A Cheery Interlude

...before I further my investigations into the souring of the dough... this evening I indulge in a festive interlude:  the bottling of the Cherry Vodka.  With Cherries poached from friends' bountiful gardens in June I made two batches.  Batch 1: 1/2 lb Cherries (stoned), 300ml Vodka, 2 1/2 tbsp Sugar.  Batch 2: 1/2 Cherries (not stoned), 300ml Vodka, 2 1/2 tbsp Sugar, Vanilla (for lack of Almond) Essence.  (N.B. for those not yet in the know, the best stuff is organic Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Extract - comes at a price and worth every penny.)  Bottle the totality and shake at regular intervals.  As I remember, I used standard vodka and white sugar (surely bettered with a raw organic variety, but whatever's to hand).
...so tonight: bottling... a bite into the now colourless cherries immediately told me that the not-stoned variation was the better.  A strong and sweet pervading flavour of... almonds.  Bringing the vodkas to the throat brought me to the same conclusion.  The stoned Cherry Vodka, has a raw and unfinished texture about it... would appeal only to the hardened vodka-philes.  While the not-stoned Cherry Vodka has the overriding taste of almonds, sweet, rounded with a deep flavour....mmmmmm.  I look forward to making it in larger batches in 2011, what an excellent wintry drink and beautiful Bacchanalian present.  I shall call it Cheery Vodka.

(p.s. we are to coat the leftover cherries in dark chocolate... I will recount...anon)