Arancello Rosso Blood Orange Liqueur, or What I'm Making For Christmas

Have you ever had the deliciously addictive Italian limoncello liqueur? This is its rosy colored cousin, made with gorgeous blood oranges, alcohol, simple syrup, and optional spices.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 liter (500 ml) 100-proof grappa or vodka

  • 5 organic Sicilian blood orange skins (just the skin and not the white pith!)

  • 1 1/2 cups simple syrup (1 cup of sugar dissolved in 1 cup hot water)

  • Optional: 1 cinnamon stick, 3 cardamom pods

EQUIPMENT

  • Vegetable peeler (or microplane or zester)

  • Paring knife

  • 1 quart jar or other similar-sized container with a lid

  • Strainer

  • Large coffee filter

  • 4-cup measuring cup

  • Small funnel

  • 2 clean 16-ounce bottles or several bottles equalling similar volume

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Peel the oranges: Use a vegetable peeler to remove the peels from all the oranges. Try to remove only the outer skin and as little of the white pith as possible.

  2. Cover the peels with vodka or grappa: Transfer the orange peels and any spices you wish to use to a 1-quart jar or food safe infusion container, and cover with the vodka or grappa. Screw on the lid.

  3. Infuse the liquor: Let the alcohol, orange peels, and optional spices infuse in a cool, dark place out of direct sunlight for 14 days.

  4. Strain the infusion: Line a fine mesh strainer with a large coffee filter or cheesecloth and set it over a 4-cup measuring cup. Strain the infused alcohol through the filter. Give it a stir if the flow slows down.

  5. Prepare sugar syrup: Prepare a simple syrup of 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar — bring the water to a simmer and stir in the sugar to dissolve; allow to cool.

  6. Mix the simple syrup with the infused alcohol: Pour the syrup into the infused alcohol. Stir gently to mix. Taste and add additional simple syrup if desired.

  7. Bottle the arancello: Insert the funnel in the neck of one of your bottles and fill with arancello. Repeat with remaining bottles.

  8. Chill and store: Chill the arancello in the fridge or freezer for at least 4 hours before drinking. arancello can be kept in the fridge for at least 6-months or in the freezer for a year or more.

Laena McCarthy