Hazlenut Liqueur

Chopped hazelnuts steeped in vodka with a vanilla bean and a pinch of allspice for two weeks, then sweetened with sugar syrup and aged three more weeks. What comes out the other end tastes like a homemade version of Frangelico for a fraction of the price.

Chopping the hazelnuts before they go into the vodka is a must. Whole nuts steep too slowly and you’ll end up with weak, barely flavored spirit. Breaking them open exposes more surface area and releases the oils that carry all that rich, toasty hazelnut flavor.

The vanilla bean and allspice work as background players. You shouldn’t taste them individually, but they round out the hazelnut and give the liqueur warmth and depth that plain nut-infused vodka lacks.

Chef Tips

• Toast the hazelnuts lightly in a dry skillet before chopping. Toasting deepens the nut flavor and adds a roasted quality that raw nuts can’t match.
• Shake the jar gently every few days during the first two-week steep. This redistributes the nuts and keeps extraction even.
• Strain through cheesecloth first, then through a coffee filter for a crystal-clear liqueur. Skipping the fine filter leaves the spirit cloudy.
• Taste before adding sugar syrup. If you prefer a drier, less sweet liqueur, cut the syrup in half or skip it entirely.

Variations

• Use pistachios instead of hazelnuts for a subtly different, slightly sweeter nut liqueur with a pale green tint.
• Add a cinnamon stick alongside the vanilla bean for a warmer, holiday-spiced version.
• Pour over ice cream as a dessert topping, or stir into coffee for a nutty after-dinner drink.