Homemade Liqueurs as Christmas Gifts!

A little jar of a Merry Christmas : )

My little soldiers all lined up and ready to spread some Christmas cheer : )

Here are the Recipes:

Limoncello

Amaretto

Vuoi un Caffè?

~ Caffe with a touch: Naples, Italy~

Caffe Gambrinus in Naples, Italy

My family was an espresso drinking family or as we called it caffe never espresso. I was taught how to make a perfect pot of caffe at a young age by my Neapolitan aunt, Zia Adele. In Naples, which is where my Father is from,  you can find an excellent cup of caffe on every corner. It always comes in a tiny cup, demitasse, and Italians drink it through out the day. Any home you visit in Naples, you will get the dutiful, "Vuoi un caffè?" or "You want an espresso?"  To which you will reply "Si!" because if you don't' you will be sorry. Neapolitans know how to make a great cup of caffe (tazza di caffe) so whether you are at the venerable Caffe Gambrunus or your Zia's humble home  you are guaranteed a great tazza di caffe.
Now that you are ready for your tazza di caffe there are a few choices you have:
 Caffe Lungo: long, or a double shot
 Caffe Ristretto: short, just a tablespoon.
 Caffe Macchiato: long with milk foam on top
 Caffe Cor'retto: Espresso with a shot of liqueur.
In my cousin's tazza di caffe in the photo above (I stole it off her facebook page) she had her barista add an extra touch, in this case it was a heart shaped cacao sprinkled on top of her caffee macchiato.

Click HERE If you want to learn how to make perfect Caffe

Caffe Freddo (iced Coffee)

 Caffe Freddo will always remind me of my Father! Growing up I was a Daddy's girl and one of our favorite things to do together was sip on iced coffees while we watched re-runs of Dirty Harry, Six Million Dollar Man, Baretta, and Kojak on the weekends. About halfway through the show my Dad would slip out and come back with iced coffees in these big bulky beer mugs he would keep in the freezer. Although the drink was slightly bitter for my young taste buds I drank it up like a milkshake because I liked the feeling of  impressing my Daddy with my grown up pallet! Forget a glass of coke or even iced tea because there is nothing like an icy cold glass of  syrupy bittersweet  “essence” of coffee on a hot day to hit the spot and help get you going.

My Daddy & Me!

Ingredients (Serves 2)
1/2 cup espresso or strongly brewed coffee- (This is a 2 cup espresso pot) 
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup ice cubes
OPTIONAL FOR LATTE VERSION: 1/4 cup half-&-half or milk or cream
OPTIONAL FOR FESTIVE VERSION: 1 tablespoon liqueur such as: Amaretto (almond), Frangelico (hazelnut), Godiva (chocolate), or Grand Marnier (orange)
Directions
First put some ice in a glass and place in freezer to chill while you are brewing the espresso.
Brew the espresso.
Right away pour the hot espresso into a heat proof glass (measuring cup) and add the sugar stirring or whisking to dissolve completely. Add a few ice cubes to chill.

Pour into the iced glasses.

You can serve it just like this (This was my dad's version) or  proceed to the next step for a creamy latte version!

Add the milk or cream and stir vigorously. Now is when you add the liqueur if you choose to use it.
Pour into  2 medium glasses ( Iced tea goblets are perfect) and serve just like this or with some whipped cream on top if you like!

Italian Notes:
In Italy they serve "caffè freddo," in their espresso bars but it is slightly different as it is straight espresso, sweetened, and kept in a freezer. Then it is served as an icy slush, similar to a granita only slushier!

Neapolitan Espresso Pot (Macchinetta Napoletana)

Click HERE to watch Eduardo use his famous Napoletana!

