From the first card you made for her in kindergarten (the one with the heart snipped out of construction paper with your blunt-nosed scissors and glued on with Elmer’s school paste) nothing says ‘I Love You, Mom!’ quite like something you make yourself. Anyone, after all, can phone the florist or make a brunch reservation, but those can’t hold a candle to something you hand-crafted with love especially for her.

So this year, treat Mom to something delightful, delicious, and delovely. The gift that keeps on giving: a hand-crafted sous-vide-infused cordial or syrup.

The method is simplicity itself.

How to make sous vide infusions:

1) Fill and preheat the SousVide Supreme. (135F/57C  in the case of limoncello)
2) Put alcohol (e.g. vodka, brandy, or tequila) or simple syrup (1:1 ratio of sugar to water dissolved over stove top) , or both, into a large SousVide Supreme Zip Pouch
3) Add the flavoring agent(s) of choice — this could be fresh fruit, herbs, spices, even tea leaves or coffee beans — whatever her favorites might be.
4) Remove most of the air (using the displacement principle) and zip the pouch closed; submerge and cook in the water oven for the prescribed time, which usually ranges from a few minutes to a couple of hours.
5) Quick chill in an ice water bath, then strain into a clean, bottle with a cap or stopper.

The possible combinations are endless, the process is quick and easy, and the result is nothing short of amazing. Instead of weeks or months to make limoncello, for instance, you can do it in 3 hours, tops. You can even glue the cut out construction paper heart to the front of the bottle, if you like!

Or, if lemon isn’t Mom’s thing, try this Raspberry Syrup that you can use to make a pretty in pink Clover Club cocktail or splash into a flute of champagne (or sparkling cider) to toast her on her day.

Need more ideas? Check out this blog post on sous vide infusions or the SousVide Cocktails cookbook, which is filled with intriguing infusion combinations and the tasty adult libations you can concoct with them.

Oh, and you might want to make several bottles while you’re at it. In addition to making Mom beam with love and pride, a bottle of hand-crafted cordial makes an impressive hostess gift that will ensure you’ll earn a spot right at the top of any guest list.