Punch Abruzzo Float for Father’s Day
Well, Father’s Day is here, and I hope you all spend a wonderful day with your dads. My dad, William Crocetti, passed away many years ago, but I think of him often. That’s him in the photo. He enjoyed fountain specialties, so I thought I’d create something special in his honor. Of course, I looked first to Punch Abruzzo, the wonderful liquore from Italy. It is great over ice cream, and with its rum and coffee notes, spice and orange, is perfect in a float.
Here’s to you Dad. You would have loved this!
Punch Abruzzo Float
serves 2
This is one sophisticated and rich float. I prefer it with vanilla gelato, but then I almost always prefer vanilla. If you want a super rich flavor profile, go for the chocolate gelato. You can use a commercial chocolate syrup, but if it is very sweet you may want to cut back to 1 tablespoon per float. Don’t skip the orange extract in the whipped cream. It marries with the citrus in the Punch and pulls all the flavors together. Have a great day with your dad!
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) Punch Abruzzo
1/2 cup (4 ounces) freshly brewed espresso
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) chocolate sauce
2 tablespoons cinnamon simple syrup
S. Pellegrino water or seltzer
vanilla or chocolate gelato
whipped cream
chocolate shavings or cocoa to garnish
Divide Punch Abruzzo, espresso, chocolate sauce and cinnamon syrup between 2 tall glasses. Top with S. Pellegrino water. Stir to combine. Add gelato. Top with sweetened whipped cream and chocolate shavings or cocoa. Serve at once.
Cinnamon Simple Syrup
makes 1 1/2 cups
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
4 cinnamon sticks, each about 4 inches long
Combine water and granulated sugar in medium saucepan over medium high heat, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Once sugar dissolves, drop in cinnamon sticks and bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and steep 15 minutes. Remove and discard cinnamon sticks. Pour syrup into glass container and allow to cool. Cover and refrigerate up to 10 days.
Whipped Cream
1 cup whipped cream
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon orange extract
Combine all ingredients in chilled medium bowl. Beat until very soft peaks form. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
To read more about Punch Abruzzo click here.
Punch Abruzzo is available from A Cork Above
Note: You can click on any picture to see a slide show!
I have no affiliation with any product, manufacturer, or site mentioned in this article.
Saturday, June 16th 2012 at 1:31 pm |
I taste tested the punch abruzzo today and will definitely be serving it on fathers day
Saturday, June 16th 2012 at 2:25 pm |
Hi Anthony,
Excellent. I bet your dad will get a kick out of it, not the least because it is 90 proof! No jive about the 90 proof part. Thanks for stopping by!
Monday, June 18th 2012 at 4:55 am |
There’s a sweetness in your father’s eyes Adri. I’m sure you miss him and that’s a wonderful drink you created in his honor. I have yet to try Punch Abruzzo. On this last trip, I was at a bar that wasn’t quite open and spied it. When I asked for a taste, the owner told me it had to be heated. That kind of surprised me and I never got another chance to order it.
Monday, June 18th 2012 at 7:22 am |
Hi Linda,
You are right – my father was a sweet guy. The sweetest. When I think of him, I always see his eyes.
About the Punch – it is often, although not always heated before service. As with so many things a bit of warming will accentuate the flavors, and in the cold of an Abruzzese winter Punch is taken warm, but lots of folks consume it neat or over ice. In fact Punch lovers all will say “Have you tried it over ice cream?” However, woe betide the patron who argues with the barman!
Next time through you will surely have an opportunity to imbibe. A word of warning – it is 90 proof. Make the first sip small, esp. if you are not accustomed to high proof liquori. You will feel the heat of the alcohol when you first drink it straight, although it is in no way a fiery hit. The astonishing blend of flavor notes will make you a convert, and right away recipe ideas will whirl in your mind. Guaranteed. I can’t wait to hear what you think. Thanks for stopping by!
Monday, June 18th 2012 at 7:57 pm |
Dad would have loved this, as I am sure it is delicious. But he would have loved it most of all because you made it for him.
Tuesday, June 19th 2012 at 9:04 am |
Thanks, Toni. I can see him smiling. Can’t you?
Thursday, June 21st 2012 at 11:40 pm |
Hi Adri
Getting hold of more exotic ingredients here in Alice Springs can be a challenge, particularly if it involves alcohol. I tried your earlier custard recipe substituting Kahulua for Punch Abruzzo. But I felt your father’s Punch Abruzzo float needed to be made with the authentic ingredient. In the outback we sometimes have to rely on the internet and it did not fail me this time. We will be enjoying those floats shortly after the package arrives.
Aileen
Friday, June 22nd 2012 at 8:01 am |
Hi Aileen,
I bet getting exotic ingredients can be a challenge! Through mail order one can obtain almost anything these days, although I imagine shipping might well be prohibitive. However, at 90 proof, the Punch Abruzzo will make life in the outback positively grand. I hope you are enjoying the new environs. Quite a ways from LA LA-Land, is it not? All the best!