Chocalong : Chocolate Infused Vodka

It's the first Friday of the month & that means Cookalong for us Irish Foodies.  Technically my first dish doesn't involve cooking, but it does use a grater & weighing scales, so as far as I'm concerned, this recipe counts.  Anyway, it's full of chocolate and some lovely alcohol, so will make a very delicious cocktail when it has infused to within an inch of it's life.

This recipe requires the hard stuff - 100% cocoa & for this, I snagged a chunk of Willie's Supreme Cacao Indonesian Black Cacao.  If you're looking to buy it, I know it's available in the Foodhall in Harvey Nichols, Dundrum, and also in Avoca.

This isn't eating chocolate by any means, although it smells sweet and fragrant like lovely 70%, it's drier and tarter than sucking on a lemon.  Actually, I'd bet that my brother would give a chunk of this to my niece & nephew just to see the look on their faces - he's charming that way...

Take Two Ingredients...

Chocolate Infused Vodka

500ml Vodka
20g Cacao, grated

Firstly, get a spotlessly clean screwtop 500ml bottle (I had a lovely one from my last Feverfew Ginger Ale which had a spell in a dishwasher).  Have it standing by.

Grate the cacao & place it in the bottom of the clean bottle.  A small funnel is very handy for this delicate operation

Top up with vodka.  Screw the lid tightly & shake well.

Store in a cool, dry place for at least a week until the clear vodka takes on a golden amber hue.  The longer you leave it, the darker & more chocolatey it becomes - I'm going to leave mine for 3 weeks because I'm a bit of a chocolate lover...

Once the vodka is ready, you can strain it through a fine sieve or coffee filter to create the perfect base for your Chocatini.

Remember, drink alcohol responsibly kids!