Holiday Recipe: Kitchen Kahlua

Want to save money and impress your holiday guests this season? At your next holiday cocktail party, whip out a bottle of your own home-made Kahlua!  Not only is it a whole lot cheaper than purchasing it, but it's surprisingly easy to make. Just get it going this week if you want it to be ready for your New Year's Eve bash, as it does take a few weeks.

This is also a great frugal gift idea! Just put it in a nice bottle and tie a ribbon around it for a unique and tasty home-made gift.

Kitchen Kahlua
(Makes just over 1 quart.)

Ingredients:

Roasted coffee beans. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1 bottle (750 ml) vodka
1 1/4 cups rum
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 lb whole coffee beans
1 vanilla bean

Directions:

• Put all ingredients in a large glass bottle (save one of those double size wine bottles with the twist off cap.)
• Put a piece of food wrap plastic over the lip of the bottle, screw on the cap over the plastic until sealed tightly.  Shake gently to combine ingredients.  Don't over shake!
• Put a label on the bottle and date it.  
• Put the bottle in a dark, cool place and leave for at least 3 weeks. 
• Give the bottle a gentle shake a few times each week.
• After the 3 weeks, open the bottle, discard the plastic wrap, and pour through a fine metal sieve lined with cheesecloth into a glass bowl to strain out stuff.
• Pour finished product into clean glass bottles, seal well, and store in dark, cool place.
• If you don't have a big glass wine bottle, choose any good glass containers with an airtight lid, even a couple canning jars.
• Keep in a dark, cool place.