Booze of the Week: Godiva® Chocolate Liqueur

What you see before you, my friend, is the result of a lifetime of chocolate. – Katherine Hepburn

Oops. It's empty... I'm not super-crazy for chocolate, but this was really good.
(There's a picture of the liqueur below.)

About a week ago I posted about my find at the local “dollar store” of Godiva® Chocolate bars (for $2/100g) and my intention of making chocolate liqueur.

This is what stays in the strainer. Seems a bit of a waste...
You could eat it. Why not?

I’ve had many disasters in making liqueurs – mostly when I first began – even before I started to blog. Chocolate was a spectacular one. It was absolutely terrible and full of sediment. I’ve also ruined mint liqueur, strawberry, kiwi...

Either I’m getting better at making liqueur or my ability to choose recipes to “muck with” has become more discerning. I’m hoping it’s a little of both. This one turned out really goooood.

I have been looking at different chocolate liqueur recipes for at least two years. I found one very weird one where someone tied chopped chocolate in a bag and suspended it over open vodka – for 6 months.

There must have been some magic going on (or a similar substance…). How on earth would that work? You have to get the flavour INTO the vodka, not just wave it about over it. I suspect it was a prank that takes 6 months to pull off.

This is the 2 cups of liquid "gold".

Regardless, this recipe is a real keeper. Remember the golden rule of cooking (and data): garbage in, garbage out. Choose good chocolate if you want good chocolate liqueur.

That’s why I chose the Godiva®. Can’t get much better than that, can you?

I did a couple things differently than the process in the original recipe I found. I melted solid dark chocolate with sugar and water for my flavour infusion base. The original called for Dutch process cocoa.

I also used whey as the liquid in the last step. I have found in the past that it gives liqueur a little more mouth-feel, being the by-product of milk. I would suspect that this inclusion shortens the shelf-life somewhat.

I wouldn’t worry too much. It won't last. This one’s tasty, just like it should be.

It’s very similar to eating a Godiva® chocolate bar. How odd...

The result of your labours.

Godiva® Chocolate Liqueur

Makes about 700ml

1 cup white sugar

3/4 cup water

100 g 72% cocoa Godiva® chocolate

375 ml vodka (or 1 pint)

1/2 whole vanilla bean, split open

1-1/2 cups simple syrup (or whey syrup*)

Bring the vanilla bean, water and sugar just to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until melted.

Pour into a Mason jar. Add the vodka, seal and shake well. Let sit for about 1 week, shaking daily.

After 1 week, wet a piece of fine cotton and place in a strainer. Pour the chocolate through the cloth letting it drip naturally. This process may take overnight to strain completely through. The result will be a lot of sludge in the strainer and 2 cups of liquid beneath.

Repeat the process with a dampened coffee filter to remove as much sediment as possible if necessary.

Heat 3/4 cup sugar with 3/4 cup water (I used whey leftover from making ricotta). Bring to a boil and let simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Combine with the infused liquor and bottle.

* If using whey the liqueur should be refrigerated after opening and consumed within 2 months. Which shouldn’t be a problem...

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Questions? Comments? Derogatory remarks?