A weekend of infused vodkas (and the recipes thereof)

Sunny's visiting Savannah, GA, this weekend to get away from snowy, snowy Boston. I'm using this quality time to try out various homebrew concoctions, including two different kinds of infused vodkas. Over the last ten years, many bars and distilleries realized the truth: vodka doesn't really taste like anything. Many people already used it for cocktails, something I do myself, but you can add real zest to the drink itself by going the extra mile and giving it an innate flavor.

"Infusing" typically means soaking something in the vodka for a long time, even a month or two, and adding some sugar or simple syrup for sweetness. You then strain out whatever you flavored it with and transfer the final product to a bottle for later consumption.

I've been sitting on the infused vodka idea for quite a while, but it really doesn't take long to make a reality. You only need six things for the task.

1. 750ml of vodka

2. Thing to infuse

3. Cup of sugar (if creating a syrup)

4. Pan

5. Airtight container, such as a pitcher, a to store the vodka in for the "soak" stage

6. A good strainer, such as cheesecloth.

I made two flavoring syrups, one with cranberries and one with blueberries. Fresh berries would be ideal, but I used bags from the store freezer case. Simply cook them in the pan with sugar over medium heat until both combine and get gooey. (The cranberries looked like the picture above.) You might be tempted to make pancakes and pour the contents of your pan on it. Resist this temptation! Your vodka is all about patience, a virtue even nobler than quality breakfast foods.

Once complete, pour the sticky mess into the container and add the vodka. Seal the top and store it somewhere that'll stay warm, at least at room temperature. (I've been told sunlight is good for the process, so perhaps a window sill?) Wait anywhere from a week to a month for everything to settle and combine. Once you can't wait anymore, open the container and check the flavor. If it's too sharp or sour, add simple syrup to taste. I go for something pleasant that could stand alone in a glass. Otherwise, why do all the work? Finally, pour the sweet ensemble through the strainer back into the bottle so you have nothing but the re-purposed vodka. (This might take several filterings.) Some people switch to a decorative jar and give away the end result. I would totally accept that kind of gift.

Our Flickr account includes a slideshow of the cooking process with some commentary.

Tales from the Bread Machine: Challah (Egg Bread)

A friend-of-a-friend moved recently and we ended up with a free bread machine. (They never used it, it looks better on our wall anyway, etc.) This machine included a couple of recipe books, about twenty different breads total. The machine's capabilities go beyond bread, a surprise to me. Its other settings include jams and jellies, cake, and pizza dough, a pretty good profile of modern carb cravings.

I understand that some people really like their roombas. We're not going to make a little hutch for our bread machine anytime soon, but the whole process goes quite smoothly and produces some nice loaves.

Thanksgiving comes TOMORROW (zounds!) and our plans include seeing three different groups of friends. Giving some bread to each of them would be an appropriate gift, so the work started early today with this Challah recipe. It takes but a few minutes to pile the ingredients into the pan (always in the proper order!) and get the process underway. The 1.5lb ball of dough's kneading away as I type.

We learned a few things about baking with our machine over the last two months. First, bread quality follows the water balance closely. Too much means a soggy interior, an under-baked result, and trouble with slicing. Too little means a stiff and crumbly exterior. The difference between those two seems very small, perhaps a tablespoon or so on either side. It's possible to correct (somewhat) by checking the dough a few times during kneading and sprinkling more water, a very small amount at a time. It would really help for recipes to describe things look at different stages in the process. A few do, but most let you learn what small touches to make on your own.

OK, the bread's done now and smells excellent. (Never ignore the nostril impact of baking in your kitchen!) Today's loaf settings were WHITE flour and MEDIUM crust. The recipe called for two eggs; we used one real and one "fake" (non-fat). Everything else went in as listed. To the ratings!

Look: Nice even color, no burned areas
Cut: Crust crunchy but yields easily to bread knife
Taste: Eggs! I'd like a little more depth to the flavor. Add an extra tsp of honey next time?