Candy Cane Vodka or Toffee Vodka

There's a litre bottle of Vodka on the side dresser and each time I pass it I think I really must do something with you. But what exactly.

I have been fiddling about for many years now with infusions and specifically with alcoholic beverages such as Sloe Gin a lovely Winter warmer on a very cold day. Originally i had purchased the Vodka to do some Sloe Vodka but did not come across any sloes.  I am hoping that this year I will find some to put some much needed alcoholic beverages up and I intend to budget for the alcohol in the monthly budget so that I have a ready supply when I feel the need to add something else to the Pantry shelf.

When I started fiddling with the Cherry Brandy, Raspberry Gin, Raspberry Vodka, Passionfruit Gin etc. Etc. there was a slightly different way of creating an infusion which mainly involved a bottle of alcohol a favourite sweet such as Bubble Gum pear drops whatever took your fancy popping the said sweets into the bottle or bottles of Vodka putting the lid on and popping it into a dishwasher for a cycle then popping on the pantry shelf for a little tipple here and there or bringing out when you had visitors.  There was only one problem in at that time muggins did not have a dishwasher.  I therefore resorted to soaking fruit or sweeties in spirit.  It is a more time consuming method is more sedate  - I am not built for speed. So this method suits me perfectly.  However you can break the toffees down if a very hard candy toffee with a rolling pin bashing it in a polythene bag to keep all the bits together or you can granulate it in a food processor. I prefer to let them just macerate.

There are many recipes littered all over the Internet.  I collect them on my Pinterest board.  You do get some interesting results as depending on your chosen sweet it can colour the Vodka or in respect of the Toffee Vodka it not only colours it can make it frothy but this is quite normal.  After the chosen sweet has dissolved in the alcohol and it does - I usually shake the jar or bottle twice a day to make this happen I then strain through paper coffee filters to get rid of any residue or very fine muslin.

 However when I initially played with these infusions/macerations Vodka was a lot cheaper then as well.   However due to the price Vodka is today to start with I would be very selective about which type of sweet I went for my least favourite sweet would be Parma Violets not that it would not make an interesting although I would hasten to add an acquired taste but to start with you want to have something pleasant to enjoy and therefore I would start with the Toffee Vodka.  I warn you though it does have a little bit of a kick.

I then belonged for a few years to a forum where likeminded ladies interested in cooking shared anything they tried on the cookery front and the Toffee Vodka below was a well used and favourite recipe.

Toffee Vodka

1 standard 750ml bottle of vodka

1 pack of Werthers

1 Kilner Jar

Some time and patience and lots if shaking action with the jar.

For the Candy Cane Vodka

1 pack of Candy Canes usually about 10 to 12 per pack

1 Standard 750ml bottle of Vodka

1 Kilner Jar

Some time and patience and lots of shaking action with the Kilner jar.

As at this particular time I have Toffee Vodka on the shelf and I have some candy canes left over from Christmas. Its one I have not tried before.

Basically you take a Large jar such as a Kilner jar sterilise it add your chosen sweetie to the jar and then add the Vodka.  Make sure the jar is big enough to take whatever quantity of Vodka you are using. Seal the jar and then shake the jar to help dissolve the contents everytime you go by or at least twice a day.  Once contents are dissolved strain through fine muslin or a paper coffee filter.  Once strained decant into a clean sterilised bottle.  I just tend to have a little bit of the Toffee liqueur as a pick me up now and then but you could take it a step further and create your own unique cocktails to serve to guests come party time.

I shall see how I get on with the Candy Cane version but other possibilities such as Skittles and Turkish Delight may be possibilities too.  I am also hoping to get some Lemoncello underway too.

Right I need to put my foot up its protesting just a little bit.  Catch you soon.

Pattypan x