Cookery challenge for September

This month’s challenge was:
Party drink –  it could include fruit drinks/syrups, alcoholic or non-alcoholic, milkshakes etc. It’s Spring in the southern hemisphere and Autumn in the northern so let’s celebrate with fun drinks. 

I always enjoy participating in the challenge as it allows me to try something new and also to share my success or failings with others. Sometimes when the challenge comes through I immediately know what I want to do and this was definitely the case this month. My choice this month was to make Limoncello.  Rosemary made a lemon trifle and used some Limoncello in her dish.  I discovered that there were many recipes on the internet for this drink and so this months challenge was just the push I needed to try and make some!

I have been very busy recently, and I suddenly realised a couple of days ago that I hadn't left myself much time. After I left work I visited our local shop and asked for a bottle of Vodka. I was served by someone I recently met at a friends party and during our conversation I told her that I'd had a bad day at work.  I hope she didn't think I was going home to drink all the bottle - this thought didn't occur to me until after I had left the shop!

Limoncello originated from Italy and is a lemon liqueur drink made from the zest of lemons.

The recipe I used was as follows:-

Limoncello Recipe

35cl of Vodka

3 lemons  (scrub, wash well and dry)

400 ml water

250g white sugar

Peel the zest from the lemon very thinly using a vegetable peeler making sure there is no white rind attached as this will make the drink bitter.

Pour the vodka in a sealed container, add the rind and seal and leave in a dark place until the colour leaves the zest (the time in recipes seems to vary from 4 days up to  2-3 months). Remove the zest.

Then make the syrup using the water and sugar boil the water first and add the sugar, continue cooking until dissolved and then cool. Add the 2 mixtures together and return too a dark place for at least 2 weeks. It can also be frozen.

Obviously I have only completed the first part, so I will let you know how I get on, hopefully it will be ready for Christmas.  It can be drunk slowly to help aid digestion before dessert or added to lemonade. It can also be splashed on to ice-cream, or used in lemon puddings or cakes.

Thanks again to Lucent for running the monthly cookery challenge, if you wish to join next months challenge please contact her.

Lucent Imagery http://www.lucentimagery.com/index.php/tag/cooking-club/ (cooking club founder)

From River’s Edge http://fromriversedge.net/tag/cooking-club/

Down by the Sea http://downbytheseadorset.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Cookery challenge

Explody Full http://explodyfull.com/category/cooking-club/

Chi Garden http://www.chigarden.com/tag/cooking-club/

Under Lock & Key  http://www.underlockandkeyblog.com/search/label/cooking club

Adventures of the Ordinary http://adventuresoftheordinary.wordpress.com/tag/cooking-club/

Polka Dot Pearls http://polkadotpearls.blogspot.com

Juanita Tortilla http://www.juanitatortilla.com/

Sarah x