Infused Vodka – 5:00 Fridays

I look at this time of year with equal parts dread and joy. I know the doorbell will ring daily with gifts and packages greeting me. Plates of sugar dusted cookies. Pumpkin bars. Chocolatey gooey goodness and buttery vanilla ooziness abound. My sweet tooth will be satiated, and my hips will be expanding. I cannot imagine the day will ever come that my thighs don’t touch if I keep indulging in sweets. I. Just. Can’t. Stop. With each gift of riches I conjure up recipes to reciprocate the love. I am an unaccomplished baker so year after year my sugar flecked treats probably end up in the garbage. I did make a cute Rolo pretzel thing one year that might have been a hit, but that was with toddler age Bird and Deal so the gesture was more sweet than the treat.

This year I’ve decided to forgo the work, mess, late nights, stress, and flopped cakes. I’m sticking with something I know. Cocktails.

My friends and neighbors are getting infused vodka this year. And if the kitchen stress they face is anything like mine, this will be a bulls eye gift.

Infused Vodka
Lemon and Lime cut into thin wheels
Habanero, Thai chili, and jalapeno peppers, split
Vanilla bean, split
Clementine cut into thin wedges
Good quality vodka (Absolut is a fine choice.)
Large mason jars

Line up large mason jars and fill with whatever flavors you want to infuse the vodka. I’ll be making lemon/lime, vanilla, hot pepper, and clementine varieties. Pour vodka into mason jars until full. Seal and shake a few times. Now put the jars somewhere cool and dark. Shake a few times a day while the flavors infuse the vodka. Let infuse for one week. Strain the flavoring stuff out of the jars. At this point you can store the vodka in an bottle that seals (think of reusing clean liquor bottles, wine bottles, or the decorative varieties sold at The Container Store.) I think it would be moonshiney cute to present the infused vodka in the mason jars. I plan on adding a personalized sticker and some ribbon to make it festive. And a cocktail recipe card, natch.

Now if only my 5:00 Fridays book were published to really round out this tasty holiday treat…