What would the holiday season be without a festive homemade liqueur? This limoncello recipe http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/limoncello comes from Martha herself, and it's a very easy one -- particularly when you make a few adjustments.
In terms of the odder supplies, all you really need is a great big jar, a grater (a really good one!), a strainer, a funnel and some cute bottles. The bottles were the hardest find -- last year Ikea had great stopper-topped bottles for $2, but this year the cheapest we could find were cork-topped and flowered for $4 at Cost Plus -- considerably smaller, which we figured would even out in terms of expenses.
(Who knows. It's too depressing to keep a tally.)
We follow the recipe pretty closely, with just a couple exceptions:
First, we've consulted with several chefs (albeit amateur) and it's been determined you don't need to refrigerate the limoncello during the creation process, which is good since a. we forgot to this year and b. when you're quadrupling a recipe it's hard to fit all that booze in your fridge. Martha does recommend storing in the freezer and consuming within three months, which we easily accomplished last year.
Second, while Martha calls for 160 proof vodka, we recommend 80 proof. Seriously, the 80 proof is so strong most people can't drink the stuff straight -- we're afraid something (like your liver) would catch fire if you tried making (and drinking) it any stronger.
Good luck and don't cut yourself with the grater. No one likes a bloody limoncello -- though we can't wait to adjust this recipe for blood orange season.
