There is nothing better than having a wonderful meal with family and friends and ending it with this rich, luscious Crema di Limoncello di Vittoria. Cheers!
A few years ago, my family and I were visiting beautiful Sorrento, located in the Campania region in Southern Italy. As we were wandering through the busy streets, we stumbled – literally stumbled – upon a lemon and orange grove smack in the city center (we also “stumbled” upon Pierce Brosnan, but that’s another story).
As we began our short stroll on this path, the sounds of the hustle and bustle of the streets of Sorrento, scooters and all, faded into a distant hum. Unexpectedly and instantly, the environment became peaceful and relaxing. We walked into a garden whose existence came into being over 200 years ago. This garden is called “I Giardini di Cataldo“.
At the end of this short journey, there was a stand, where one could purchase and sample homemade marmalade, ice creams, and different flavored liqueurs such as fennel, licorice, basil and of course, limoncello.
It has often been said that when life gives you lemons, make lemonade – except in the region of Sorrento where they make Limoncello. If you are not Italian or have never visited Sorrento, you might not be familiar with this Italian liqueur.
What is Limoncello?
- it is an Italian liquor, flavored with lemons;
- usually served as a digestif (after-dinner drink);
- stored in the freezer;
- is served ice cold in chilled shot glasses;
- relatively simple to make at home;
- a wonderful ingredient to use in Italian desserts.
If interested, you can read about the history of limoncello by following this link.
Are you ready to make this Italian Limoncello?
How to make Crema di Limoncello
Lemon peels, alcohol and a glass jar
This simple process begins by infusing grain alcohol with lemon peel.
Thoroughly wash, scrub and dry your lemons (preferably unblemished and unwaxed) before stripping them of their peel. Unfortunately, I do not have lemons growing in my backyard so I use organic lemons. Make sure you remove the pith (the white part) of the lemon, lest your limoncello is bitter.
Next, the lemon peels need to steep in alcohol. Use high grain alcohol and a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Mason jars are great as the tight seal provided by the screw tops will prevent evaporation of the alcohol. The infusion time can last anywhere from 6 to 40 days (or even longer) in a cool, dark place. A longer steeping period will result in a better-tasting and better-looking limoncello.
Swirl contents of the jar twice a day. You will notice that this process will strip the lemon peels of their color. When ready to proceed to the next step, strain the liquid with a cheesecloth in a clean bottle.
The simple syrup
Sugar is required to make the simple syrup which is in turn added to the infused alcohol. When you make the simple syrup with milk, you will obtain a creamy limoncello. The addition of a vanilla bean will enhance the final taste of this liquor.
Warm the simple syrup (the sugar, milk and vanilla bean) over medium-low heat and whisk together. Once the sugar has dissolved, strain the mixture with a cheesecloth in a large clean bottle. You might have to strain the solution a few times to get all the vanilla seeds.
The creamiest limoncello
It is very important to allow the sugar solution to cool down to room temperature before adding it to the lemon-infused alcohol. We do not want the limoncello to curdle.
The final step in this process is combining the lemon-infused alcohol with the creamy syrup.
The Limoncello can be refrigerated for up to 1 month or frozen for up to 6 months. If freezing, allow sufficient headspace of a few inches for the Limoncello to expand.
Ways to use limoncello
- as a base for cocktails
- drizzle over fresh fruit, ice cream, or even cake
- as an ingredient in baking or cooking.
Limoncello recipes
One of my favorite ways to use this Italian liqueur is in lemon desserts. Two of my favorite recipes are this limoncello cake and this ricotta cake. I also like to make this lemon loaf recipe with the leftover lemon juice and then drizzle with limoncello when serving.
Recipe origins
When a friend of mine, Vittoria, learned of my newfound appreciation of this lemon liqueur, she shared her recipe with me. Vittoria is originally from Petrella, in the province of Campobasso, in the Italian region of Molise and had been making limoncello all her adult life.
I compared different “recipes” for creamy limoncello and I came to the conclusion that once again, the best one is simply a question of taste and how sweet you want your limoncello to be. I have been making and serving this recipe for Crema di Limoncello di Vittoria for a few years and it is always appreciated by family and friends.
