Limoncello

From boozy sorbet floats to ricotta cheesecakes, sweet and sour Limoncello is the star of some of our favorite things to eat and drink. The zippy liqueur is traditionally served in Southern Italy as an after dinner drink, or digestif. A small glass of chilled Limoncello is the perfect way to end a meal, and the liqueur's tart flavors are meant to aid digestion.

While there are plenty of Limoncellos to buy on the market, making your own at home is incredibly easy and very impressive. This Limoncello has just three ingredients — lemon peels, vodka, and simple syrup — and everything gets combined in a single jar. After a week of macerating, you'll have fresh and flavorful Limoncello.

At Gigi's Italian Kitchen in Atlanta, Georgia, Jacob Armando makes this simple, no-cook Limoncello with Meyer lemon peels instead of traditional lemons. Meyer lemons are smaller and darker in color compared to generic lemons, and they are less acidic with a sweeter flavor profile. Meyer lemon peels impart a lovely floral quality to Armando's Limoncello, but traditional lemons work just as well, too. — Lucy Simon

Why this Limoncello works

What sets this Limoncello apart from others is how easy it is to make. While some Limoncellos call for cooking on the stove, this recipe relies on room temperature maceration. Both the sugar in the simple syrup and the vodka help extract the sweet and citrusy oils present in the lemon peels to help flavor the liqueur.

While somewhat tedious, slicing the lemon peels into thin strips exposes more surface, encouraging even more flavor extraction. Look for organic lemons at the grocery store for this recipe. Organic lemons are less likely to be coated with a layer of edible wax which, while harmless, can inhibit some of the oils in the lemon peels from dissolving into the liqueur.

What should you do with all those peeled lemons? Make a big batch of lemonade to fuel plenty of lemonade cocktails.