Creamy chocolate liqueur - a treat for sweet ladies

Dislike alcoholic drinks that taste bitter or sour? Then liqueurs are for you, with their pleasant sweetness and flavours that we usually associate with desserts: fruity, chocolate, nutty, vanilla. Women in particular love delicate liqueurs that do not have a high alcohol content and therefore softly caress the throat and make the taste buds crave sweetness. They are indulged in on special occasions, especially in winter, for example around New Year''s Eve or Valentine''s Day. But they are not always alone: the creamy chocolate liqueur in particular offers sumptuous combinations suitable for ladies who love luxury in both appearance and taste.

How can we serve chocolate liqueur to everyone?

For some, chocolate liqueur is a drink, for others a dessert. Who is right? Both! Chocolate liqueur can be served in a glass with just an ice cube to dilute the liqueur and make it easier to drink, or it can be upgraded and adapted. Because you never run out of good ideas, we''ve gathered some of the simplest ones for you to surprise your friends with.

1. Prepare the brandy glasses and pour a finger or two of chocolate liqueur into them. Whip the whipped sweet cream on top and add flavouring to taste. You can stick to the classic vanilla and almond, or go for fruit flavours such as orange, cherry, strawberry, etc. Top the cream with a piece of chocolate, depending on the flavouring, or add a piece of fruit you''ve already used for the flavouring.

2. Is chocolate liqueur too sweet for you? Then make a cocktail. Stir some liqueur into the martini, pour into martini glasses and add some chocolate topping if you like.

3. You can also use chocolate liqueur instead of chocolate sauce with ice cream or a cuppa. Slice a banana into tall fruit pile glasses, add vanilla or walnut ice cream, top with some liqueur, add chocolate sponge cake pieces or chocolate biscuits, top with sweet cream and sprinkle with ground nuts. This dessert will satisfy even the biggest chocolate lovers.

4. Would you like to use the chocolate liqueur in baking or making homemade chocolate balls and pralines? Add it to chocolate creams (such as mousse), or to melted chocolate and let it set.

5. You can also make special hot chocolate with chocolate liqueur. Add it only after you have cooked it, so that the alcohol does not boil off. Pour it into a cup and top it with a few more sugar froths.

6. Who says chocolate liqueur is just a winter drink? It''s good in summer too, but usually diluted to freshen it up a bit. Top it with crushed ice and add a drinking straw, and it''s also great for summer evenings on the terrace. It''s great in iced coffee too!

7. Remember that unusual cocktail that was popular in the 1980s? A Coke with chocolate liqueur seems like an unlikely combination today, but it''s worth a try. Pour the Coke into the glass first, then add a little chocolate liqueur and stir gently to avoid too much foam.

8. Chocolate liqueur goes well with coffee-flavoured liqueurs such as Kahlua and Tia Maria, as well as with caramel and kikiriki butter. This also allows you to create a wide variety of combinations for drinks, biscuits, stacks and cookies. Why not come up with the perfect sweet treat yourself?

Chocolate liqueur has always been the alcohol of choice for ladies'' company

Did you think chocolate liqueur was something our mothers and grandmothers invented? Beverages combining chocolate and alcohol were known as far back as the 16th century, when both liqueur and chocolate wine were made and used to sweeten the drinks of ladies in high society who had access to chocolate. Men drank strong whisky or cognac after the meal, while ladies were served a mild liqueur with chocolate, which they could easily maintain their dignity after a glass. The liqueurs were made in the home kitchen, where cocoa was boiled with vodka and sugar syrup, and later starch was added for a thicker version. And today''s recipes are not much different, except that we use pudding instead of starch and plain sugar instead of sugar syrup.
What about commercially made liqueurs? The more expensive ones use high quality chocolate, more flavourful whisky can be used as an alcohol, and additives are common to give an extra flavour, such as marzipan.

>> Recipe for homemade chocolate liqueur <<