Limoncello

"This recipe has been handed down to me by my grandmother of Campania origin. I love to offer my liqueur to friends, as well as to all the guests of my holiday home."

Submitted by: Giuliana Monti, owner of property 2366 in Parco di Vejo, near Rome.

Ingredients:

4-5 organically grown lemons
1 litre pure alcohol, 95%
1 litre plain water
400g granulated sugar

How to prepare this drink:

1. Peel the lemons keeping only the outer yellow peel and none of the bitter, white pith.

2. Put the lemon peel together with the alcohol into a glass bottling jar. Close the lid and leave to infuse for 24 to 36 hours.

3. Once the liquid has infused, add the sugar to 1 litre of water and simmer over a low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon.

4. When the sugar has dissolved and the liquid has cooled down, add the alcohol without the lemon peel to the syrup.

5. After 1-2 months, filter the liquid and pour it into small glass bottles.

6. Before serving, put the limoncello in the freezer and serve very cold in small liqueur glasses.

Serve with:

Fantastic on its own after dinner, but can be served on top of ice cream.

Property 2366 is a two bedroom apartment in a villa on a private estate in the regional park of Veio, just 10 km north of Rome. This elegant villa is on a private road, with splendid views of Sacrofano's countryside and just 2 km from the village's historic centre. There are several local trattorias serving good home-cooked produce at reasonable prices and one of the best restaurants in the area is just a short walk away.