Tuesday 17 December 2019

December 17th and Another Christmas Hamper Gift Made

When I found a couple of flip top bottles at a boot sale in the summer I decided to make something to put in them for the hamper gifts.
I don't drink alcohol any more and when I did it was never spirits or cocktails so no idea what was best for drinking. My first thought was Limoncello - something I had seen mentioned when other bloggers have made it. Looked up recipes but there seemed to be so many variations and they all needed so many lemons. Then I found a Toffee Vodka recipe which seemed simple.

 Ingredients
200g hard toffees
4 tablespoons dark brown sugar
750 ml vodka
 
You will also need
  • A funnel, coffee filter paper and a 1-litre sterilised lidded jar and 1 sterilised bottle (approx. 1-litre capacity)
Method
  1. Unwrap the toffees and put in a plastic food bag and smash with a hammer/rolling pin to break them into small pieces. Tip the toffee shards into the sterilised jar, then add the sugar and a pinch of sea salt. 
  2. Pour the vodka over the toffee mixture and stir. Leave in a cool dark place for two days or until the toffees have dissolved. Shake the jar twice a day during this time. 
  3. Once the toffee and sugar has dissolved, line a funnel with a coffee filter paper and set it over the sterilised bottle. Slowly pour the mixture through. Seal and store in a cupboard for up to three months, and shake before serving.



I tried one sip - oh my goodness- is that what Vodka is like - it nearly knocked me over!. What a lightweight I am!  Maybe it needs lemonade or something with it?  It will be kill or cure I think!


Back Tomorrow
Sue

29 comments:

  1. I have an incredibly low alcohol tolerance too, which amuses my family enormously. But the fruit gin I made went down well (I diluted mine with plenty of tonic) I think I like the taste of tonic on its own, without the gin!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tonic water with ice and lemon is what I drink in pubs nowadays - not that I go very often!

      Delete
  2. The damson liqueur I made (vodka, sugar and damsons) really is best when drunk with lemonade or tonic about 1:3 so quite dilute. It's also nice with sparkling white but that's not really diluting the alcohol content!!!
    I haven't decanted the strawberry one yet but it's smelling wonderful!
    I love the sound of the toffee liqueur. May I ask how much of everything, please?
    xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Doh - ignore that last. You already have, sorry!
      xx

      Delete
    2. This toffee vodka is a bit strange - I'm not tempted

      Delete
    3. That's not such a bad thing.
      It's really powerful, these home made liqueurs, because the sugar that you add convers to more alcohol!
      xx

      Delete
  3. Try tonic!

    I don't drink vodka myself but I understand that's the norm. Cranberry juice is supposed to be good with vodka but perhaps not with toffee :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I like tonic with ice and lemon -the toffee vodka would ruin it for me!

      Delete
  4. I've made this for my (grown up!) kids in the past, and others based on sweets - butterscotch, skittles (a favourite!). Here's a new one on me I've just found - Turkish Delight Vodka: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1803646/turkish-delight-vodka

    This year I made a Cherry Vodka and a Hay Castle Car Park Wild Plums one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Youngest like Turkish delight. Ishall bookmark this for next year - thank you

      Delete
    2. I rather think I may make some for our eldest daughter too . . .

      Delete
  5. In my younger days I always used to drink Vodka and orange - it does go with a lot of other flavours but I would not have thought of toffee.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've never had vodka with anything - won't be trying it now after that one sip!

      Delete
  6. This drink you have made is normally served with lots of ice. Vodka has no taste in itself, unlike gin. But your combination of toffee and vodka will have created a unique flavour and it will only need lots of ice in the glass with it. I have never been a vodka drinker and when I was a teenager it was always drunk with lime and I disliked the taste of the lime so never got hooked on vodka. With so many Eastern Europeans living in this area our local Sainsbury's stocks a whole aisle of different vodkas with foreign labels.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I made this a few years back, simple and nice. The recipe I followed was just Werthers and vodka....simple.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I have never been a fan of vodka, but I am sure the recipient will be happy. I used to make a lot of things, Cointreau, Baileys, Kahlúa and the likes. So much cheaper, but I drink very little these days so not worth the effort.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I haven't drunk anything alcoholic since my early twenties and that's only because I never liked any of the tastes. Unfortunately at that time anyone who didn't drink was considered a kill-joy and a misery, so rather than be labelled I drank vodka and coke, until I decided that I wasn't going to drink anymore just to please other people. So from my early twenties I only drank coke or soft fruit drinks. Now I drink lemon and lime which is lovely and refreshing. Between Christmas and New Year I do get through a bottle of Cinzano or Martini and lemonade (with help from my husband) but there must be a cherry with it, lol.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Maybe they could add it to coffee or hot chocolate, or iced coffee? -Jenn

    ReplyDelete
  11. You made me laugh at your sip of vodka. It's not to my liking either, but a video of you sampling a variety of spirits would be sure to go viral.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'm a bit of a lightweight myself these days. One glass of cider or a glass of wine and that is more than enough.

    My go to for gift alcohol is Blackberry Whisky, it's so simple and uses up the whisky which we always seem to have in the cupboard (neither of us drinks it, but it is often gifted to us as Alan is Scottish).

    Simply fill a large jar with blackberries, top up with any sugar and then pour in whiskey to cover everything. Leave in a dark place for a couple of weeks, shaking the jar when you remember and then strain through muslin into a clean bottle. The longer you then leave the bottle in the cupboard the richer and more liqueur like the whiskey goes. THEN we both suddenly like whisky!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I have never thought of drinking vodka straight (though I know a few who do). Here it is used as part of a drink usually mixed with orange, 7-up or tonic water. It would be very strong drank straight up.

    God bless.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I have a donkey years old bottle of vodka and the only think it is fit for is cleaning stuff. I give my rings and and necklace a soak every so often. Does a brilliant job. Toffee vodka is quite a trendy drink so the young ones tell me so I’m sure yours will make a great gift for someone:)

    ReplyDelete
  15. -giggles- Be careful, of what you made!!!!!!! -more giggles-

    🎄🌲🎄🌲🎄

    ReplyDelete
  16. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
    I love your blog
    How long have you lived there?
    How far are you from London? I know I have asked this before but forgot...
    How many children and grands?
    You have such an active life.
    thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for reading, I'm glad you enjoy my blog
      I have been a widow since May 2018 and have lived here since March 2017 although always lived in Suffolk.
      I have 3 children who have one child each. My son and DiL expecting another in January

      Delete
    2. Not a vodka fan. I am more a bourbon gal. My folks used to make Kahlua with vodka and coffee as well as Limoncello and give as gifts.

      Delete
  17. Sounds quite yum...in thimbleful servings! x

    ReplyDelete