Perugia…the Italian city of chocolate and an absolute dream. It’s home to the Perugina Chocolate House, where Baci chocolate is made, AND it also happens to be the city I lived in while studying abroad for a semester in Italy. I always felt the chocolate persona emanated throughout the city. Whether I was picking up a small bag of chocolate on my way home from school, hearing about the famous chocolate festival in October, or seeing the amazing chocolate art while window shopping…it really was magical to live in a city of such sweetness!
Some years later, I took Joe to Perugia to see where I lived and visit my school. We went to one of my favorite restaurants for dinner, La Taverna. The owner, Claudio, came out to greet us and ask us how our meal was. Of course we told him it was delicious (because duh!), but when we told him we had just gotten engaged 3 days prior, he had something special for us. Homemade CHOCOLATE LIQUEUR. And this wasn’t just any chocolate drink. It was made with Everclear, a very high proof grain alcohol, which can really knock your socks off! It was served chilled in a small glass after dinner. We sipped on the cool, thick chocolate mixture, which warmed our bodies and our hearts, of course. I have been dreaming about that chocolate liqueur for almost 8 years now and I finally found a recipe that tastes just like it!
I’m excited to share this with you—especially right in time for the holidays! It’s a real treat. Now this recipe made a decent amount of chocolate liqueur—I filled up three and half 33 oz bottles! But, I promise its very easy to go through AND it also makes a great gift.
Ingredients:
6.5 cups of sugar
2.25 cups of unsweetened cocoa powder
8 cups of whole milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
17 oz of Everclear 190 proof
Instructions:
1. In a large pot, combine dry ingredients: cocoa powder and sugar. Mix well with a whisk
2. Pour milk in and continue to stir
3. After all is combine, place the pot over medium head and continue to stir until foam disappears (approx 30-40 min)
4. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool for 1 hour
5. Cover the pot and place it in the fridge for a minimum of 12 hours
6. Add in vanilla, let the mixture sit one more hour
7. Stir in the Everclear
8. Fill your bottles and chill in the refrigerator
9. Serve chilled!
And that’s it! This is obviously less of a commitment than the limoncello steeping for 30 days, but still takes some time. you can store in your refrigerator for up to 6 months, but I doubt you’ll wait that long before finishing it. It’s THAT good. I enjoy drinking it “straight” but you can also drizzle on your coffee or dessert. Salute!
