Saturday, November 23, 2024

Rhubarb Cordial


terribly out-of-season rhubarbchopped rhubarb

add ginadd sugara month (okay, two!) lateradd some cointreau

SERVINGS: MAKES 3 CUPS, SERVING SIZE WILL VARY

  • 1 pound (450 grams) rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 3 1/2 cups (830 ml) gin, plus more if necessary
  • 3 wide strips orange zest
  • 1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (45 ml) Grand Marnier, Cointreau, or triple sec (to serve)
  • A splash of club soda, tonic water, or sparkling wine (to serve, optional)

Put the rhubarb, gin, orange zest, and sugar in a clean 2-quart (2L) jar. Cover and shake to encourage sugar to dissolve. Store in a cool, dark place, shaking it every few days, for a month. [This recipe is intended for room temperature. My kitchen runs hot and I had it in the fridge, instead, for a couple weeks longer.] After a few days, if some of the rhubarb is still floating above the level of the liquid, add another pour of gin, enough so that the rhubarb is covered.

Use a fine-mesh strainer to strain the liqueur into a large measuring cup or bowl with a spout. Add the Grand Marnier. Pour into a clean bottle (or bottles) and tightly cork. Store the cordial for up to 1 to 3 months longer. Apparently, you can wait this full 1 to 3 months to drink it, for proper aging. We, absolutely, did not.

To serve, pour into small tumblers with a few ice cubes, a twist of orange or tangerine peel, and a splash of sparkling water, tonic, or sparkling wine, as an apéritif.

Smitten Kitchen https://smittenkitchen.com/2020/05/rhubarb-cordial/

Irish cream

 It’s always worth re-reading Deb’s background and process, but I’m still archiving the recipe here because I make it every year. 




  • To add a faint coffee flavor: Mix 1 teaspoon instant espresso or coffee powder with the cocoa and then continue as written above, whisking the cream slowly into it. I did not do this; I felt the flavor was much more authentic without it. 
  • To make less sweet: Add more cream and more whiskey, 1 tablespoon of each at a time.
  • To make less boozy: Add more cream and condensed milk, 1 tablespoon of each at a time.
  • To make more boozy: You’ve got this.
  • 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup (235 ml) heavy or whipping cream
  • 1 (14-ounce or 415 ml) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (235 ml) Irish whiskey (I used Jameson)
  • In the bottom of a pitcher, whisk cocoa powder and a spoonful of cream into a paste. Slowly, whisking the whole time, add more cream a spoonful at a time until the paste is smooth and loose enough that you can whisk the rest of the cream in larger splashes. Once all of the cream is in, whisk in condensed milk, whiskey and vanilla. Cover with lid or plastic wrap and keep in fridge for up to two weeks, possibly longer.
  • Serve in a tiny tumbler filled with ice, or splashed into coffee.
  • https://smittenkitchen.com/2016/12/homemade-irish-cream/
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