Cobnut brandy to wet the baby's head

We are a bunch of friends, food bloggers and one of them is becoming a mom at christmas time. Much like our Food Revolution Potluck in the summer, we decided to do a Virtual baby shower for Emiko, our dear friend who moved all the way to Australia last year. We all see each as often as we can, even if we do live in different countries and continents, this virtual baby potluck was plotted in the bedroom of an Umbrian casale on one of our foodie get togethers last month. After those first talks before going to sleep, the plotting started via email, getting all excited imagining her pretty face when she finds out we've been planning this surprise. 
Our friendship lasts through our never ending conversation on twitter, facebook, instagram and very long emails... yet far away, we are always close...
Emiko's blog was the first food blog I started to follow back in 2011 and the first food blogger I ever talked with when I first got on the mighty twitter.
She is one of the kindest people I know and I wish her and her husband Marco all the happiness in the world with their gorgeous little daughter end of december.

I bring to Emiko's baby potluck a home made cobnut or hazelnut brandy for Marco, the dad to be.
It is tradition in Britain for the fathers to 'wet the babies head' when their child is born. As much as it is often an excuse to get drunk, it is also part of a drinking culture that has been around for centuries. To 'wet' or to 'whet' the babies head refers to baptism, however in pagan Britain a newborn baby would most likely be celebrated with a drink… or two, or three.
Not only will there be a drink for the dad, there will be a Birthday sponge cake by Giulia, Vegan pumpkin cookies by Zita, Frollini di riso by Jasmine, Gingerbread banana muffins by Valeria, La Belle Helene by Karin, soft cheesecake by Rosella and Savory mini tartlets by Sarka. 

May you always walk in sunshine.
May you never want for more.
May Irish angels rest their wings
beside your nursery door
Irish blessing for a newborn baby

Cobnut brandy

What do you need
• 500ml jar
• 1 cup golden cobnuts*, shelled and chopped (you can use hazelnuts)
• 2 tablespoons of molasses (or cane sugar)
• just under 500 ml vodka or Eau de vie

Method
Put the chopped cobnuts in a jar and add the sugar, pour over the brandy and close the lid.
Put in a dark place and shake the jar every day morning and evening for a week.
After a week, shake the jar ones a day for a week.
I the sugar is dissolved you can leave your brandy to ripen for a minimum of 2 months.
Why not save it for a special occasion, in this case a 16th birthday?

When you are ready to use the brandy
Strain the brandy with a cheesecloth and discard the nuts
You might need to do this twice depending on how long you have been saving the brandy.
Bottle and use, or leave to mature!

Bottoms up for the newborn!
Cheers Marco and Emiko!


You might also like: 
Drunken cherries
Sloe Gin

*More about cobnuts here >