LIQUEUR BOTTLES

CHOCOLATE LIQUEUR BOTTLES ALWAYS CAUSE EXCITEMENT WHEN SERVED AFTER DINNER WITH COFFEE.

THE HOMEMADE VARIETIES ARE ALWAYS SO MUCH NICER THAN THOSE BOUGHT IN SHOPS

BEFORE PREPARING YOUR LIQUEUR CASES MAKE YOUR LIQUEUR SYRUP AS FOLLOWS OR USE STRAIGHT COMMERCIALLY PRODUCED LIQUEURS DIRECTLY FROM THE BOTTLE TO FILL YOUR CHOCOLATES

Boil one pound of sugar in one pint of water until syrupy. A little more sugar may be used if you want a thicker syrup

When cool add to one bottle of cane spirit, vodka or brandy.

Shake well and flavour to taste putting each flavour into a small bottle and labeling it clearly.

Essences may be used or finely puréed tinned fruit such as strawberries, apricots or peaches. Add coffee powder for a coffee flavoured liqueur.

Liqueur bottle moulds come in sheets and you must separate them by cutting the sheet into oblongs with a half bottle to each piece

Flavour the chocolate for your cases with either brandy, whisky or rum oil - NOT SPIRIT - only a few drops will be required - about 10 at the most.

If you are making coffee liqueur chocolates you may flavour your chocolate with coffee powder.

Dark chocolate makes a better base as milk chocolate can overpower the flavour of the liqueurs

Shine your bottle moulds very well

Half fill each bottle section with liquid chocolate. Hold firmly and rotate and bang until the mould is well covered and evenly coated. Add more chocolate if necessary and brush chocolate well up the sides of the mould to form a good edge.Bang the moulds on the table.

Sprinkle caster sugar inside the moulds to give a crunchy effect

When the moulded halves are partially set paint a line of chocolate over the edge of the bottle and carefully line up a second half over the first to form a good seal. Pinch the edges well together.

Don't worry if there are a few leaks as these can be tidied up later.

Join the two halves together with paper clips or small bull dog clips. Holding the moulds by the necks turn and shake them to help distribute the chocolate and cause a good seal.

Tap to get rid of any final air bubbles.

Keep pinching edges together to ensure a good seal. Leave at room temperature to set

When set gently remove the bottles from the moulds and decorate with labels, names or flowers if required. Do this with coloured chocolate.

You could use a different colour chocolate, painted onto the bottle as a cap, for each flavour.

Decoration should be done prior to filling the bottles with liqueur

Before you start to fill the bottles check each for leaks and weak spots and repair with liquid chocolate. Give the repairs chance to set before starting to fill

Hold the neck of each bottle with heavy duty silver foil and prick a hole in the bottom of each bottle with a thick needle

Fill your syringe with liqueur and fix the needle.

Insert needle into the hole in the bottle and fill with about 1-2 cc of liqueur.

Seal the hole by wiping off any excess liqueur that may have leaked out of the hole and painting over the hole with a thin brush dipped in liquid chocolate.

It may take several coats to seal the hole.

The bottles may be wrapped in silver paper or left unwrapped

SMALL CHOCOLATE EGGS OR OTHER HOLLOW SHAPES MAY BE FILLED USING THE SAME PRINCIPLES