The only modification I made was to replace 2 tablespoons of clear vanilla extract with a vanilla bean.
This wonderfully refreshing creamy lemon liqueur can be enjoyed year-round. I like to make a batch just in time for gift-giving for Christmas. You can easily make a batch of Crema di Limoncello di Vittoria this weekend and it will be ready for you to bring in the New Year!
THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.
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Ciao for now,
Maria
★★★★★ If you have made this Crema di Limoncello recipe, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!
Recipe
Crema di Limoncello
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Ingredients
- 4 lemons peel only
- 500 mL pure grain alcohol 94% or higher
- 1 Liter milk (Grand Pré 2% UHT milk)
- 600 grams granulated sugar scant 3 cups
- 1 vanilla bean
Instructions
- Thoroughly wash the lemons (preferably organic).
- With the use of a vegetable or potato peeler, remove lemon peel (avoid the white pith as this will make your limoncello bitter).
- Place lemon peel in a mason jar (or another container with a tight-fitting lid).
- Add alcohol, close tightly, and let steep for at least 6 days or up to 40 days in a cool dark place. Swirl contents of the jar twice a day.
- Remove lemon zest (should be a pale color- the alcohol on the other hand should be a bright yellow).
- Strain with a cheesecloth in a clean bottle.
- In a large saucepan, over medium-low heat, warm the milk, sugar and vanilla bean.
- Whisk frequently until the sugar is dissolved.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature before adding to alcohol.
- Strain (with the help of a cheesecloth) in a decanter with alcohol.
- Refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on December 20, 2014 and republished on November 16, 2017 with updated content and pictures.
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Patricia Buchsieb
I need to make this for a bridal shower favor. I have 8 ounce bottles and I have 80 guests I’m having trouble doing the calculations for the recipe for this many bottles . How many bottles does this recipe fill in what size bottles does it fill
Maria
What a wonderful idea!
This is how I would calculate it… this recipe will make about 2 Liters. (the yield is 65 servings and each serving is 30mL).
2 Liters is roughly 65 ounces. So, you mention that you have 8 ounce bottles; therefore one batch of this recipe will be enough to fill 8.2 bottles.
If everyone of your guests is receiving a limoncello party favor, you will need ingredients to make the recipe 10x.
Another way to calculate is that if you have 80 bottles of 8 ounces to fill up, you need 640 ounces. This recipe yields a little more than 65 ounces. So if you multiply the recipe by 10, you will get 650 ounces, enough to fill your 80 bottles.
Please keep in mind that the bottles should be kept refrigerated. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me if you have any other questions 🙂
Helen
Hi Maria, just made my first batch of Lemoncelo and all I can say is WOW! It is amazing. I only infused the lemon peels for 3 weeks but still have a lot of flavor. Had quite a time straining out all the vanilla been center, just telling everyone what those little dark spots are and they are impressed. I used whole milk and there’s a bit of cream on the top, not really a problem. Will take it down to the 2% as you suggested next time. These are going to be given away in beautiful decanters tomorrow for Easter. Thank you for sharing your recipe and on a side note, I would be interested in those cute little Lemoncello glasses as well.
Maria
Helen, what a great idea for Easter! Thank you so much for taking the time to share, appreciate it. I am still on the look out for those Limoncello glasses… my list is getting long 🙂
Hoping you had a wonderful Easter Sunday ♥
Tricia Wonderly
I am on my 3rd year of making Limoncello in the USA and use organic lemons and have tried lots of options in alcohol but find I prefer a high grade vodka. I let the lemon zest sit for 80 days in it and add my simple syrup and it’s ready to bottle. But as I give these away as Christmas gifts I, too, have search and searched for glasses just like yours to no avail. Any chance you could contact the store in Montreal and let me know the name so I can purchase some??
Maria
Sounds like you make a great Limoncello Tricia! I took a bit of time to respond to your e-mail as I had a couple of errands to run in and around the city. As I was doing so, I went to my usual “Italian” shops. Unfortunately, I did not find any. I still have a bit of Christmas shopping to do so I will be on the lookout and will write to you if ever I find them. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Mary
Can I ask where I could find the strong grain alcohol? The recipe sounds wonderful. Thank you for sharing.
