Title: "kahlua" homemade
 Categories: Beverages
      Yield: 1 Servings
 
      2 c  Water
      2 c  Sugar
    1/2 c  Instant coffee; fresh jar
    1/2    Vanilla bean; chopped
  1 1/2 c  Vodka

--------------------OPTIONAL FLAVORINGS-------------------------
      1 pn Cinnamon; ground
      1 pn Cloves; ground
      1 pn Cardamom; ground
      1 pn Orange peel; grated
      1 pn Mint; dried flakes
 
  Boil water & sugar together until dissolved & clear. Turn off heat.
  Slowly add instant coffee & continue stirring. When well mixed let
  cool to room temperature. While the coffee mixture cools, add vanilla
  bean to the vodka. When the coffee mixture is cooled add to the vodka
  mixture. Cover tightly & shake vigorously each day for 3 weeks.
  Strain & filter.
  
  Yield: About 4 cups
  
  Dona & Mel have this to say about Kahlua:
  
  The Mexican "Kahlua" & Jamaican "Tia Maria" are probably the best
  known coffee flavored liqueurs. Other companies produce similar
  drinks called Moka, Mocha, Creme de Mocha, & so forth. Coffee is
  among the easiest flavors to simulate. We recieved many recipes from
  our friends that varied only slightly from one another. It seemed
  that everyone had made a version of "Kahlua" at one time & treasured
  his own recipe.
  
  VARIATION: Substitute rum for the vodka to yeild a simulated "Tia
  Maria". Substitute brandy for the vodka for another simulated
  "Kahlua".
    
  Chris' Notes: I like to use the vodka version with a pinch of
  cardamom. Experimenting with this recipe I have found that instead of
  throwing out a partial pot of coffee, save it in a tightly covered
  container in the fridge until you get 2 cups worth. Then use it in
  place of the water & delete the instant coffee. (Very FRUGAL
  considering the price of good coffee these days!)