Here's how it all started. Yesterday was my birthday, so to celebrate, my angel-husband assembled (most) of our family to go to the Summer Shack - one of my favorite seafood restaurants in my original hometown, Cambridge, MA. Because I'm spoiled rotten, I was fabulously feted with the best company ever, incredible food (oysters and prosecco - seriously, dude, bury me with that combo), and....way too many gifts.Among them was a beautiful Hobnail glass decanter (circa 1930's) with matching shot and aperitif glasses, found in Flint, Michigan and purchased on eBay by Kat, my rockin' sister-girl, friend and mother-in-law. Well, with me, one thing always leads to another, so driving home, I started thinking (that's where the trouble always starts too), when I announced to my somewhat startled husband that the decanter "wanted" liquor in it and that I aimed to fill it with homemade Kahlua. Knowing better than to try to talk me out of it, or God forbid, suggest something different, he kept his eyes on the road and his hands upon the wheel, nodding in saintly agreement.
This recipe can be doubled if you want to make it as a gift, but plan ahead as it takes 30 days (longer if you can wait) for all the flavors to age and blend. In the meantime, while I wait for the hooch to age to it's desirous and luscious flavor, I'll be thinking about other things...like, how I might get our local zoning board to agree to let my husband build me a backyard still - you know, for cooking purposes...nothing too complicated.
Homemade Kahlua
1 cup dry, instant coffee
3 1/2 cups white sugar
2 cups water
2 cups 80 proof vodka (any brand)
1 whole vanilla bean
1. Bring water to a full boil. Remove from heat and add the instant coffee and sugar.
2. Stir until sugar and coffee are completely dissolved.
3. Allow mixture to cool, then add vodka and stir.
4. Pour into 1 quart glass, sealable container.
5. Drop one whole vanilla bean into container.
6. Seal and wait 30 days or more before drinking.
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