a bottle of homemade Kahlua would be nice -
* Exported from MasterCook *
KAHLUA
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
1 cup white sugar
2 cups water
1/2 cup Instant Yuban coffee (I've also used Medaglia D'Oro Instant Espresso with great results)
3 cups Vodka
1/2 Vanilla bean -- split lengthwise
In a large sauce pan, stir together the sugars and the water; bring to a boil & boil for 5 min.
Take off stove & stir in the instant coffee.
While the sugar mixture is boiling, pour the vodka in a large container & add the split vanilla bean.
Pour sugar mixture into the vodka & quickly cover with lid. Try to wait at least one week.
Yield:
"5 cups"
NOTES : Kahlua is best made a couple of weeks ahead of time -- but, people have been known to cool it off with ice cubes!!
and if the gift receiver has a sense of humor, you might add this drink idea for the Kahlua -
* Exported from MasterCook *
Smith & Wesson
Serving Size : 1
1/2 ounce Kahlúa
1/2 ounce Vodka
Cola
Cream
In a cocktail glass combine kahlua and vodka and serve. Top off with cola and cream.
NOTES : Best kind of glass for this drink: Cocktail.
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This was published in the Baltimore paper a couple years ago and it's wonderful!!
* Exported from MasterCook *
Glazed Chocolate Pumpkin Loaf
3 1/3 cups flour
3 cups granulated sugar
2 tsps. baking soda
1 tsp. each: cinnamon -- nutmeg
4 eggs -- lightly beaten
2 cups canned pure pumpkin
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup chopped nuts
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate -- melted
Glaze:
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar -- sifted
4 Tbsps. cold water -- (4 to 6)
1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate -- melted
2 tsps. hot water -- (2 to 4)
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl; set aside. Whisk together eggs, pumpkin, oil and water in a medium bowl. Stir into the flour mixture; mix just until blended. Fold in the nuts.
2. Transfer 2 cups of the batter to a small bowl, stir in the melted chocolate. Spoon half of the remaining plain batter into the two greased and floured 9-by-5-inch loaf pans; spoon half the chocolate batter over the top of each pan. Spoon remaining plain batter evenly over the chocolate batter in each pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and dry, about 1 hour, 10 minutes. Cool in pans on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan to cool completely on wire rack.
3. For glaze, mix confectioners' sugar and cold water in a small bowl until the right drizzling consistency. Transfer half of the mixture to a separate bowl. Stir in chocolate and enough of the hot water to make the right consistency for drizzling. Drizzle white and chocolate glazes in a zigzag pattern on each loaf.