Homemade Framboise Food

FRAMBOISE

Steps:

• Pick over raspberries and discard any soft ones. Place berries in a clean 4-quart glass jar. Add the vodka, cover with a lid, and let steep for about 2 months in a cool, dark place. Stir every few weeks.
• Line a large strainer with a triple layer of dampened cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Strain the mixture through it. Bring the corners of the cheesecloth together to make a bag. Twist the ends and squeeze to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the pulp.
• Wash the jar and return the liquid to it. Let stand for about 2 hours. If there is sediment at the bottom of the jar, pour off all the clear liquid into a clean container and filter the remaining cloudy liquid through a coffee filter, changing the filter occasionally to speed up the filtering process.
• Combine the sugar and the water in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil, stirring, for 2 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• Add about 1 3/4 cups of the sugar syrup to the liqueur and taste. If necessary, add more, about a 1/4 cup at a time, until you arrive at a satisfactory sweetness. The amount of sugar syrup will depend on your taste buds and the sweetness of the raspberries. I like it less sweet, so this step is important to me.
• Pour the liqueur into clean, dry bottles, and cork them.
• Drink within a year before the color and flavor fade. Best stored in a cool, dark place.
• (I like to wax my bottles. Get a clean tin can and put in a small pan of boiling water, then add about 1/4 block of household paraffin wax. Turn off the heat. Add a colored crayon or two, broken into pieces, and stir with a plastic spoon or a popsicle stick, until everything is melted. Place everything on several thicknesses of newspaper. Check the color of your wax on the newspaper, add more crayons if needed to get the color you want.
• Immerse the top of the firmly corked bottle so that the wax covers the first 2 inches, remove it and allow to cool for a few seconds, then dip it several more times, always allowing it to cool between coatings, until you can no longer see the cork through the wax. Let wax set until firm. (Sometimes I sprinkle glitter into the outside layers of the wax, it adds an even more festive touch!). Then add a homemade label, ribbons, rafia, whatever!

HOMEMADE FRAMBOISE

Steps:

• Place raspberry concentrate, vodka, sugar and orange juice in a clean jar with a tight fitting lid.
• Seal tightly and shake jar until sugar is blended.
• Let stand at room temperature for a least 2 weeks for flavors to blend.
• Shake jar occasionally.

CHOCOLATE FRAMBOISE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F/175 degrees C and bring a full kettle to the boil for a bain-marie.
• Make the framboise: Put the chocolate, raspberry puree and sugar in a bain-marie and heat to melt, then bring to a boil to thicken. Whisk in the butter, a piece at a time, until smooth. Remove from the heat and beat in the eggs, one at a time. Strain into a tinfoil lined 4 cup/1 litre charlotte mold or metal bowl.
• Set the mold or bowl in a casserole that will accommodate it, pour the water halfway up the sides of the mold, and bake until the mixture has risen and set, about 45 minutes. Remove from the casserole dish and let cool. It will shrink. Cover and chill overnight.
• Turn the framboise out onto a serving plate. Spread with a thin layer of whipped cream and then cover with fresh raspberries, starting at the base and rising up over until the cake is completely covered.

FRAMBOISE FIZZ

Steps:

• Combine tequila, creme de cacao, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker. Add ice, cover and shake until chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Pour framboise on top.
• Garnish with 3 raspberries on a toothpick.

CHOCOLATE FRAMBOISE PARFAITS

Steps:

• Layer each of 6 parfait glasses with 1 teaspoon raspberry liqueur, 2-1/2 tablespoons ice cream, 4 or 5 raspberries and 2 tablespoons chocolate wafer crumbs. Repeat layers twice. Freeze. To serve, top with whipped cream and remaining raspberries.

CHAMPAGNE FRAMBOISE

Steps:

• Fill 8 champagne flutes with ice cubes. Pour 1 1/2 tablespoons framboise into each flute. Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice to each. Fill flutes with champagne. Garnish with raspberries and serve.

PARFAIT AUX FRAMBOISE

Steps:

• For Dessert:
• Half fill medium saucepan with water and bring to boil. Whisk sugar, yolks and 1/4 cup cream in small metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of boiling water and whisk until candy thermometer registers 160°F, scraping down sides of bowl with rubber spatula, about 4 minutes. Remove from over water. Pour yolk mixture into large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until cool and thick, about 4 minutes. Beat in vanilla and brandy.
• Beat 1 1/2 cups cream with sour cream to stiff peaks in medium bowl. Fold cream into yolk mixture in 2 batches. Gently fold in half of cookie crumbs. Pour mixture into 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2-inch-high sides. Sprinkle with remaining crumbs. Freeze overnight.
• Release sides of springform pan. Garnish dessert with fresh raspberries if desired. Slice into wedges and serve with raspberry sauce.
• For Raspberry Sauce:
• Puree raspberries and syrup in blender or processor until smooth. Strain to remove seeds. (Can be prepared 1 week ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Makes about 1 cup.