Anyone who has caught the scent of fresh roasted almonds at a Christmas market knows why that aroma is so captivating. The Thermomix® captures exactly that in a bottle: brown sugar caramelises together with the almonds at Varoma temperature, and the rum goes in right at the end. This liqueur is ready in 35 minutes of active cooking time.
What happens in the mixing bowl here is not ordinary warming. 150 g of brown sugar is first pulverised at speed 10, then the sugar and almonds caramelise together for 16 minutes at Varoma on reverse direction speed 1. This Varoma caramelisation is the reason the liqueur tastes so intensely of burnt almonds rather than like an ordinary almond liqueur from the supermarket.
Burnt Almond Liqueur with the Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 6 ✓
- 150 g brown sugar
- 150 g almonds
- 400 g almond milk
- 400 g double cream
- 1 tbsp vanilla paste
- 250 g dark rum
Instructions 0 / 7
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1
Pulverise the sugar.
Add the sugar to the mixing bowl and pulverise for 10 sec / speed 10.
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2
Heat the almonds.
Add the almonds and heat for 6 min / Varoma / reverse direction / speed 1.
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3
Chop the almonds.
Add 20 g of almond milk, heat for a further 10 min / Varoma / reverse direction / speed 1, then chop for 8 sec / speed 8.
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4
Simmer the ingredients.
Add the remaining almond milk, double cream and vanilla paste to the mixing bowl and simmer for 15 min / 80°C / speed 2, then leave to cool to 60°C.
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5
Add the alcohol.
Add the rum, blend for 10 sec / speed 10, set aside and leave to infuse for several hours.
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6
Bottle the liqueur.
Strain the liqueur through a fine sieve into sterilised bottles and store in the fridge.
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7
Serve.
Shake well before serving.
Tip: Press the almonds out well, blend them with a little almond milk and banana for a lovely smoothie.
Video
Nutrition per serving
What makes this liqueur special
Caramelising in the mixing bowl really works. Many people doubt whether you can truly caramelise sugar and nuts in the Thermomix®. The answer is yes, when Varoma temperature and reverse direction combine. The sugar does not melt in a crystalline way; instead it bonds with the almond surfaces to form a thin caramel film. That is precisely what gives the liqueur its typical burnt almond aroma rather than plain sweetness.
20 g of almond milk as a dissolving trick. In the third step, only 20 g of almond milk goes into the mixing bowl, not the full 400 g at once. This small splash loosens the caramel residue from the base and allows it to distribute through the liquid before the remaining almond milk and cream follow. We tried adding everything at once: the caramel disappeared and the liqueur tasted flat.
The rum goes in last, at 60°C. The cream and almond milk simmer for 15 minutes at 80°C / speed 2, then the mixture must cool to 60°C before the 250 g of rum is added. Adding the rum when the mixture is too hot causes aromatic compounds to evaporate. The wait is worth it.
Where things can go wrong
The liqueur separates. This happens because the liqueur contains almond particles that settle after a few hours in the fridge. The solution is to shake well before serving. This is not a fault; it is the nature of a homemade cream liqueur without emulsifiers.
The liqueur tastes too mild. This is usually because the almonds were not caramelised at Varoma long enough, or because the brown sugar was replaced with white sugar. Brown sugar contains molasses, which adds more depth to the caramelisation process. Using white sugar gives a sweet almond liqueur but not that Christmas market aroma.
The liqueur looks cloudy after straining. Straining finely after cooling is essential. We recommend a coffee filter or a very fine metal sieve. Kitchen paper works in a pinch but requires patience. Skipping the straining gives you a pulpy texture instead of a velvety liqueur.
With sea salt, cocoa or a whisky note
Toast the almonds dry beforehand. Toasting the almonds in a dry frying pan for 5 minutes until golden before they go into the mixing bowl intensifies the roasted aroma further. This is not a required step, but a rewarding one.
Sea salt caramel variation. Pulverise a pinch of sea salt (about 2 g) together with the sugar. The salt lifts the sweetness and gives the liqueur a salted caramel note that pairs well with desserts.
Coconut milk instead of almond milk. Using coconut milk (400 g) instead of almond milk produces a creamier, lightly tropical almond liqueur. The caramel almond base stays the same; the finish changes.
As a gift. This recipe yields two 500 ml bottles. Poured into pretty liqueur bottles and tied with cotton twine, it makes a gift that stands apart from anything shop-bought. Keeps in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.
More liqueurs for a gift set
If you enjoy baking and cooking with almonds, we recommend our Marzipan with the Thermomix®. The main ingredient is the same; the Thermomix® grinds the almonds directly into a smooth paste. For a second cream liqueur from the Christmas kitchen, our Thermomix® Advocaat is also worth a look: made with the 70°C method, it turns out particularly creamy.
Store in the fridge, use within 4 weeks
Store the bottled almond liqueur in the fridge, as it contains cream. It keeps for up to 4 weeks. Freezing does not work well; the cream separates when thawed. Shake well before each use.
Goes well with: Vanilla ice cream, waffles and chocolate mousse.
