Chocolate & Whiskey Liqueur

• Recipe by Christopher Elbow

Christopher Elbow of Kansas City's Christopher Elbow Artisanal Chocolates is a Midwestern pioneer. Elbow most recently worked as the pastry chef at the American Restaurant in Kansas City until demand for his chocolate petits fours convinced him to launch his own candy business in 2003. For his first annual employee Christmas party, he mixed up a chocolate-and-whiskey liqueur that's creamy, boozy and delicious—straight up, over ice or even over ice cream. Elbow says, "The consensus at the Christmas party was that if we could get a liquor license, we should sell this at our shop!" You can also make the recipe with vodka instead of whiskey for a more neutral flavor.

Ingredients

1. 1/2 cup light corn syrup
2. 1/4 cup water
3. 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
4. 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
5. One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
6. 1 cup half-and-half
7. 1/2 cup heavy cream
8. 1 cup Irish whiskey

Directions

1. In a saucepan, combine the corn syrup, water and vanilla seeds and bring to a boil. Add the chocolate and whisk over moderate heat until melted. Transfer to a blender and let cool for 5 minutes. Add the condensed milk, half-and-half and cream and blend. Pour the mixture into a bowl and stir in the whiskey. Blend the mixture in batches for 30 seconds. Pour into bottles and refrigerate overnight.

Notes

Gift Prep Pour the liqueur into a simple long-necked glass bottle with a cork or plug. It will keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.