The apple liqueur sounded divine but I couldn't get it to screen up.
Luckily I found this Apple Brandy Recipe developed by an accomplished
Wisconsin farm woman who grows apples.
APPLE BRANDY
PREP BTB sugar and water; cook/stir dissolve sugar. Set offheat.
METHOD Place apples in large glass or plastic container; add sugar mixture, brandy, cloves and cinnamon stick. Cover/ steep at room temp at least two weeks; stir once a week. Strain; discard apples and spices. Pour into glass decanters. Place three cloves and one cinnamon stick in each bottle. Yield: 2 quarts.
Ingredients 4 cups sugar 2 cups water 4 pounds apples, sliced 1 liter brandy 3 whole cloves 1 cinnamon stick (3 inches) Additional whole cloves and cinnamon sticks
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Apple Liqueur
4 cups sugar
2 cups water
4 pounds apples, cored and peeled
1 750 ml bottle of brandy
1 cinnamon stick
Mix water and sugar and bring to a boil until sugar is completely dissolved. Cool. Peel and core apples and slice. Put into a large glass or plastic container and cover with the cooled syrup. Do not use a metal container. Add cinnamon stick and pour the alcohol over the apples. Let sit in a dark place for two weeks, stirring every other day or so. After two weeks, remove the apples from the liquid and reserve. Strain the liqueur through a fine sieve and then pour into a glass storage bottle. Let age for a month or so to soften the flavors.
I made my first batch with Christian Brothers’ Honey Brandy. This brandy is a bit sweeter and mellower than Christian Brothers’ regular brandy. The resulting liqueur was smooth with lovely hints of cinnamon and apple flavor and a deep amber color. It was very easy to drink even without the additional month of aging.The regular brandy made a slightly more astringent brew that I think will benefit from aging before we serve it. It was still wonderful. The vodka batch was a bit lighter in color with a more dominant apple taste but also a more pronounced presence of alcohol. However, the real gift of this process was the brandy-soaked apples.
Apple Brandy Cake
1 package yellow, white or spice cake mix
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons apple liqueur
3 large eggs
2 cups brandy-soaked apples, finely chopped
1 cup walnuts or pecans
Lightly grease a 10-inch fluted cake pan or a 9-inch-by-13-inch-by-2-inch baking pan. Place the cake mix, buttermilk, oil, liqueur and eggs in a mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 more minutes. Fold in the apples and nuts by hand. Pour the batter in the prepared pan. Bake the cake in a 350-degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes for a 9-inch-by-13-inch pan or for 50 to 55 minutes for a fluted cake pan. Cool on a rack. Recipe note: I prefer a spice cake mix for this recipe, but I have done it with the yellow or white if that’s all I have on hand. The spice version is definitely a more flavorful cake. If you want to make the cake and not the apple liqueur, just use any brandy and chopped apples.
Apple Liqueur Butter Glaze
4 tablespoons butter (use the real thing)
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons apple liqueur
1 teaspoon vanilla
Melt the butter and let cool slightly. Add the sugar, liqueur and vanilla and use your whisk or mixer to make it smooth and lump free. Drizzle over the warm cake and let it soak in for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Fall Apple Sangria
2 apples — one red and one green — cored and thinly sliced
2 cups apple liqueur
1 bottle of white wine (pinot grigio, moscato, chardonnay)
Club soda
Slice apples and place in a 2-quart pitcher and pour the apple brandy over them. Chill for one hour. Add wine and chill again. Serve over ice with a splash of club soda to add a bit of fizz. Recipe note: You can make this with regular brandy and apple cider if you don’t have the apple liqueur. Just use 1 and one-half cups brandy and one-half cup apple cider instead of the apple liqueur.