Basic Homemade Fruit Liqueur Recipe:

You can make liqueur from just about any fruit: apples, apricots, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, citrus, cranberries, peaches, pineapple, raspberries or even a mixture of fruit. My favorites are lemon, raspberry and cranberry, but they are all good. Fresh fruit is always best, but frozen unsweetened fruit also works in a pinch.

4 cups fruit of your choice (or 12 oz. bag of fresh cranberries)
2-3 cups of vodka or brandy
Optional spices such as cinnamon sticks, whole allspice or vanilla bean

Cheesecloth and coffee filters
Large funnel for straining & filling bottles
1 cup sugar
½ cup water

Wash fruit and remove stems or pits if necessary (depending upon fruit used). Cut large fruit (like apples or peaches) into bite-size pieces. Smaller fruit (such as strawberries or cherries) should be cut in half to release juices. Cranberries, should be chopped in a food processor for best results. Blueberries or Raspberries can be left whole.

Place fruit in a large, clean glass container. (I use my collection of vintage canning jars for this purpose. But any quart size or large jar will work.) Add 2-3 cups vodka or brandy or enough to cover the fruit. Some fruit will float and that is okay. Add any spices that you wish. Stir the mixture and cover the container tightly. Set container on a shelf, away from heat or sunlight for at least 4 weeks. Stir or shake occasionally.

After steeping, strain the mixture using several layers of cheesecloth. Once removed from the alcohol, store the “drunken fruit” in the refrigerator and use within a few days as a dessert topping, addition to tea bread, or addition to a dessert sauce.

Take the remaining flavored alcohol and strain again using fresh cheesecloth or better yet, coffee filters to get a clear liquid with no cloudiness.

Meanwhile in a small saucepan, combine sugar and water. Heat to a boil, stirring constantly and cook for one minute or until the bubbling mixture turns clear. Remove from heat and set aside until completely cooled. (About 1 hour)

Pour half the sugar syrup into the alcohol base, stir and taste for sweetness. Some fruits are very tart

and will require all of the sugar syrup. Others will only need a hint of sweetness. Extremely tart fruits (like cranberries) may even need a second batch of sugar syrup to really create a truly sweet liqueur. This is a personal preference, so use your own judgment. Continue adding syrup until you reach desired flavor.

Bottle your liqueurs in clean, decorative bottles and label with a date.  The liqueurs will have the best flavor after a few months of sitting on the shelf (aging). They will begin to lose their bright color and some flavor after one year but they will not “go bad” because the alcohol is the preservative. I usually have no problem using them up within one year.

Spicy Steak Rub

    1 tablespoon paprika

    1 tablespoon white pepper

    1 teaspoon cayenne

    1 teaspoon brown sugar

    1 teaspoon cumin

    olive oil

Rub steak with olive oil. Then rub spice mixture in.

Pepper Steak Rub

1 tsp ground allspice

1 tsp ground black pepper

½ tsp paprika

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp dark chili powder

1½ tsp garlic salt

Emeril's Essence

I list this here just as a reference. It's from Emeril Lagasse's website, and it's also on the Food Network's website. It's Emeril's recipe; it's just really useful for Guy Food!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Yield: about 2/3 cup