Black Licorice and Amaro Bat Jellies

Black Licorice and Amaro Jellies
yields 16 1 oz squares

While yes, one can raid your kid’s treat bag and gorge yourself on low excellent store candy (is it me, or do brands tend to crank out sub-par variations of their candy to stuff into those 10 lb mix bags this time of year?) . But as an adult you should do yourself a favor and make yourself something particular; at least for a night.

If you’ve been visiting this site for a while, you know I L-O-V-E making adult jellies (or jell-o shots or what-have-you). On making a sophisticated treat with this 28, you can forget everything you knew and rather congratulate yourself. And just for balance, I’m going to cut mine out in bat contours for Halloween–I do not wish to be that serious. (You can just as easily place them in a spherical mold or pour your mixture in a non-stick skillet and cut squares out also.)

Option #2–quick infusion method: Into a whipping canister, add Everclear and black licorice. Screw on the top and charge with a single charger of N2O. Discard charger and allow the mixture. Release pressure, open the top and pressure Everclear into a clean vessel for storage. Use mixture immediately or keep sealed in a cool, dark place for up to six months for taste.
The older I get, the more I wish to make my own set of holiday customs. While Thanksgiving and Christmas are inclined to be where one’s mind goes to when we believe “holiday traditions”, in our house, Halloween is a big deal.
The end result are spicy and jellies with a boozy kick. So that you get that flavor from the black licorice, look for an amaro on the more mellow side.

This post was created in partnership with Everclear. Ideas and recipe are my own.

Licorice Infusion (2 options)

Another enjoyable part of the recipe is that you get to go out and buy a bag of candy for the infusion. My Scandinavian side of the family dictates that I must enjoy black licorice but on the rare occasions that I do have a bag of it at the house, I am the only person who touches it and I almost always have too much left over. Any extras which are left handed this time, enter the infusion of today!

Let us make some treats!

Today we have teamed up with Everclear again to make this easy and sophisticated adult treat. I am using the neutral tasting Everclear as the base of my licorice infusion, and then adding this to a simple mixture of amaro and gelatin (and a few shimmering edible powder for additional oomph). You can make this recipe your own by using whatever amaro you like, and you can take or leave the luster dust (I say take it though).
Option #1: Place licorice in an airtight container and pour Everclear over. Seal, shake to combine and let sit. Shake gently once a day. Test your infusion after 5 days and either strain through a coffee filter or let sit an additional day or 2 until desired flavor. Strain into a clean container once desired flavor is reached. Store in a cool, dark place.
2 packs gelatine
8 oz boiling water
2 ounces Licorice Infusion
black food coloring, optional
1/4 teaspoon coral luster dust, optional

• Line an 8×8 baking pan with plastic wrap. Set aside.
• In a 4 cup capacity measuring glass, pour in amaro and sprinkle gelatine over the top. Let sit 5 minutes.
• Next, pour boiling water over the mixture (it ought to have firmed up a little), stirring constantly to combine.
• Stir in Licorice Infusion and food coloring and/or luster dust if using.
• Pour into the lined 8×8 skillet (or, alternatively, molds of your choice). Refrigerate.
• When mixture has firmed, cut into desired shape and serve immediately.

Source: Cocktail Making