Cordials from Your Kitchen: Easy, Elegant Liqueurs You Can Make & Give

by Rich Gulling, Pattie Vargas

Create your own delicious liqueurs. Pattie Vargas and Richard Gulling provide recipes for over 100 home-crafted cordials to suit every occasion, from cinnamon coffee liqueur to spiced blackberry brandy, and pineapple rum to black walnut liqueur. The simple instructions and insightful tips will have even beginners filling bottles with after-dinner joy. Learn to use your flavored liqueurs to spice up main dishes or add an extra pop of flavor to timeless desserts, and be sure to invite some friends over to enjoy a few sips.  

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Brewing

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 9, 1997

Reviews

[Melody · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nicely packaged resource. I'm a little taken aback by how many recipes are of the quick and dirty variety- meaning they substitute extracts for actual fruit. That doesn't seem to me to be what the target audience for this particular recipe book would want- I think cordial makers are more likely to be purists, persons motivated by wanting to give a heartfelt, homemade gift. Some of the recipes are intriguing enough that it went on my cookbook shelf for next summer's fruit harvest.

[Frida Dillenbeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve made nearly every cordial in this book, gifted them to my Supper Club group as Christmas, Valentine’s and house warming gifts. My brother gifted me this book for Christmas 2019 and I became addicted. The recipes are easy to modify for whatever you have available whether fresh harvested fruit, herbs or purchased herbs. With gifting these treats, I recycle every usable jar & bottle, wash is really well and attach labels for a fun inventory prepped for gifting needs.

I did not make any cordials with corn syrup but modified many recipes to use honey, pure cane sugar or brown sugar. This inspired me to make my own vanilla extract from purchased vanilla beans and vodka. This too was gifted to family for Christmas gifts.

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yum! This is the season I begin to make all the fall and winter goodies! I process all the veggies and fruits, then I begin my cordials! This book had plenty I wasn't familiar with, but am eager to try! I have herbs I can use to make some herbed cordials; I wasn't even aware of herb cordials. And pear! I can't wait to try the pear. I recommend this book to anyone who who would like to try their hand at making liqueurs. It's really not that hard and when winter arrives, you'll be glad you made them.

[Sheila Shultz]

Good information

[McLean · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a huge disappointment. If someone is going to go to the trouble of making liqueurs at home, chances are they're looking for something that isn't made with corn syrup and artificial flavourings, which is how at least half of the recipes in this book are made. The remaining recipes are, by and large, obvious enough that you don't really need a recipe - want to make blackberry liqueur? infuse blackberries in alcohol, then add sugar syrup. That's about as insightful as this book gets.

[frogfairie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars
True, I didn't read *every* word in the book but I did skim through enough to realize that I think I need to buy this one. There are so many recipes, quite a few with "Quck & Easy" versions alongside the already fairly uncomplicated versions. This is going to be a fun book to work my way through project-wise.

[Literary Lion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great recipes, easy instructions, common-sense tips...and did I mention great recipes? This is the beginner's cordialing book for which I've been looking.

[fyc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super book for making your own cordials. Some really interesting recipes that I'd like to try.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good starter book for making Cordials.

[Fran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super book for making your own cordials. Some really interesting recipes that I'd like to try.