This liqueur is an adaptation of our Christmas Extract recipe. Whereas the extract is designed to be really concentrated in flavour for use in other recipes, this liqueur can be enjoyed as it is – Christmas in a glass! For us, it’s ingredients represent Christmas, you could easily adapted it with your own favourites.
Not everyone is aware that pine needles are edible, and are in fact high in vitamin C, as well as having other benefits. When foraging please ensure you are 100% sure of what you are picking, and bear in mind that some evergreens such as yew are highly toxic. I also recommend that you provide an ingredient list with any home-made items that you give away as gifts, so the recipient can make an informed choice to whether or not it is suitable for them.
This is what we used and did….
- 50g Molasses
- 50g Dried Cranberries
- Zest of half an Orange
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 3 pieces Mace
- 3 Cloves
- 6 Allspice Berries
- Handful of Pine Needles
- 250mls Brandy
- 750mls Vodka
Bruise the spices and pine needles in a pestle and mortar, and add to a large jar with all the other ingredients. Pop on the lid, and give it a good shake.
Leave in a dark place to infuse for at least 4 weeks, giving it the odd shake. We tasted it every so often to check how it was developing, and although we didn’t feel a need to adjust it, you could easily do so.
Once you are happy with the taste of your liqueur, strain through muslin and bottle. The flavour of your liqueur will continue to mature and develop over time. Our Liqueur smells like Christmas trees and mince pies, and tastes divine. We also think it would make the most amazing Christmas Champagne Cocktails.
16 comments
this sounds delish! I made some less exotic liqueurs awhile back and they were tasty and this one does sound like Christmas in a bottle! I have heard of chewing on pine needles for a bit of vitamin c and fresh breath so with all the fruits and spices, this could also be healthy right? π Thanks for sharing at the Christmas in July party!
Thanks Millie, I’m sure it is healthy, and it really does smell and taste like Christmas π
I just loved the idea of your Christmas extract and this is great too. I’m pretty sure a glass of this would make anyone a bit less Scroogy! I’d probably have to leave the pine out as I am completely useless and foraging, I just don’t trust myself to correctly identify anything – I’d be like “it’s evergreen, it’ll do”.
You have to be a bit careful with evergreens as you wouldn’t want to use Yew as its highly toxic, but it’d taste delicious without the Pine anyway π
Liqueur is not really my thing, but I’ll pass the recipe on to my father in law, I’m sure he’ll love it!
It’s delicious if you do enjoy a liqueur π
Blimey – Your Christmas in a glass sounds good! We are huge Port & Lemon drinkers at Christmas but would definitely be tempted to defect to your Christmas Liqueur. If you need any testers for your Christmas Champagne Cocktails just shout! Commenting for myself and on behalf of BritMums Food. Thanks for joining in with the Food Roundup x
It really is yummy, in fact its beginning to look like it wont be going into the Christmas hampers as I keep sampling it (I’m very dedicated to my craft!). I’m up for Champagne Cocktails anytime, so just pop in when you are passing π
Once again, I wish you lived next door! Oh what fun we’d have!!! LOL This looks so delish!!! xx
Haha, we’d probably never get anything done, but it would be a lot of fun!
Ohhh…I didn’t know that. Thank you for sharing your recipe, very interesting and sounds YUM! Hope to see you again at #abitofeverything
It really is yummy – I keep sampling it to check!
This sounds great! I’m really looking to craft more this Christmas and make things a bit more ‘home made’ π #abitofeverything
We pretty much give everyone home made gifts now – who doesn’t like a treat to eat π
I have been waiting for this! It sounds absolutely delicious! The pine needles are brilliant! What does mace taste like? I’ve heard of it but I’ve never used it! The entire things sounds so good! Have you tried it in coffee? Or in a martini? This would be the perfect sipper for in the bathtub! You are so creative. Sarah, I am so impressed! xx
Mace is the outer covering of the nutmeg seed, so it has a similar although slightly more delicate flavour to Nutmeg. I chose to use it over Nutmeg as I thought it would infuse better in its fibrous form, I wouldn’t have wanted to put a whole nutmeg into our recipe as it would have been over-powering, and I didn’t want to grate it in and risk have floaters in our liqueur. I think you are a girl after my own heart Nikki, we could write a bestseller ‘101 ways to enjoy a sip of something lovely’! I think it would be amazing in a Champagne Cocktail, but haven’t had the opportunity to test it yet – need to find an evening where I have very little planned the next day – I have learned from other evenings spent experimenting with my infusions, that they tend to turn into rather drawn out affairs π They do make me rather popular with my friends though!