Homebrew Underground

Recently I was working on a new recipe for homemade Kahlua (coffee liqueur). I noticed that Kahlua was more viscous than other liqueurs that I have made. I got the idea that maybe I could use Karo light corn syrup as a sweetener because it is very thick and viscous. Besides, I have seen other homemade liqueur recipes that used light corn syrup so I thought I might give it a try. I made a small test batch and made a blending stock with some caramel syrup and light corn syrup.

Well, it had a lingering aftertaste – a sort of a tacky – sweet aftertaste. It was not as smooth as it could be. I decided against it and used a modified version of my standard sugar syrup and I got a much better result. But I began to look into corn syrup a little more and there are more reasons than taste alone to avoid using corn syrup in your homemade liqueurs and other food preparation.

Recently the FDA has declared HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) as not "natural". In a recent article by Lorraine Heller at NutraIngredients-USA.com (02-Apr-2008), it is noted that "Products containing high fructose corn syrup cannot be considered ‘natural’ and should not be labeled as such". I believe that this is an important announcement and that there is a link between obesity and the ubiquitous nature of corn syrup in our food supply.

I recommend avoiding the use of corn syrup altogether. Despite the fact that sugar is not exactly a health food, I believe that it is not as bad as corn syrup.

This is a quick and easy dessert that is delicious and unusual. It is made with kefir and fresh strawberries with a little sugar or sweetener plus blackberry liqueur. But for the blackberry liqueur, it would be somewhat healthy and good for you.

Mix kefir, blackberry liqueur and sweetener in a bowl. Stir until everything is thoroughly mixed together. Slice about 4 or 5 medium to large strawberries in a dessert dish. Pour the kefir mix over the top. Serve immediately.

This is a recipe you can make with either your own homemade coffee liqueur or with Kahlua® or homemade Kahlua. Brownies are perfect as a liqueur pastry to make with coffee liqueur.

This recipe is made from scratch – not from a mix – and therefore of good quality. It is relatively quick and easy, too.

Shown below is a shot of the ingredients:

Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat.

Make sure the butter is completely melted and then add melted butter and cocoa to a mixing bowl.

Mix cocoa and butter with a rubber spatula into a smooth paste.

Add flour, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and salt.

Thoroughly mix all ingredients into a batter.

Next, add the pecans and liqueur. Use either your own homemade coffee liqueur or Kahlua®.

Thoroughly mix everything together.

Preheat the oven to 325°. Flour an 8 x 8 baking dish to keep the brownies from sticking when they are baked. You can use a vegetable fat product like Crisco® or a non-stick spray like Pam®.

Pour the mixture into the floured baking dish.

Bake at 325° for about 40 – 45 minutes. Poke a toothpick into the brownies to check to see if they are done. If the toothpick comes out clean, pull them out of the oven immediately.

Allow to cool for 15 minutes or so, then slice into 2 inch squares.