Make your own chocolate extract with vodka and cacao nibs. In the stores this stuff is pretty expensive, but at home it's a great deal! Chocolate extract can be used in place of vanilla, added to your homebrew for a chocolatey stout, or in other drinks and dishes that a hint of chocolate could enhance.

Step 1: Ingredients

4oz cacao nibs

8 oz vodka

sterile bottle

Step 2: Cacao Nibs

Trader Joe's just started selling their own cacao nibs at a great price, so I bought some. Crush about 2oz of the nibs and leave the other 2oz as is. Put into your container.

Step 3: Tito's

We use Tito's for all our baking, cooking, and infusing. Fill the container with Tito's and give it a shake.

Step 4: Age

Leave the jar in a dark place for a few months. Every couple of days you'll want to shake the jar. This is a slow process and could take up to a year for a concentrated chocolate flavor. Every 2-3 months make a new batch so you always have some on hand.

After 3-6 months, strain the nibs out of the extract and freeze the container for 4-8 hours. You might see cacao fat floating at the top, you can discard this and then put your extract back in the cupboard to continue aging.