Nocino
- 2 pounds green English walnuts, 1 1/2 inches or less in diameter (about 30)
- 750 milliliters 80-proof vodka
- 3 1/2 cups sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon, in strips
- Zest of 1 orange, in strips
- 5 cloves
- 1/4 whole nutmeg
- 1 heaping teaspoon whole dark-roast coffee beans
- 1. Quarter the walnuts and place them in a large glass jar, at least 3-quart capacity. Add the remaining ingredients and stir. Don't worry that the sugar won't immediately dissolve. Seal the jar, and place it in a sunny place for 40 days. The liquid will first turn a sinister green, then black. Once every 10 days, agitate the jar by inverting it a time or two. You can taste the alcohol at any stage and add more aromatics if you like.
- 2. After 40 days, strain the contents of the jar through a damp jelly bag and catch the liquids in a bowl. Funnel the liqueur into scalded bottles, and seal. Store in a cool, dark place for several months; Lanza suggests opening them on All Saints' Day. Before serving, you may want to strain the liqueur through a coffee filter to remove sediments, but it isn't necessary to do so. The liqueur will keep indefinitely without refrigeration.
walnuts, milliliters, sugar, lemon, orange, cloves, nutmeg, coffee beans
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/nocino-51190630 (may not work)