40 ice candy sweets, 600 g vodka, 100 g Blue Curaçao and 20 minutes in the Thermomix®. The result is a deep-blue liqueur that tastes of ice candy and works best served ice-cold straight from the freezer. We crush the sweets at speed 10, melt them at 80°C and stir in the vodka. Two bottles, ready to give as gifts or drink yourself.
Ice Candy Liqueur with the Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 4 ✓
- 40 ice candy sweets
- 100 g water
- 100 g Blue Curaçao
- 600 g vodka
Instructions 0 / 5
-
1
Crush the ice candy sweets.
Ice candy sweets: place in the mixing bowl and chop for 15 sec / speed 10.
-
2
Heat.
Add water and Blue Curaçao and heat for 6 min / 80°C / speed 1.
-
3
Add the alcohol.
Add vodka and mix for 10 sec / speed 4.
-
4
Bottle.
Pour into bottles that have been sterilised with boiling water and leave to cool.
-
5
Chill.
Store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Video
Nutrition per serving
Why we crush the sweets instead of just melting them
Whole sweets take over 15 minutes to melt at 80°C. Crushed sweets dissolve completely in 6 minutes. We place the 40 ice candy sweets in the mixing bowl and crush them for 15 seconds at speed 10. This produces fine sweet granules that combine quickly with the 100 g water and 100 g Blue Curaçao.
The 80°C is a deliberate choice: hot enough to melt the sweets completely, but not so hot that the flavours evaporate. Anyone who goes to 100°C or higher will lose the typical ice candy taste, because the essential oils (menthol and eucalyptus) volatilise at high temperatures.
Blue Curaçao gives the colour, not the sweets
Ice candy sweets are clear to white. The deep-blue colour comes entirely from the Blue Curaçao. Without the 100 g of Blue Curaçao the liqueur will be clear rather than blue. For a lighter colour, reduce to 50 g. For something vivid, use 150 g. The taste barely changes, only the colour.
Blue Curaçao itself contains around 20% ABV and brings a slight orange note. This blends well with the menthol of the ice candy sweets. That is why this recipe does not simply work with blue food colouring: without the Curaçao, the flavour bridge is missing.
Vodka only after cooling
The 600 g of vodka only goes into the mixing bowl once the sweet mixture has cooled to below 40°C. At 80°C some of the alcohol would evaporate and the liqueur would become weaker. We leave the mixture to stand open for 5 to 10 minutes after cooking, then add the vodka and stir for 10 seconds at speed 4.
Vodka is the best base because it is flavour-neutral and does not overpower the ice candy taste. Grain spirit works just as well (use 400 g grain spirit instead of 600 g vodka, as in the Cookidoo recipe). Rum or whisky do not work flavour-wise, as their own aromas clash with the menthol.
Bottle, chill, serve
Pour the finished liqueur into sterilised bottles and store in the fridge. It keeps for at least two weeks, and often considerably longer thanks to the high alcohol content. It tastes best ice-cold, straight from the freezer. At this alcohol content the liqueur does not freeze solid, but it does become thicker and pleasantly syrupy.
For parties: pour the liqueur into small shot glasses and serve as an aperitif. The blue colour shows up particularly well in clear glasses. For gifts, bottle in small bottles with a label.
Other sweets, less alcohol: how to adapt the recipe
Raspberry sweets instead of ice candy sweets: Same quantity (40 pieces), same method. The liqueur turns pink rather than blue (leave out the Blue Curaçao and use a plain orange liqueur instead, or omit it entirely). Tastes fruitier and less cool.
Less alcohol: Reduce the 600 g vodka to 400 g and add 200 g more water instead. The liqueur will be milder but keeps for a shorter time (one week in the fridge at most).
With edible glitter: After mixing, stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons of edible glitter powder (10 seconds at speed 2). The liqueur then shimmers as it moves in the bottle. Particularly popular as a gift.
More liqueur recipes with the Thermomix®: Unicorn Liqueur, Cherry Liqueur, Advocaat or Pink Lady Liqueur.
Can I use other sweets?
Yes. Raspberry, lemon or forest fruit sweets all work. Same quantity, same method. The colour and taste change depending on the type of sweet. Leave out the Blue Curaçao or replace it with plain orange liqueur, otherwise the colour will look unappealing.
How long does the ice candy liqueur keep?
In sterilised bottles in the fridge, at least two weeks. With a high alcohol content (600 g vodka over the total quantity), four to six weeks is also possible. The taste is most intense in the first few days.
Can you make this recipe without alcohol?
Goes well with: Vanilla ice cream and waffles.
The sweets can be dissolved in water and Blue Curaçao (alcohol-free versions are available) in exactly the same way. Instead of vodka, use 600 g water or lemonade. The result is more of a syrup than a liqueur, but it tastes great as a drink, especially for children at parties.
