at the white of the fruit. Do not grate any part of the white skin.
3• Add the alcohol and cloves in a well sealed container for three weeks.
4• Filter liquid.
5• Melt the sugar in 1/2 a liter of water and add to mix.
6• Bottle and seal tightly and let rest for one month before use.

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Liquore al basilico - Basil

Ingredients:

• 1 liter of 90 proof alcohol
• 2 pounds of sugar
• 50 grams of fresh basil

Directions:

1• Clean the basil very well and mince.
2• Add basil to alcohol and let it sit seven days.
3• Filter liquid.
4• Melt the sugar in 1/2 a liter of water and add to mix.
5• Bottle and seal tightly and let rest for two months before use.

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Liquore al cacao - Cocao

Ingredients:

• 1 liter of 90 proof alcohol
• 2 pounds of sugar
• 300 grams chocolate extra soft
• 1 stick of vanila

Directions:

1• Add finely Grated chocolate and the vanila together with the alcohol.
2• Let it sit seven days.
3• Filter liquid.
4• Melt the sugar in 1/2 a liter of water and add to mix.
5• Bottle and seal tightly and let rest one month before use.

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Liquore al caffe - Coffee

Ingredients:

• 1 liter of 90 proof alcohol
• 2 pounds of sugar
• 12 cups of very strong coffee

Directions:

1• Add coffee and sugar and simmer on low heat.
2• When cooled add the alcohol
3• Bottle and let sit for one month.

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Liquore alla menta - Mint

Ingredients:

• 1 liter of 90° proof alcohol
• 2 pounds of sugar
• 50 grams of fresh mint leaves
• 2 tablespoons of anise seeds

Directions:

1• Add anise seed, mint and alcohol and let sit for seven days.
2• Filter well.
3• Melt sugar with half a liter of water.
4• Add mixture and let sit for two months.

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Liquore alle noci - Nuts

Ingredients:

• 1 liter of 90° proof alcohol
• 800 grams of sugar
• cinnamon
• 10 Walnuts (crushed)
• 2 Cloves

Directions:

1• Add crushed walnuts in alcohol and let sit in room temperature for two months shaking every week.
2• Filter ingredients after a waiting period of two months.
3• Melt sugar with half a liter of water.
4• Add filtered mixture, sugar and water, 2 cloves and a small piece ofcinnamon.
5• Mix well and let sit near a window where the sun shines in for fifteen days.
6• Filter ingredients once more and let sit for three months.

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