Grand Marnier

I just finished my second batch of Grand Marnier!  And I am glad to announce it came out perfectly.
I did some research on the intranet to see if I could find some recipes...which I did not really like either very much.  One had you zest the oranges into a jar, add the brandy and the sugar, then shake it every day for 2 weeks.  I did 2 jars of that kind, one I left for a month, and it turned out much better than just 2 weeks.

The second recipe that I tried was to cut up the orange and put it in the brandy, then add simple syrup after 2 weeks...That one was so bad, I just threw it out!

So here is what I decided to do:
750 ml Brandy (whatever brand you want...I don't know much about it, so I just got a top shelf on sale)
6-8 oranges

I pealed the oranges trying to make sure all the pith (white stuff) was gone. Then I put them into a tight jar together for about a month.

After that, I made a simple syrup with 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup water, let it cool completely and add to brandy mixture.
Here is a photo from the first and second batches:



the second batch is much clearer.




Second batch, clear and smooth.



First batch tastes good, but very cloudy.



You can put it in the freezer to keep it cold.  Makes the most amazing margaritas or just plain as an aperitif.