Choco-mocca liqueur

So, where was I? I believe the last time I posted, I was talking about a fabulous meeting with the happy bunch that are the foodbloggers of this country and I was full of promises for my famous (or should that read infamous?) choco-mocca liqueur. Since then, I have received a lot of emails asking for the recipe, so without further ado...
This comes out of my little treasure chest of delicacies I encountered while living in Mexico - if you thought tequila and tacos were the only culinary highlights ever originating from that glorious country, then you're wrong. If it wasn't for the Aztecs, we would still be eating onions instead of potatoes as our staple diet, we'd never have encountered the delicacy that is a perfectly ripe avocado (in all shapes and formats) and, I shiver at the thought, we could never have indulged in chocolate!
The origins of this choco-mocca liqueur probably lie whereever Kalhua took its inspiration from, but I assure you it couldn't be more different if it tried. It's actually closer to Bailey's, but like so many home-made things, much more delectable! It also combines a lot of flavours I fell in love with in Mexico: coffee infused with spices (the Mexican "café de olla", a coffee prepared by simmering ground coffee with cinnamon, cloves and other spices and served in a clay mug), condensed milk (I have a secret love affair with the traditional Mexican flan which most people nowadays prepare with "Leche Nestlé", as it is commonly known there) and cocoa.
Over the years, I have been tinkering with a recipe in a cookbook I've long recycled and forgotten the name of, added this, some more of that and left out the other - but the biggest difference is that I am not using the brandy the original calls for, but some whisky (rather cheap, but keep that a secret!). And in all its various incarnations over this period of refinement, it has served well as a Christmas gift to many a friend and relative and has rounded up dozens of happy, boozy seasonal celebrations like the one we enjoyed the other day...

Choco-mocca liqueur
(yields roughly 1.5 litres)

250 ml espresso*
2 cinnamon sticks (15 cm each)
150 g light muscovado sugar (or unrefined cane sugar)
6 egg yolks (large eggs)
125 ml UHT milk
200 ml condensed milk (eg Nestlé Carnation)
2 level tbsp cocoa powder
125 ml whisky

Heat the espresso up with the cinnamon and 50 g of the sugar and leave to infuse for at least 30 minutes. Remove the cinnamon and strain through a fine sieve.
Place the yolks in heat-proof mixing bowl and place over a pot of boiling water. Add the remaining sugar and beat with a mixer or whisk until the mixture is pale, creamy and very thick, about 15-20 minutes.
Take off the heat, add the cocoa, then mix in the milk, coffee and condensed milk. Add the whisky and leave to cool.
Sterilise enough flip-top bottles and dry thoroughly, best in the warm oven. Fill up with the choco-mocca liqueur, using a funnel and a fine sieve.
Leave to stand, covered, but not fully closed, until the foam has gone down.

Keep in the fridge, it should last up to 6 months. Shake before serving and enjoy chilled, over some ice, if preferred.

* You can also dissolve 4 tbsp instant coffee in 250 ml water if you haven't got an espresso machine.

Comments

[melissa_cookingdiva]

Your choco-mocca liqueur looks delicious! Thank you for the recipe, I really enjoy preparing liqueurs :)
Hugs,
M

[Andrew]

hey, nice photo! great sounding recipe too - as soon as I am settled in my new place I might just give one a go.

[Jeanne]

Hmmmm, I can vouch for the deliciousness of this stuff, beign the honoured recipient of a bottleful at Christmas!! Thanks for sharing the recipe Johanna - it really is great stuff. Now that's what I call festive spirit ;-)

[Ilva]

Sounds very nice, I think I will make some and serve it when we have invited some nice people so that I can share the goodness!

[angelika]

Sounds like a truly comforting liquid. Being a (milk) chocolate AND coffee lover I will have to give this a try - very soon. Thank you for sharing. Take care, angelika

[Joanna Cary]

Hi Johanna, thanks for posting this, just the thing to make in a quiet moment so that we can drink it at the end of my birthday dinner in a couple of weeks, which I'm just starting to plan.

Hope all is well with you - happy and healthy 2006

Best wishes
Joanna

[Gourmet]

Your blog it's wonderful!!
And I love chocolate..This recipe it's delicious!!
Cheers
Sandra

[Chubby Hubby]

Johanna, this sounds delicious. I'll have to try it sometime soon. Thanks for sharing.

[fiordizucca]

excellent!

[Anna]

Mmm. Sounds gorgeous. My sister-in-law would kill to taste this. I think I'll make us both a bottle to save any bloodshed.

[celiaK]

Yipeee! You finally posted the long awaited recipe! Thanks very much for sharing. I WILL definitely try making this but not after a few questions:
- where can I get those bottles?
- and is there a reason why you used UHT milk and not fresh ones?
- is it okay to use brandy? 'coz I've got an open one already.

cheers!

[johanna]

hey celia, i bought my bottles at kooks unlimited in eton street, richmond - i know you don't live too far, so maybe that's an options... or you could call them and get them sent.
I use UHT milk so it keeps up to 6 months in the fridge - regular milk would go off too soon (although i must admit that this liqueur never survives too long anyway ;0)
As for the brandy, you can, of course, use brandy - rum would work too!

[Miel_Abeille]

I found you as I was Googling a recipe for cinnamon meringues. This recipe sounds divine! I can't wait to try it!!!

Thanks for sharing (I know it's an old post, but it looks like a goodie!)

[johanna]

Old post? You can say that again!
Thats what happens when your blog is about to turn seven!
But I still make this, its a keeper... Over 20 yrs and still love it!!

Sent from my iPhone