Homemade Kahlua

I made many, many batches of homemade kahlua this year as gifts for the Troopers and their wives. I have a little left for me and Mike. My favorite way to drink it is in a cup of hot chocolate. I like to heat a cup of milk, add a heaping spoon full of Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder, then add kahlua as the sweetener. I also have a friend who mixes hers with half and half (is that a White Russian?).





Spiced Vanilla Kahlua (makes 3 cups)


2 cups sugar


1 1/2 cups water


3 Tab. instant coffee powder


1 tsp. cinnamon


sprinkle in powdered ginger and cloves


3/4 cup vodka


2 Tab. vanilla


Heat all ingredients except vodka and vanilla in a medium saucepan. Heat until coffee and sugar melts. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and vodka. Skim the foam from the top of the kahlua and bottle.



Of course, I propped one of the labeled bottles in my kitchen window, my favorite gazing place. This time of the year, it is decorated with various Christmas angels, snowmen, and village shops. You can see the faces of my two children on some angels they made in church...about 10 years ago.