How to Make Dark Crème de Cacao

Mix sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to boil. Remove from heat and add the cocoa powder as you stir the mixture. Keep stirring until all the granulated sugar is dissolved. Keep cool to room temperature.

Melt cooking chocolate in a cup. Once the mixture in Step 1 is ready, pour in the chocolate and stir well until you get a delicious-looking cocoa syrup.

Add rum and stir gently, making sure that the mixture coalesces evenly into a dark liquid. You should be able to smell the chocolaty whiff amplified by the newly introduced alcohol.

Add the coffee powder and keep stirring.

Pour mixture into a glass bottle. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and seal bottle tightly. Shake bottle gently and store in a cool dark place.

Let mixture steep for 2 weeks. Remember to give it a gentle shake every few days.

After 2 weeks, allow your rum to steep for another 4 weeks undisturbed to allow the ingredients to penetrate the strong taste of alcohol.

After 4 weeks, you should see the sediments from the cocoa resting at the base of your bottle. Filter liquid with a muslin cloth or a coffee strainer to remove the sediments. You will get a clear dark liquid which not only smells good but also tastes amazing. Rinse your bottle with 1/2 cup of rum to get rid of any remaining sediments, and pour the filtered rum back in. Store in a cool dark place.