Booze of the Week: Peanut Cream Liqueur

If you don't mind smelling like peanut butter for two or three days, peanut butter is darn good shaving cream. – Barry Goldwater

Tasting is believing. Smooth, peanuty, creamy and not too sweet.

This is a bit of an unusual liqueur. I believe a peanut liqueur is only made commercially in one place – St. Lucia in the Caribbean. The name of the liqueur is Castries Peanut Rum Creme. It’s been called peanuty, smooth and creamy without being too sweet. It’s actually made with cream.

Toast the peanuts until fragrant, but don't let them burn!!!

Well mine’s a bit different. It’s peanuty, smooth and creamy but isn’t made from rum and has no cream. How is it creamy you ask? Well – steel yourselves – I substituted the water in the simple syrup for whey left over from making ricotta cheese. Whey has a “creamy” mouth feel without the milk solids.

That green stuff is the whey. Amazing and full of minerals and nutrients.

It sounds weird, and maybe disgusting but the result bears out the process. After one month I had a wonderfully peanut-flavoured liqueur, almost 3 x 375 ml too!

My spouse and I were discussing uses and we came up with a peanut butter and jelly shooter. Peanut liqueur layered with strawberry or raspberry liqueur. It would probably be amazing.

The peanuts infuse for 4 weeks.

That will have to be tried. You should also try this liqueur. For a nut flavoured liqueur this is pretty flavourful and easy. Rather than a lot of blather I opted for a lot of pictures. This is definitely a recipe I’ll repeat.

Next liqueur? I think it will be strawberry “cream”...

Peanut Cream Liqueur

Time: 1 month  |  Yield: almost 3 x 375 ml

2 cups shelled, dry roasted unsalted peanuts (make sure they’re ONLY peanuts – no soy oil or any other ingredient)

1-1/2 cups whey (from 4 cups separated milk)

1-1/2 cups white sugar

4 cups vodka

After the four weeks strain through cloth – several times.

Toast the peanuts dry in a sauce pan until fragrant. Take care not to burn. Chop the peanuts coarsely and divide between two 1L Mason jars.

The cloth will catch a lot of sediment but the liqueur will not be fully clear.

To make whey, bring 4 cups of whole milk to 185°F in a saucepan. Add 2 tbsp of vinegar or lemon juice to the milk. Remove from the heat and stir. In a few minutes the curds will separate from the whey. Drain, reserving both the curds and the whey. (The curds are ricotta cheese.)

Bring the whey and sugar to a boil and let cook for 5 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Divide the vodka evenly between the two Mason jars. Then add the whey syrup to the vodka and peanuts. Cover tightly. Shake vigorously and let sit for 4 weeks.

After the infusion period is over strain the liqueur through fine cotton cloth to remove as much peanut residue as possible. Repeat several times if necessary.

The finished liqueur. Peanuty!!

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