Friday 5 May 2017

Pecan Liqueur - Home Made

I came across a recipe for pecan liqueur recently which really had me intrigued.  I had never heard of it before, but apparently you can buy it readily in the US.  It mentioned using pecan extract which was also new to me.  So I hunted up a recipe for the extract, which I may try making down the track.  But you can also use chopped pecans to make the liqueur.  How could I not give it a go?

Mr P. and I headed off to the Greek nut shop across the river in West End, home to the rather rich and also the hippie, greenie chai latte-drinking types.  West End is also the home of many a Greek migrant who brought a taste for exotic foods with them. Thankfully there are still a few of their wonderful and mysterious delis, stuffed full of exotic goodies, unruly crowds, complete chaos when it comes to actually buying anything, and sheer delight in the mad food world they inhabit.  Long may they last.

I came across a few different recipes for this liqueur, all of which involved copious amounts of rum, brandy or vodka, lots of pecans and various other flavourings.  I decided on this one, as it sounds so delicious.  It was posted by Barbara Lentz, on the Just a Pinch Recipe Club website.  I've halved it as it makes 4½ cups in the original!


ingredients:


195g. (1 cup) dark brown sugar, firmly packed


110g. (1/2 cup) white sugar or caster sugar 

310 mLs (1¼ cups) water

250g. pecans, toasted and chopped into small pieces

2 vanilla beans, split down the middle length-wise

500 mLs vodka 


Method:


Place the 2 sugars and the water into a medium saucepan over medium-low heat

Stir, bringing to the boil

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes

Put the vanilla beans and chopped, toasted pecan pieces into a large jar 

Pour the hot syrup mixture into the jar and let it cool

Now add the vodka

Store the sealed jar in a dark place for 2 weeks

Make sure you give it a darn good shaking every day

Strain it well; you may need to do this 2 or 3 times

Drink!



Notes:



I wanted it slightly less sweet, so I used coconut blossom sugar instead of white sugar

Toast the nuts at 160C for about 10-12 minutes till you can smell the toastiness

You will need a jar that holds about a litre

Strain it through muslin or a very clean Chux cleaning cloth

Serve over ice, or as a mixer




ingredients gathered in the glorious autumn sun   




stirring the sugars and water till boiling, then reducing for 5 minutes  





chop your nuts after roasting 



pour in the syrup




pour in the vodka



store in a dark place for 2 weeks, shaking each day 



So folks, I will let you know how it goes in a couple of weeks.  I will add a Part 2 the pecan liqueur sequel once completed:=)




my pecan doodle

18 comments:

  1. Goes without saying that it sounds delicious. Pecan are my my favourite nut. I'm guessing it will be similar to Frangelico. I laughed at your greenie latte drinking reference. It's so true. And, no matter how hard they try to gentrify West End, it just never seems to stick. Long may it be weird and wonderful!

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  2. Ooh yo clever thin Sherry! That's such an interesting sounding item. I must admit I've never seen it before but as you say pecans are much more common in the US.

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  3. You're Pecan Liqueur reminded me of a cocktail I haven't sipped in years, decades maybe: Pecan Punch, an iconic Basque drink... or so I thought. A Google search for ingredients revealed that the drink was Picon Punch, had NO pecans, was based on Amer Picon (an orange peel based bitter of sorts), and is linked to Basque sheepherders in our western states. Amer Picon is not currently available in the US, Very long ramble, sorry, but now I'm doubly anxious to read your taste test report. A Pecan Punch may evolve yet!

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    1. That's funny Dee. I often find my childhood memories are completely confused and round the wrong way. And I'm always so certain I had it right in the first place. Will let you know in part 2 how this goes.

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  4. Oooooo, yum! What an interesting liqueur!

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    1. I hope it's a fab drink in the end marcellina.

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  5. I'm dying to know how it turns out. I've never heard of pecan liqueur!

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    1. Doesn't it sound fascinating?:). Can't wait to try it.

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  6. Replies
    1. Hi liz
      It looks amazing at this point. Hopefully it will taste brilliant too :)

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  7. This is an intriguing recipe Sherry. I've never heard of pecan liqueur. I wonder how it will taste...but who cares, it has vodka in it LOL :)

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  8. Very interesting recipe, I can't wait to see how it turns out. I can really see this in a cocktail, maybe with bourbon??? Pecan Manhattan?

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    1. I am so keen to taste it. our Italian mate told us her mum used to make home made liqueurs with 100% alcohol! I guess they bought that stuff at the chemist, like olive oil. Must have been tough for the migrants in the 50s and 60s to get hold of the ingredients they had been used to back in the Old Country.

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    2. Hi, I saw your recipe and have been waiting for the results. That was in May and it's now August. Did you put it in the dark and forget about it? lol. How did it turn out? Can't wait any longer to find out. If it turned out, I'm going to get right on it. I have some recipes that call for it and I can't find it anywhere here in Minnesota, USA.
      Looking forward to your post. Pat

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    3. Hi pat
      The results were posted on the blog 23 May! Check it out.

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