~My 40 year old Napoletana~

The Neapolitan Espresso pot or the Macchinetta Napoletana is different than the Moka pot in that it uses a simple reverse drip brew method rather than the Moka's pressurized water method.
Even though this pot has been around since the 1800's, believed to have been invented by the French, it was made popular with Neapolitans by Eduardo De Filippo in the 1946 movie Questi fantasmi (These Ghosts). In this movie there is a scene where Eduardo sits at the balcony to enjoy a cup of espresso. He, already having boiled the water, flips the caffetteria napoletana over. He then waits while the water drips down through the filter and into the second pot. Pretending to talk with a professor neighbor, he explains that a paper cone put over the spout is essential. This keeps the aromas from escaping.

My Neapolitan Father brought a Napoletana back to the states with him after a visit in the early 1970's right around the time I was born, It was the actual pot I learned to first make espresso with by my Zia Adele on a visit to the states from Italy. It is still my preferred method of brewing espresso and I realize that this is due probably to more sentimental value than taste. The taste is not quite as strong and slightly sweeter than espresso made in a Moka pot and is perfect for new espresso drinkers or those who like a slightly sweeter espresso.

I can still remember as if it were  yesterday as my Zia taught me how to fill the filter completely full yet without packing it down to hard. Then filling it with filtered bottled water to the the little screw in the side and placing it on the burner allowing it to almost come to a boil, and at just the right moment flipping it over and then waiting for the magic to happen, which took about 3 minutes. But you must remember always to cover the spout she demonstrated to me without using any words, she used a little spout cover placing it on and off again just to make sure I understood the importance of it, this cap is now missing. Recently I pulled down my old pot and made some espresso with it. I didn't have the cover so I used a napkin I was so excited but then was quickly disappointed when I found that some of the grounds had come through but then I remembered  (I could almost hear my Zia telling me in her very broken English) that the beans need to be ground a little larger than in Moka pot, in between a very fine and medium ground. My next pot was perfect mmmm so sweet and only slightly bitter but I think what I like most about this brewing method is the memories it evokes.

My Zia (left) around the time she visited with us.

 How To Use The Napoletana Pot:
The side with the spout will ultimately end up being the pot on the bottom but it starts out on the top.
Pull the two pots apart and remove the filter, it looks like a big salt shaker top.
Add water to the to screw indent on the inside of the pot without the handle.
Pull the filter open and add espresso beans ground to a medium/fine grind.
Screw the filter back and add to the top of the spout-less pot.
Now place the spouted pot on top and place on stove top, make sure the handle is kind of hanging over the element and not over the heat.
As soon as water starts to seep out of the tiny hole near the lip of the bottom piece, flip the pot over, and the hot water will seep through the coffee into the piece with the spout. Remove from heat at this point. You want to catch it just before actual boiling.
Cover the spout as it drains.
Remove spout cover and pour!

Zabaglione (Italian Eggnog)

Zabaglione (Italian Eggnog)

Good to the last drop!

As a child growing up in a first generation Italian American home the sound of a whisk beating rapidly against a metal bowl could mean only one thing, zabaglione!  I remember my Dad would never let us know ahead of time that he was making zabaglione but rather he loved to surprise us with that melodious sound of....... clank clink clank clink clank clink....... ringing from the kitchen and then we would come running from all corners of the house to watch the magic........that little blob of egg yolk, sugar, and liquid sitting at the bottom of the bowl would all of the sudden become a light fluffy mound of pure bliss! We had this sweet Italian drink every Christmas and New Years Eve and for me nothing else tastes of the holidays more like zabaglione. Every New Years Eve my Dad would start the magic as it neared midnight..... clink...... clank..... clink.... clank..... while most households were counting down the ball we were were counting down the zabaglione.
You can make this several ways: First, as a drink as I have described which is basically an Italian eggnog or if you keep beating a few minutes longer it will become even thicker, more like a custard,  and you can serve it drizzled over fruit (figs or strawberries) or drizzle it over a spongy cake with fruit like a Zuppa Inglese.

Ingredients
(serves 6)
8 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup liquid of your choice: Rum, Sambuca, Amaretto, Kahlua, Cooled Espresso, Moscato or Champagne
Holiday option: A few pinches of cinnamon

Directions
 Set up your water bath by setting a small sauce pan of water to a continuous simmer, not boil. Make sure your bowl you will be using will fit on top steady without the bottom touching the water.

