Chocolate Liqueur Recipes

Steps:

• Mix sugar, water, and cocoa in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, just until sugar and cocoa are completely dissolved. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
• Pour into a clean 2-quart glass container. Stir in vodka and vanilla bean. Cover tightly; keep in a cool, dark place for 14 days, shaking container thoroughly every 2 days.
• Strain liqueur through a moist paper coffee filter into a clean glass container. Straining will take a couple of hours as residue is very thick. Change filter halfway through. If residue remains, strain again immediately.
• Cover tightly; let liqueur age in cool, dark place at least 1 month.

Steps:

• Separate the eggs whites from the yolks. Set the yolks aside, then put the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip on medium speed. Slowly add the granulated sugar to the egg whites in the mixer as they are whipping. Whip until soft peaks form.
• Over a double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter together. Remove from the heat and stir occasionally to help cool; let cool 10 minutes. One by one, add the egg yolks to the chocolate-butter mixture until fully incorporated. (The mixture will stiffen slightly.) Mix the whipped egg whites into the chocolate mixture in thirds, folding very gently so as to not mix the air out of the mousse.
• Carefully and evenly divide the mixture among 4 rocks glasses. Set the glasses in the refrigerator until fully chilled, about 30 minutes.
• For the chocolate liqueur whipped cream: Combine the heavy cream, liqueur and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip on medium speed until soft peaks form.
• Spoon a dollop of the whipped cream into each of the chilled mousse glasses. Garnish each with a small sprig of mint.

Steps:

• Heat the milk. Add sugar and cocoa, cook, stirring. Let cool a bit then add the alcohol. Let cool in a pan of water. Strain and pour into bottles.
• I keep mine refrigerated though you don't have to.

Steps:

• Pour rum into large bottle; add vanilla bean halves and cocoa nibs. Close bottle; set aside for 3 weeks, shaking bottle every day to mix ingredients. Strain liqueur into another bottle.
• Bits of shell-roasted cocoa beans; available at many specialty foods stores and from chocosphere.com.