Limoncello Recipe for Ultimate Holiday Gifting

The holiday season is upon us! One of my favorite things about the holidays is giving gifts to friends and family. Personally, I love making my gifts – it adds just an extra special touch. Instead of gifting the usual baked goods, such as cookies and chocolate covered treats, why not make homemade limoncello? It takes some planning ahead, but the result will not disappoint!

Chef Erin's Homemade Limoncello:

Ingredients:

Part 1:

1 750mL bottle of vodka

11 lemons

Part 2:

3 cups granulated sugar

3 cups of water

Preparation:

1. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the skins off of the lemons. (The white rind is bitter, so try and have yellow-only peels.)
2. Put the lemon peels and vodka in an airtight container and let sit at room temperature for at least one week. The liquid should become yellow, and the peels will lose their color.
3. After the lemon peels and vodka have sat for a week, you are ready for the next step. Bring the water to a boil then add the sugar and mix until the sugar is dissolved. Let cool.
4. Discard the lemon peels, then mix together the lemon vodka and sugar mixture.
5. Pour the limoncello into bottles and refrigerate for at least four hours before serving. Limoncello will last for months in your freezer.

Packaged into mini gloss bottles, it’s sure to be a unique and delicious treat!