Hey Frangelico, meet me after dinner!!

Sofia has been at it again! This time she sent me a wonderful bottle of Frangelico. I was pleased to learn that Frangelico, in conjunction with celebrity Chocolatier MarieBelle, is set to unveil a limited edition truffle for the holiday season. The indulgent truffle, made with Frangelico Hazelnut Liqueur, will feature a special design and proceeds will benefit pet charity Bide-A-Wee. The charitable confections, featuring adorable puppy and kitten logos, will be available in addition to the traditional Frangelico truffles.

I wanted to learn a bit more about this liqueur, one that made a home in my Dad's liquor cabinet for years but one that I had never really embraced before this time. "Frangelico is produced in the Piedmont region of northern Italy, its origins date back more than 300 years to the presence of early Christian monks living in the hills of the area. The Frangelico bottle is an immediate reminder of this distinctive history; shaped like a monk’s habit, with a traditional rope belt around its waist. To make Frangelico, local Piedmont hazelnuts are roasted and infused in a solution of water and alcohol. A number of natural extracts – including cocoa and vanilla - are blended with the hazelnut infusion and hazelnut distillate to create the Frangelico concentrate. The mixture is then left to mature in vats for 6 to 8 weeks. The resulting liqueur is pale gold in color, a rich texture, and a pronounced hazelnut flavor with hints of vanilla and dark chocolate. As a classic liqueur, it’s perfect after a meal - either with coffee or in coffee, or pour it over ice in a chunky tumbler." ~ Manga Bene Pasta

Piedmont is a large mountainous region in the northwest corner of Italy, ringed on three sides by the Alps, and also contains one of the country’s most famous lakes. It’s justifiably well-known for its wines and is the region which gave birth to the Slow Food movement. And although it didn’t last long, Piedmont was also home to the first capital of a unified Italy in 1861.

The confections will be available at the MarieBelle chocolate boutique in NYC and online at www.mariebelle.com and the truffles will be on sale beginning November 2012 through January 2013.

It's a winner!!

 As you might already know, Bide-A-Wee is a humane organization that provides shelter, care and compassion to homeless animals. During the 2012 / 2013 holiday season, a portion of the proceeds from the Frangelico Charity truffle will benefit the Bide-A-Wee organization.

   

I enjoyed this liqueur a good deal. It has a nice taste of Hazelnut and chocolate and I think it would make a very fine after dinner drink during the holidays or really, anytime.

Here is a nice cocktail recipe you can try for yourself::

Frangelico Truffle Cocktail

1 oz Frangelico

1 oz SKYY vodka

3/4 oz of espresso

Shake with ice and serve in a cocktail or martini glass.

Dust with chocolate shavings

For those who may not have espresso on a regular basis, you can try this simpler recipe that is really delicious!

Frangelico on the Rocks

- 2 oz Frangelico® Hazelnut Liqueur

- 2 oz Citrus Vodka 

Add both ingredients in a shaker, shake and strain into a sugar rimmed glass filled with ice. Garnish with a sugar covered lemon wedge. 

Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!

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