What can I do with this angelica schnapps?

December 12, 2008 5:45 AM

My parents brought a bottle of Brennivin Hvannarotar angelica schnapps back from Iceland awhile ago. Nobody seems to enjoy drinking it, but my wife is determined to use it in some Christmas baking. Any suggestions on how best to use it?
posted by maurice to food & drink (7 comments total)

Fruitcake.
posted by dragonsi55 at 6:07 AM on December 12, 2008

use it to flame the christmas pudding, but don't let it soak in too much. Angelica schnapps has a regrettable flavour.
posted by scruss at 6:42 AM on December 12, 2008

Dump the liquor and use the empty bottle to roll out sugar cookies. No one seems to be on the fence regarding the taste of absinthe/licorice. Folks either seem to love it (as I) or hate it.
posted by jquinby at 6:46 AM on December 12, 2008

If nobody enjoys drinking it, why would they enjoy the "flavor" in a baked good? I believe the traditional preparation is to serve ice cold and toss directly from a shot glass to the back of the throat (in order to avoid any chance of actually tasting the stuff).

I guess you could try to make pie crust: "The alcohol doesn't promote gluten formation, so it helps the crust stay much flakier and more tender - a foolproof help to those of us who tend to overwork our pie dough." The linked recipe calls for vodka, but I don't see why the schnapps wouldn't work the same way.
posted by Otis at 7:57 AM on December 12, 2008

I'm an American in a Nordic country right now, and biy, they do love their licorice flavored snaps, don't they? In Sweden, they just do shots as part of a toast - is this how they drink them in Iceland? I know it tastes bad, but why not treat it as a cultural event and just have everyone do shots of it? At this point all the snaps really has going for it is that it's alcoholic, right? Why not gather some friends and toast Iceland/Christmas/the power of alcohol no matter how disgustingly it is flavored. Follow with a good chaser and more palatable booze
posted by folara at 8:51 AM on December 12, 2008

Anise is a nice additional flavoring to many Italian foods - I usually slip a little into spagetti sauce.

Also, consider substituting it for anise extract in the following recipe:
Springerle Cookies
4 large eggs
3 cups flour
4 1/4 cups powdered sugar (1 pound)
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2-1 teaspoon anise extract
anise seed
1.In large mixer bowl, beat eggs at high speed until thick & lemon colored.
2.Continue beating while adding sugar slowly; add flour, baking powder, lemon peel & anise extract- beat together completely.
3.On a well-floured board, roll out some of the dough with a plain rolling pin to about 1/2" thickness; lightly flour Springerle rolling pin & roll it firmly across dough to impress patterns (try to keep dough about 1/2" thick). (Note that you can simply cut them into bars without the pretty pattern on top)
4.Cut cookies apart between patterns.
5.Place cookies 1/2" apart on ungreased cookie sheets, and allow them to dry uncovered overnight (12 hours).
6.When ready to bake, preheat oven to 250-300° & place cookies 1/2" apart on lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake 25-30 minutes until firm but still white.
7.Remove to wire racks to cool.
8.Store cookies in a tightly covered container with some anise seeds.
9.Flavor develops fully after about 2 weeks.
posted by mightshould at 10:53 AM on December 12, 2008

Seriously,

Doing anything else with schnaps other than drinking does constitute alcohol-abuse in my book.

Please try this first: Put it in the freezer over night. You want the schaps to be ice-cold. Put some small shot-tumblers in as well.

Take one orange and one lemon, cut in cloves. Serve the ice-cold schnaps in the ice-cold glasses, down the hatch - and those who don't like the taste can take a bite of orange or lemon. It's a real nice break of flavours (well, at least to me it is).

Make it a test of manly- and womanhood.

Cheers.
posted by Rabarberofficer at 10:58 AM on December 12, 2008