Orange Vanilla Liqueur

Orange Vanilla Liqueur and a Creamsicle Cocktail!

When I posted the homemade Kahlua recipe recently, a Facebook friend - hi Donna! - asked if I'd ever made orange liqueur.  I'd missed that one!  Donna was kind enough to share her recipe - and, naturally, I made a couple of adjustments.  

After waiting patiently - NOT! - for several days, I poured off the beautiful orange-y, amber-ish liquid into bottles.  Geez....I HAD to make a cocktail with it...you know, purely for scientific, quality control purposes.  

First, let me give you the liqueur recipe Donna shared with me:

 Donna's Orange Liqueur

• 3 Naval Oranges

• 3 cups Vodka

• 1 1/2 cups superfine granulated sugar

Very thinly peel the orange rind from each orange, being careful not to get any of the white pith on the rind. Using a paper towel, blot the orange rind well. Put the peel in a 4 cup screw top glass jar, add 2 cups of the vodka and close the jar. Store in a cool dark place for 2 days.

Remove peel from jar, add sugar, shake until sugar dissolves. Add remaining 1 cup of vodka. stir until it is well blended and is clear. Close jar, store in a dark cool place 1 week to age.

Now here's what I did with the recipe....and why: 

First, I couldn't find superfine sugar in my Giant Eagle...what a surprise.  No matter what I want they somehow just ran out!  So I decided to use regular granulated sugar and make a simple syrup with it  - no issue with the sugar not dissolving that way.  Next, I happened to have two vanilla beans that had already had the seeds removed for another dish....just sitting around waiting for me to do something with them other than vanilla sugar.  Here's the recipe I ended up with:

Orange Vanilla Liqueur

 

• 3 Naval Oranges

• 3 cups Vodka

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

• 1 1/2 cups water

• 2 vanilla beans - split, seeds removed for another purpose

Very thinly peel the orange rind from each orange, being careful not to get any of the white pith on the rind. Using a paper towel, blot the orange rind well. Put the peel in a 4 cup screw top glass jar, add 2 cups of the vodka and close the jar. Store in a cool dark place for 2 days.

Before proceeding with the rest of the recipe, combine water and sugar in a deep pot.  Boil the sugar and water mixture 3-5 minutes until sugar is totally dissolved, being careful that it doesn't boil over.  Remove from heat and cool completely. 


When the simple syrup is completely cool, remove orange peel from the jar of vodka.  Pour cooled syrup into jar with the vodka, add vanilla beans, cap the jar again and set to age for another week in a dark, cool spot - I used the fridge for this step.  At the end of the aging process, use a funnel to pour the liqueur into bottles and remove the vanilla beans.  


Pretty bottles of this would make a wonderful Christmas gift for friends along with a recipe for the cocktail in the pic!  And....here's the recipe for the Creamsicle Cocktail:

Creamsicle Cocktail

• 1 1/2 oz. orange vanilla liqueur
• 1 large orange wedge, with peel
• crushed ice
• half and half
• 2nd large orange wedge
• club soda

In a cocktail tin, muddle the liqueur and the first orange wedge until well juiced.  Add crushed ice to the tin, add a little half & half and squeeze all the juice into the tin from the second orange wedge.  Put the top on the tin and shake well!


Pour the drink, including the ice, into a glass, top with club soda and gently stir.  Garnish with a wheel of orange to make it pretty!