DEAR SUN SPOTS: Re the letter from “The Dude” (May 6), I think your correspondent may have been seeking a recipe for faux kahlua, which is easily accomplished as follows:

Mix 4 cups of water, 3 cups of sugar and 10 teaspoons of instant coffee (12 teaspoons if not freeze-dried) and bring to a rolling boil. Let simmer 1 hour, boiling down to almost half. Cool. Add 2½ cups of vodka and 3 teaspoons of vanilla.

Should anyone be interested in a pseudo Bailey’s Irish Cream, here is a recipe:

Mix 1 can condensed milk, 1 pint whipping cream, 2 eggs, 3-4 Tablespoons of water, ½ teaspoon almond extract, ½ teaspoon instant coffee and 1½ cups of blended whiskey. Mix in a blender and store in the refrigerator.

I’m afraid I can’t recall the source of these recipes, nor how much each makes, but I have used them both in the past and recommend them. I suggest drinking them sparingly, since both are lethally caloric.

Keep up the good work. — Pat Meader, Buckfield

ANSWER: Sun Spots thanks you, and she’s sure The Dude will as well. Two other readers also sent in their recipes, and while the ingredients are similar they vary quite a bit in quantities.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Here it comes, snail mail. Thought I’d share my Kahlua recipe with you. Best of all, it’s not illegal!

Heat 6 cups of water, add 6 cups of sugar, heat and simmer 10 minutes. Take ½ cup water in saucepan and add 4 ounces of instant coffee, 4 Tablespoons vanilla, 2 Tablespoons almond extract, 1 Tablespoon chocolate extract. Simmer. Add together. Add 4 cups Karo syrup, stir thoroughly.

Let mixture cool before adding 15 cups vodka. Then cork it all up and enjoy! — Lynn LaBelle, No Town

ANSWER: That’s a lot of vodka!

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Here’s a recipe for Kahlua. Since this is strictly a stovetop process and no distilling is involved, it doesn’t come under federal regulations — or anyone’s regulations for that matter.

To wit: Dissolve 2 cups of sugar in 1 cup of water and boil for 15 minutes, stirring frequently while boiling. Dissolve 2 heaping teaspoons of instant coffee in ½ cup of boiling water. Add to the sugar syrup and cool to room temperature.

Note: Be sure to cool mixture down before adding the final ingredients, which are 1 teaspoon vanilla and, finally, add vodka until the entire mixture fills a quart measure. It is necessary to cool the syrup before adding vanilla and vodka to keep the Kahlua from being too thick. You cannot tell this from the real thing. Cheers! — Diane via email

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I would like to reach Mark Duhamel of New Gloucester regarding the beautiful doves he has, could you help me contact him? Thank you. — Lisa Rancourt, Buffey261@juno.com

ANSWER: The May 17 story about Mark and his white doves actually originated in Sun Spots, where Mark’s partner, Jennifer Jannarone, responded to a reader’s inquiring about seeing white birds flying over Sabbathday Lake. You can read the original column at http://tinyurl.com/44us52t. The letter was signed Maine White Dove Release and provided this phone number, 926-4677.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Mollyockett Chapter of Sweet Adelines International is looking for singers. We sing barbershop-style a capella music from all decades. Singers range in age from teens to 90s. We meet every Tuesday from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Church of Latter Day Saints on Skeetfield Road in Oxford. Any ladies interested, please contact me. — Wanda Foss, 375-5131, magicfoss@roadrunner.com

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