Liquers- Part III- Galliano

Galliano is an Italian "sweet herbal" liquor- it tastes of anise, with a hint of vanilla. It's been around for ages- since 1896. It's used as a digestif, and also in a number of cocktails. It comes in a fancy schmancy bottle and it's ridiculously expensive.

(The bottle of Galliano I made appears in the top left of the above picture- I used to have an original bottle for it, but sadly do not anymore)

To be perfectly honest, every drink recipe I've ever read that uses Galliano sounds dreadful. I like anise just fine, but it doesn't really top my list for mixing into drinks. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Pastis, and I think that Ouzo is a blast (OPAH!), but if I'm going to have a mixed drink, I'm just not going to go for anise flavor. However, I must ALWAYS have some Galliano on hand for one simple reason- the Harvey Wallbanger cake- this is one of the most delicious cakes I've ever had, and one of my all-time favorites.

Galliano
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon anise extract (pure extracts always taste best- regardless of whether anise, vanilla, almond, etc.- so I suggest you buy the pure stuff)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 drops yellow food color
1 fifth vodka (26 ounces)
Combine sugar and water, and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour or until thickened. Remove from heat and cool. Add anise, vanilla and food coloring to syrup, pour into sterilized quart jars, add vodka and stir gently. Cover and let sit for 10 days-2 weeks before serving. Yield 32 ounces.

Harvey Wallbanger Cake
1 box orange cake mix (about 181/2 oz)
1 box (3 3/4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
5 oz liquore Galliano
2 oz vodka (I honestly omit this - don't see any point in including it)
5 oz orange juice
1 cup confectioners sugar
Combine cake mix and pudding in a large bowl. Blend in eggs, oil, 4oz Galliano, 1 oz vodka, and 4 oz orange juice. Mix batter until smooth and thick. Pour into a greased and floured 10' bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then remove and place on rack. Have glaze ready to spoon on while cake is still warm.
Glaze: combine confectioners sugar, remaining Galliano, vodka and orange juice (I omit the vodka here too), blend until very smooth.
*the recipe says you may also bake this in 2 greased and floured 9" cake pans- bake at 350 for 30 minutes. I have no idea how you'd frost it....perhaps some cream cheese commercially produced icing, with the orange juice and galliano mixed in would be good

Seriously, the cake is FANTASTIC and I highly recommend it! It is worth every second of the hour it takes to boil the sugar syrup to make the Galliano.

Well, now I've managed to set a terrible precedent for myself- to not only list the recipe for a given liquor, but to also include a recipe for something to make with said liquor. This is terrible! What have I done!? Now I'll have to find a recipe to include with all of my future liquor posts...guess I'd better get to researching some recipes!