Crema Di Limoncello

Tim C: This is a very nice variation on the standard Limoncello, which I enjoyed at a dinner in my Dad's hometown mountain village of Soveria-Simeri. I visited my Dad's cousin, Anna Caputo and her family, and they brought this out with semi-sweet biscotti, served ice cold. I am so glad they shared the family recipe!

• Ready In: 121 hrs
• Yields: 1/2 Gallon

Ingredients

• 4 -5  lemons (I prefer greener ones)
• 1  quart  grain alcohol (Everclear 160 proof)
• 1  quart half-and-half
• 2 3⁄4 cups sugar
• 1  pint water
• 1  tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Using a paring knife or veggie grater, trim the zest from the lemons, leaving the white part behind, and steep the zest in the alcohol for several days (4-5), shaking the jar daily.
2. In a large 1-2 gallon pot, Combine the water, half & half, and sugar and bring to a boil 4-5 times (10 minutes cool-time in bet'n), removing it from the burner each time it boils up. This serves to keep it from curdling subsequently.
3. Once the milk has boiled up for the last time, remove it from the fire and let it cool a bit. Stir in the vanilla and alcohol, at which point the mixture should become thick and creamy.
4. Let the mixture cool a little more and bottle it, pouring it through a fine wire mesh strainer into a funnel to filter out lemon zest and any large curds that might have formed.
5. Let it sit for 3-4 days to mellow. Yes, room temperature is ok since there is enough alcohol in there to kill a horse :-).
6. Store it in the freezer, and it's ready to serve anytime!