Let’s Make Christmas,
Santa’s Little Helper
and
Home-made Orange Liqueur
This recipe has been entered into Vanessa’s
When I read that Vanessa was hosting a home-made Christmas event on her blog this year, I became all Christmas Fairy-like and terribly excited as I always make Christmas every year and love to share my home-made sweets, jams, preserves, chutneys, cakes, puddings, boozy fruits etc etc……so, this was right up my seasonal and festive street! As my regular readers and friends will already know, I have been posting about my jamming and preserving for the last 4 weeks now, and I am well ahead on the preserves front ~ I just have my mincemeat, chocolates, cakes, puddings and booze to make now, and today I made my very popular Orange Liqueur aka Santa’s Little Helper!
This recipe is so easy and yet it’s flavour and good looks belies this fact ~ make it now and decant it in to decorative bottles in December and you and the lucky recipients will be rewarded with an orange liqueur to rival and better all the well known commercial brands. I will post photos later on after I have decanted mine, but for now, here is my recipe how to make this stunning little boozy number! It has been Santa’s little helper on more than one occasion I can tell you too….
This vibrant orange liqueur is wonderful when served over ice, over ice cream, with soda water or lemonade or when splashed into or into festive fare…..and it looks pretty stunning when decanted into pretty bottles with all the decorative trimmings…..bows, tags, labels, dried flowers etc etc. I always make a batch or two of this every year and I know that if I didn’t there would be some pretty disappointed faces come Christmas Eve…….Santa for one would be devastated!
So here it is, with jingle bells, baubles and tinsel, another home-made Christmas gift; this needs to be made now in order for it to have mellowed by Christmas…….I give my jars a shake or two twice a week to keep the flavours mingling and happy. I will be posting many more home-made gifts over the next few weeks, and I hope you are all in the festive gift making spirit ~ no need for commercial food and drink gifts, home-made is so much better and far more personal…….although small artisan companies are also something to be considered and they need our support too ~ I often buy good artisan cheese and then make a chutney to go with it, as well as cheese biscuits and voila, a cheese lovers hamper, but that idea is to follow on later……see you soon,
Karen
Home-made Orange Liqueur
(aka Santa’s Little Helper!)
Ingredients:
1 bottle dry white wine
600ml amber rum, dark rum
300g (100ozs) golden caster sugar
8 oranges, unwaxed
Method:
Peel large strips of zest from the oranges with a vegetable peeler. Divide the orange zest between 2 sterilised jars or wide necked bottles.
Add the sugar, rum and wine ~ again, dividing it equally ~ I used 2x 500ml kilner jars.
Seal the jars and give them a good shake ~ store in a cool, dark place for 6 weeks before decanting the liqueur through a sieve into sterilised decorative bottles; discard the orange peel, or use it in poached or stewed fruits.
(I sometimes dry the orange peel in a cool oven overnight and add it to sugar to be used for cakes and pies, or add it to stews and daubes etc.)
NB: Whilst the liqueur is maturing, give the jars/bottles a good shake once or twice a week.
Dom at Belleau Kitchen says
God that looks so good… and so easy! I really need to order those Kilner jars now!!
Marie says
So pretty Karen, almost makes me wish we drank alcohol! Where do you find the unwaxed oranges. They would be difficult if not impossible to find here. Your pictures are gorgeous as always!
Sally - My Custard Pie says
Beautiful – so many cookery (and cocktail) uses too. Would be great in mulled wine.
Laura@howtocookgoodfood says
Karen,
I would just love to have a smell of that orange liqueur…..so perfect for Christmas!
I shall have to get my thinking cap on as you have inspired me……
Thrifty Household says
That sounds good (& I've got 2 large kilner jars sitting empty at the moment…)
Hanna says
Such a good idea! I like making liquers, normally with vodka, but this sounds delicious with rum!
A Trifle Rushed says
Fantastic Karen, when I decant my liqueurs at the weekend I can reuse the jars! Fab! (and I'm going to submit a few things to Vanessa's Let's Make Christmas, I do love all this sharing in the blogosphere!)
Thanks again for all your lovely comments . X
La Table De Nana says
I tried making a liqueur once:( Never looked this good..You are on the ball:)
carolinajewel says
Looks delicious! I love the name "Santa's Little Helper!"
Inside a British Mum's Kitchen says
Santa and his little helpers are going to be really happy! Sounds delicious and looks so lovely 🙂
Mary x
Heather says
THis looks yummy! I may have to try this for a christmas treat! 😀
Kentish Keg-Meg says
Such a beautiful colour must try to make this.
Janice says
oooh that sounds delightful! Cheers.
Choclette says
This looks to die for – wow, wow and triple wow. I just so love the colour. Fab idea and I am going to get me some organic oranges this weekend. I made lots of things in vodka, but not come across wine and rum. Orange liqueur is such a useful thing to have for cake making too. I think I want to be part of your Christmas! But I've not come across amber rum before – guess I could use white instead.
Lauren says
Probably makes me sound like a terrible lush–but I love love love Grand Marnier and Cointreau, especially in a white lady or in a Viennese hot chocolate. This looks so gorgeous and really would be a great gift, especially for my dad!
Annie says
Oh my!! Can't stop … need to buy rum and oranges 😀
Liz@Violet Posy says
That looks delicious and what a great present! Thanks so much for adding it to Thrifty Christmas x
Maya Russell says
I’d love to make this! It’d be lovely over hot chocolate brownies.
Maya Russell says
I’m sure Father Christmas would appreciate some too. It’s nice and warming.
Johnston Craig says
Made this for Christmas gifts and Christmas consumption this year
– it is amazing!!!
Really the best homemade hooch I’ve ever tried.
Merci!
Karen Burns-Booth says
That’s brilliant to know and thanks for popping by to tell me too!