Nutcracker Shot | 12 Shots of Christmas

Named for the hazelnut and almond liqueurs it envelops in smooth half and half, the Nutcracker shot will put a wide smile on everyone’s face who drinks it!

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This is the eighth post in my 12 Shots of Christmas series. On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: one Nutcracker shot, one Tootsie Roll shot, one Eggnog shot, one After Eight shot, one Snowball shot, one Black Forest Cake shot, one Chocolate Raspberry Kiss shot and a shot named Peppermint Patty!

The flavor explosion from the combined Amaretto, Frangelico and light cream makes this shot a treat to drink. (It doesn’t hurt the eyes either, does it!)

As we know, the difference between a cocktail and a shot is that you sip a cocktail but you down the whole shot at once.

And with a layered shot, as you drink it, you taste each ingredient separately. Then the flavors combine and you are left with a cohesive taste treat.

How fun is that?

Helpful tips

• If you are going to layer this shot, either use a cocktail spoon or regular iced coffee teaspoon – for the thin, tall shot glass, I have to use the iced coffee teaspoon because the cocktail spoon is too wide to fit in the glass
• Always place the spoon bowl side up in the glass, against the side
• Using a pourer controls the pour, which is critical to layering any shot. But if you do use a pourer, just know that you will have to eyeball your quantities because in that case, they’re coming straight out of the bottle, unmeasured
• As with all layered shots, you need to place the heaviest liquor on the bottom and work your way up to the lightest

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How to make the nutcracker shot

This recipe is for one shot. To make multiple shots, you can double or triple the recipe.

Step one

Gather the ingredients – Frangelico, Amaretto and light cream.  Also, get a shot glass and a cocktail spoon.

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Step two

Pour in half an ounce of Amaretto.

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Step three

Since Amaretto and Frangelico are very close in weight and color, there isn’t the most clear delineation of layers.  But I layer them as usual.

Place the spoon bowl side up in and against the side of the glass.  Slowly pour half an ounce Frangelico over the bowl of the spoon.

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Step four

Put the spoon back in the glass and slowly pour half an ounce of the light cream over the bowl.

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The cream will infiltrate the Frangelico a little, but I think it makes for a pretty shot.

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Let’s look at the tall glass filled with this delicious shot!

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All that is left is to shoot the shot.

I hope you enjoyed this Nutcracker shot recipe!

What is your favorite hazelnut cocktail?  Leave me a comment as I’d love to know.

Other popular nutty cocktails

• Snickers Shot
• Almond Joy Cocktail
• Decadent Coco Mochanut Bomtini Cocktail

And as always, may all your dishes/drinks be delish!

If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog, I’d love the hear what you thought about it in the comments below.  I love hearing from you!  You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST  to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!