White chocolate liqueur is an alcoholic beverage flavored with white chocolate. Such beverages are typically both rich and sweet and are generally white in color in order to match the appearance of solid white chocolate. These liqueurs are used to add richness and flavor to a variety of mixed drinks. The rich and creamy flavor of white chocolate liqueur also lends itself to use in cooking or baking, where it can add a distinctive flavor and is most often used in dessert preparations.
The base of a white chocolate liqueur is some amount of white chocolate. White chocolate is made by separating out the cocoa butter component of raw cacao. This rich and creamy cocoa butter, which is made up primarily of vegetable fats, can be mixed with sugar and milk solids to form candy. In white chocolate liqueur, the cocoa butter is instead mixed with a clear alcohol, sweeteners, stabilizers, and other coloring and flavoring agents. The finished product is rich, sweet, creamy, and moderately alcoholic.
This type of liqueur may be consumed straight or on the rocks, but may be too cloying for some in its pure state. It is often blended together with other liqueurs and ingredients to make cocktails and specialty drinks. Cream or milk may also often be blended with this liqueur in order to enhance its richness but dilute its alcohol content and sweetness. Cream liqueurs such as this are typically served chilled.
Most people find that white chocolate liqueur blends well with sweet citrus liqueurs or coffee liqueurs. White chocolate liqueur can be blended with other chocolate liqueurs to produce a rich chocolate drink. Several varieties of chocolate martini rely on this synergy between different chocolate liqueurs.
Solid white chocolate is frequently used in baking, and white chocolate liqueur can be used in lieu of or in addition to solid white chocolate in many recipes. Desserts such as cheesecake, which are naturally both rich and sweet, tend to blend well with this liqueur. A moderate amount of liqueur can be incorporated into ice cream to add the rich and sweet flavor of white chocolate. Some baked goods make use of liqueurs to add richness, sweetness, and a bit of alcoholic zip to cake, and this liqueur works well in such preparations, especially when added to rich chocolate cake. White chocolate liqueur can just as easily be incorporated into cake frosting, where sweet, creamy liqueur blends easily with rich, sweet frosting.