This is a fabulous lemon dessert
liqueur that is from Italy. It is a great hostess gift or
addition to a
basket of homemade gifts. We serve this at the restaurant where I work
and
it is wildly popular.
Start 2 weeks ahead of time. This is a great recipe for people who just
don't know
what to do with all those lemons on their
tree.
About 16 lemons
1 cup sugar
1 750 ml bottle of very strong vodka or everclear
(everclear works best)*
1 mayonnaise jar (or any clear jar with a lid that is big
enough)
Peel all the lemons into strips
with as little of the white part as possible and put them in the
mayonnaise jar (or any other clear sealable jar). They should go halfway
to the top of the
jar. A few more or less is not terribly important. Add the cup of
sugar first and then the liquor
to within 1 inch of the top. Screw on the lid tightly and shake the
mixture vigorously. Place the
jar in the windowsill and shake once or twice a day for 2 weeks. Squeeze
the leftover lemon
juice into ice cube trays and freeze. Once they are frozen you can put
them in ziploc bags for
later. One cube is about 2 tbsp. juice when thawed. At the end of 2
weeks, strain the mixture
into another container (a liquor bottle is a good choice) and place in the
freezer. To serve,
place cordial glasses in the freezer to chill and serve limoncello in the frozen
glasses after
dinner. Be warned this is very good and very strong. It is tempting
to drink too much of this.
It settles your stomach very nicely after a large meal.
At the restaurant we make this in gallons. You can double or triple this
recipe without affecting the outcome. Meyer lemons do
not make the best limoncello, so use the regular lemons with the thick peels
that are bright yellow. (Eureka lemons) Aldo, who makes
the BEST limoncello at our restaurant says that Meyer lemons are OK, it is just
not as bright a yellow color.
Enjoy.
*Everclear is a clear spirit.
In most states it can be purchased at 151 proof. It works a lot better
than strong vodka as it really pulls the oil out of the peels.
After the
recent (2006) appearance of Danny De Vito on The View, you can see what could
happen when you drink too much limoncello.
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