How To Make Homemade Cherry Bakewell Liqueur

I absolutely cherry bakewells. They're sort of half cake, half tart and go exceptionally well with a cup of tea. I was looking for a new liqueur recipe to make as, though I already had some rhubarb and orange gin and some sunshine fruit liqueur in the cupboard, I wanted to make something a little smoother and sweeter with rich red berry flavours. 

This cherry bakewell liqueur recipe is one of my simplest liqueur recipes and is a satisfyingly boozy take on the real thing. 

Ingredients:

350g frozen/fresh cherries

700ml amaretto 

250g sugar

Equipment:

1 Litre jar/flask with tight-fitting lid
Long handled spoon for stirring

Plastic sieve/muslin, pegs and bowl/jelly bag kit for straining

A funnel will also be useful

How To Make It

1. Put the cherries, sugar and the amaretto in a big jar or flask with a tight fitting lid. I use the 1 litre preserving jar from Kilner but any large jar with a wide neck will do.

Seal your jar tightly and store in a dry, dark place for 6 weeks. I pop mine under the stairs but an airing cupboard or kitchen cupboard would do just as nicely.

Every so often, when you remember, check your jar and give it a gentle shake to encourage the sugar to dissolve.

2. After the 6 weeks, all of the sugar should have dissolved and the cherries will probably have lost their colour and turned brown. Don't worry about this as it just means their flavour has been drawn out into the surrounding liquid (which is where we want it!).

3. Now take the jar and strain the contents. I strain out the larger bits through a plastic sieve first. Then you can either peg your muslin over a large bowl and gently press the mixture through it or you could invest in a special stand or jelly bag set. Jelly bags are finer than muslins and, as the name suggests, are usually used for straining jams and jellies. 

When straining through a muslin, do it little by little as this reduces the chance of everything collapsing into the bowl and you having to start again!

4. When you've finished straining, pour your finished liqueur into a bottle through a funnel and store until you're thirsty.