Seasonal Recipe Spotlight: Limoncello

Limoncello is an absolutely refreshing liqueur associated with Southern Italy, especially the Amalfi coast. The sunny color, bright lemon flavor, and warm glow make it the perfect summer drink, on its own or cut with some soda water. In Italy it's often offered as an after-dinner digestivo.

It's easy to make limoncello - just cover lemon peels with 100 proof alcohol for a few weeks, then add simple syrup to dilute and let sit for another week or two. This eGullet thread answers some question and gives a recipe and tips for making it on your own.

Whether you make it yourself or purchase it, limoncello is good for more than drinking. Its intense lemon flavor is wonderful in baking and summer cooking - here's a few recipes we'd like to try...

Nick Malgieri always has splendid recipes. Try his yeasted cake with limoncello syrup: Limoncello Baba. The liqueur lends itself very well to frozen desserts, too - try this Raspberry Limoncello Semifreddo - it looks beautiful! This moist Torta di Limoncello looks amazing, too, and we're dying to try this ricotta pudding with limoncello.

Not all limoncello recipes are sweet, though - try Limoncello Chicken and this Shrimp Scampi Limoncello.

If you decide to just drink your limoncello, remember it is always served icy cold. Try this Limoncello Collins.

Comments (6)

Sound amazing! I think I'll make a batch for Christmas gifts....always worth thinking ahead.

posted by Michelle of Montreal on July 27th 2007 at 7:15am
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Warning to Michelle: I made these as gifts and the limoncello was so delicious, I ended up keeping it all for myself. No one was the wiser.. :)

posted by AndreaLynn on July 27th 2007 at 8:16am
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Avril Lavigne was just on Carson Daly last night signing praise about this stuff. Weird.

posted by Lisa from VA/lsaspacey on July 27th 2007 at 9:30am
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AndreaLynn,
I was thinking the same thing myself....I think two batches are in order....

posted by Michelle of Montreal on July 28th 2007 at 8:09am
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I made this for Christmas presents last year and the liquor store didn't have the alcohol we were looking for, so we used grain alcohol. Though we drank it, I wouldn't recommend making it with the grain alcohol. Heh heh.

posted by brittanykate on July 29th 2007 at 10:36am
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I just think of that time Danny DeVito was still plastered on the stuff when he appeared on "The View" after an all night binge with George Clooney!

posted by One Eyed Daruma on July 31st 2007 at 7:05am
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