Impressive, Affordable Gifts!

We are on the countdown to the holiday season and the time is going quickly. If you have not started thinking about holiday gifts for your clients, associates and friends, it is time to do so.
This is an easy, affordable, impressive and delicious gift you can make with minimal time and effort. But..........you must get started very soon.

Kahlua (Coffee Liqueur)
1 1/2 cups instant coffee granules
3 cups boiling water
6 cups sugar
1 vanilla bean (or 3 teaspoons pure vanilla)

1 fifth vodka (can be the cheap stuff, doesn't matter)

Dissolve coffee granules in boiling water, add sugar and vanilla bean (or pure vanilla). Allow to cool. Add vodka. Pour into a gallon container, seal with a cap and let stand 30 days to ripen before using*. Yield: 1/2 gallon. (I usually make 2 or 3 batches)

Pour into decorative bottles. (these can be found at Dollar Tree, WalMart or you can save wine bottles and corks to use)

Add a personal label. I like to to put one on the front and back. On the one on the back I state "delicious in after dinner coffee, over ice cream, or as replacement for coffee in any recipe" --i.e mocha butter cream frosting"

I also make Amaretto and Fruit Cordials (raspberry is my favorite). If you are interested in any of the recipes for those, let me know and I'll send them to you.

*UPDATE - I should have posted this last month so you could have made it and let it ripen for the 30 days before giving the gift. However, I see no reason why you could not go ahead and put in the decorative, sealed bottles to age. I would use vanilla, not vanilla bean if I were going to do this way and be very sure all ingredients were well mixed. I would put a "do not open before date note" on it.

DISCLAIMER: I've never done it this way but I see no reason why it would not work just as well (I'm big on trying alternate methods/ingredients, etc.)

Cynthia Tilghman, Realtor, Onslow County Home Specialist 910 459 9189 Email Me

Kingsbridge Realty, Inc., Making Houses Homes

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