Maria
Hi Mary, I will get mine at the liquor commission. This is the equivalent high grain alcohol sold in the States: http://www.liquordirect.ca/Everclear-Grain-Alcohol-190-Proof-P1070.aspx Hope that helps. Appreciate your comment, thanks for dropping by 🙂
Shareba
I want to hear our Pierce Brosnan story!! Also, I’ve never tried crema di limoncello, but I love all things lemon so this is something that I would probably enjoy. Thanks for sharing!
Maria
Well… as we were wandering the beautiful streets of Sorrento, we came across a sectioned off area. My husband started speaking with one of the police officers who said there was an “American” movie being taped with the actor Pierce Brosnan. So we decided to “hang out” (along with dozens of tourists and locals). Ten minutes later, the handsome Mr. Brosnan walked past a bunch of us, signed a few autographs and guided by security he slipped into a convertible spyder, driven by a woman. A real James Bond moment 🙂 Later found out that the name of the movie being taped was “Love is all you Need“. Thanks for asking Shareba ♥
Redawna
How spectacular is this! I have enjoyed Limoncello before but this cream version sounds absolutely amazing. I think it might have to be my next project. Being a huge lover of lemons I could see myself using this in various applications.
I will let you know how it turns out.
Have a fantastic weekend!
Maria
Thanks so much ♥ The possibilities are in fact endless with this creamy version of limoncello. Looking forward to hearing about your experience with this. Appreciate your comment 🙂
Nicoletta @sugarlovespices
Great looking crema di limoncello you have here, Maria! I’d so love to have a sip 😉 . Never made my own, Loreto wanted to try, and he will. For now, we buy limoncello every summer we go back to Italy. I’ll tell him to follow your recipe, we just have to find “worthy” lemons (and it’s not that easy).
Maria
You are right, the quality of the lemons makes all difference in this limoncello… and of course nothing compares to those Italian lemons. Thanks for stopping by Nicoletta ♥♥♥
Paula Barbarito Levitt
We also make Lemoncello at Casa Levitt, however not the Crema variety. With a prolefic lemon tree in our garden, it would be a shame not to take advantage. It absolutely does make a wonderful gift – next season, we will try your recipe.
Maria
A lemon tree in your garden ♥♥♥ How amazing is that! Yes, you must try this Paula! And I must try to make the regular version… it is on my to do list… Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Pauline
Hi!
I would love to make crema di limoncello, but every recepie that I have found include very strong alcohol (90-95%). I live in Sweden and we can’t buy stronger alcohol than approx. 40% here. Do you know if I can use lower alcohol?
Best regards, Pauline
Maria
Hi Pauline,
As far as I know, in order for the recipe to be successful, the alcohol must be strong. If I come across any article or research that says otherwise, I will let you know. Appreciate the comment 🙂
Noelle
Ever since a trip to Italy a few years back, I’ve been making my own limoncello. I just fell in love with it! This past Christmas we spent some time in Rome and my brother-in-law also fell in love with limoncello. I can’t wait to try your creamy version! Can you tell me where you got the glasses? I looked all over Rome for glasses, online once we got home and in many local stores. I’d love to give my brother-in-law some “official” limocello glasses, so if you could point me in the right direction, i’d be so appreciative.
Maria
Hi! I also love limoncello!Hope you enjoy the creamy version!
I purchased the glasses from a local retailer in Montreal(Canada)who imports from Italy. Have you tried e-bay? Also, if ever you’re visiting big cities (New York, Boston, Toronto,etc), there is always a “little Italy” area…I am sure you would be able to find a store which imports, just like I did here in Montreal. Another suggestion…if there is an “Italian” restaurant in your area and they have the glasses you are looking for, ask to speak with the manager…who knows…you might be able to purchase them… Good luck and thanks for your comment!
Thomas Michael
I have been making my own for quite a while, i try differnt flavors as well, blackberry, lemon lime with vanilla bean. I got my glasses like the ones in the picture In Sorrento Italy there is a limencello factory, I got mine there!