DiY: Homemade Amaretto Recipe

If you're half as sick as we are of those ubiquitous Disaronno ads that play on basic cable, you might just be ready to make your own Amaretto. Or, perhaps you're looking for a gift, or just want a project to do to keep you from dwindling into insanity. Whatever the reason, check out Chow's Homemade Amaretto recipe below. [via Liqurious]

INGREDIENTS For the macerating mixture: 1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots 3/4 cup bottled or purified water 2 cups vodka 1 3/4 cups whole, skin-on, coarsely chopped almonds 1 cup brandy 1/4 cup coarsely chopped apricot kernels 1/4 cup coarsely chopped dried, unsweetened cherries
To finish the liqueur:
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup bottled or purified water
1 cup vodka
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS
For the macerating mixture:
In a 2-quart jar with a tightfitting lid, soak the apricots in the bottled or purified water until they're rehydrated and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 3 hours.

Add the remaining ingredients to the jar, cover, and shake. Place in a cool, dark place to macerate for 4 weeks, shaking once per week.

After 4 weeks, line a medium fine-mesh strainer with two 13-by-15-inch pieces of ultrafine cheesecloth and place over a large bowl. Drain the contents of the jar through the cheesecloth and into the bowl. Press on the solids, then gather the corners of the cheesecloth and squeeze the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. (Be careful not to let any solids drop into the strained liquid.) Discard the cheesecloth and solids; reserve the liquid.

Rinse and dry the strainer and place it over a second large bowl. Set a flat-bottomed paper coffee filter inside the strainer and pour the reserved liquid into the filter. (Be careful not to spill into the bowl.) Let the liquid filter undisturbed until all of it has passed through and only a sludgelike beige film is left in the filter, about 5 hours. Remove the strainer, discarding the filter. Measure the liquid in the bowl--you should have about 1 3/4 to 2 cups. (The amount of liquid will determine how much sugar syrup you'll add later.) Return the liquid to the bowl.

To finish the liqueur:
While the macerating mixture is filtering, make the sugar syrup. Place both sugars and the bottled or purified water in a small saucepan set over medium heat, stirring until the sugars have dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Add the vodka, almond extract, and vanilla extract to the reserved filtered liquid and stir to combine. Add about half of the sugar syrup and taste the liqueur. Depending on how much filtered liquid you have and how sweet you like your amaretto, you may want to add more or all of the syrup. Stir to combine. Transfer to a 1-quart container with a tightfitting lid or small individual containers and store in the refrigerator.

For full instructions, along with pictures, head over to Chow.

November 10, 2010

DiY: Homemade Amaretto Recipe