Brixton Recipes: Azorean Milk Liqueur

Sometimes things in life call for alcohol. And since it’s Christmas and my last column for the Brixton Blog and Bugle, this seems like one of those moments that needs toasting with a tipple.

Cream based liqueurs are very popular around the festive season but I find them a little sickly with food so this lighter version from the Azores that infuses vodka with chocolate, milk and citrus to produce attracted me for the flavours and the eye-catching name.

Vaguely exotic sounding as o xixi do menino Jesus, it actually translates as the pee of Baby Jesus and when you look at the colour of your creation in the bottle you can see how it got the name. You don’t get that kind of talking point with a bottle of Baileys do you?

Unlike most infused drinks for Christmas it doesn’t require any specialist ingredients, only takes two weeks to make and with a name like that will be a drink to remember so cheers!

Azorean Milk Liqueur or Baby Jesus Pee (makes 750ml)

• 500ml vodka
• 500ml full fat milk (I used Jersey milk from Sainsbury’s)
• 1 lemon, juiced and zested
• 25g milk chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 vanilla pod
• 150g sugar

This is very easy to make. You’ll need a jar or bottle big to hold all the contents and be secure enough to shake it in. I used a glass Kilner jar but you could split the recipe in half and use two well washed milk containers if you don’t have one big enough.

Simply put the chocolate, sugar and vanilla in your jar along with the lemon zest and add the vodka. Stir to dissolve the sugar a bit and then pour the milk over it all. Leave for a minute or so and then add the lemon juice.

The mixture will start to curdle almost immediately and while it looks decidedly unappealing that’s the whole point in that the curdling allows the milk to infuse the alcohol. Seal your container well and allow the mixture to mature for two weeks, agitating the jar every day or so to encourage it all.

It will look frankly revolting at this stage but bear with me. After two weeks, place a sieve in a large bowl and line with a clean piece of muslin or a J-cloth and strain the whole mix through it. The milk curds will stay in the cloth and you’ll be left with a clear yellow liquid.

Keep the milk and chocolate mix. I beat mine with some cream cheese, two egg yolks and two beaten eggs whites, poured in ramekins and baked it for 30 minutes in a water bath in the oven at 160C to make a beautiful boozy rich cheesecake-esque dessert.

Using a second clean cloth, strain the liquid a second time to make sure it is completely free of any milk solids so that it lasts better. Taste it and add up 100g more sugar if needed bearing in mind this will make the alcohol slightly cloudy.

Serve neat in small glasses. It makes a good alternative to dessert wines after a meal but I loved the sweet creaminess with a salty snack such as cured meat or olives which stops the Baby Jesus pee getting you too pissed over the festive period.