Place  the egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl and with the whisk attachment beat until very pale, almost white.

Meanwhile, dissolve the cinnamon (if using) in the espresso or liqueur and set aside.

Once the egg yolks turn pale slowly add in the espresso or liqueur and continue whisking in until creamy and foamy.

Place the bowl on top of the water bath and whisk continuously over the low heat until it is smooth, and frothy. You want it slightly thick but still frothy, about 5 minutes or when you put your finger in to the bottom and the liquid is warm.
Remove from the water bath and beat a few seconds to cool it down a bit by whisking a few mow times, pour into small cups to serve warm or chill for later use but you will need to whisk or shake before serving.

~Christmas 1970, that's me in the middle of my two sisters, anticipating my first taste of zabaglione~

 

Homemade Liqueurs as Christmas Gifts!

We love to give these homemade liqueurs away as Christmas gifts!  I use empty bottles I save during the year such as hot sauce, vinegar, and Worcestershire bottles and decorate them with homemade tags made from recycled Christmas cards and bags. Then I like to top them off with a small homemade ornament!

~Favorite Liqueur Recipes~

Limoncello

Amaretto

Collect & Clean your bottles inside and out removing all labels and glue. A good soak & an SOS pad does the trick!. Hint: To make sure all the odors are gone I pour in a tablespoon of plain vodka and cap, then I swirl around a few times and empty. If the cap is smelly just turn the bottle upside down allow it to sit a few minutes in the cap and then empty.

Make tags or purchase some. I use old cards and bags by cutting with some etched scissors and gluing a label with the name of the liqueur. I make these on regular paper on the computer.Then tie it on with a pretty ribbon.

 

Add some cookies or small shot glasses and package in a nice basket for an even nicer gift.

Caffé Fréddo (Iced Coffee)

 Caffe Freddo will always remind me of my Father! Growing up I was a Daddy's girl and one of our favorite things to do together was sip on iced coffees while we watched re-runs of Dirty Harry, Six Million Dollar Man, Baretta, and Kojak on the weekends. About halfway through the show my Dad would slip out and come back with iced coffees in these big bulky beer mugs he would keep in the freezer. Although the drink was slightly bitter for my young taste buds I drank it up like a milkshake because I liked the feeling of  impressing my Daddy with my grown up pallet! Forget a glass of coke or even iced tea because there is nothing like an icy cold glass of  syrupy bittersweet  “essence” of coffee on a hot day to hit the spot and help get you going. We just stared having a small group meet in our home each week and since it has been such a Hot Summer we started offering our friends (Thanks Bob for the suggestion!) Caffe Freddo  instead of the more typical hot cup of  coffee.

My Daddy & Me!

Ingredients (Serves 2)
1/2 cup espresso or strongly brewed coffee- (This is a 2 cup espresso pot) 
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup ice cubes
OPTIONAL FOR LATTE VERSION: 1/4 cup half-&-half or milk or cream
OPTIONAL FOR FESTIVE VERSION: 1 tablespoon liqueur such as: Amaretto (almond), Frangelico (hazelnut), Godiva (chocolate), or Grand Marnier (orange)
Directions
First put some ice in a glass and place in freezer to chill while you are brewing the espresso.

Brew the espresso.
Right away pour the hot espresso into a heat proof glass (measuring cup) and add the sugar stirring or whisking to dissolve completely. Add a few ice cubes to chill.

Pour into the iced glasses.

You can serve it just like this (This was my dad's version) or  proceed to the next step for a creamy latte version!

Add the milk or cream and stir vigorously. Now is when you add the liqueur if you choose to use it.
Pour into  2 medium glasses ( Iced tea goblets are perfect) and serve just like this or with some whipped cream on top if you like!

Italian Notes:
In Italy they serve "caffè freddo," in their espresso bars but it is slightly different as it is straight espresso, sweetened, and kept in a freezer. Then it is served as an icy slush, similar to a granita only slushier!