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Granita di Caffè con Panna
Espresso Granita with Whipped Cream
Dateline: Rome, August 1971
It was hot. Hot like only Rome can get in August. That’s why the Romans leave the Eternal City to us tourists. I walked toward the Colosseum and realized the asphalt was literally sinking beneath my feet. I could feel the heat of it through my shoes. Like I said Rome is hot. I decided to take a detour and grab something refreshing. I said to the waiter, “Prendo una granita di caffè, per favore.” “Con panna?” came the response. I thought a second and said, “Si, con panna.”
That interchange was almost lightning fast, and so was relief. The translation is simple, “I’ll have a Granita di caffè.” “With cream?” “Yes, with cream.” Very quickly the waiter brought me a glass of icy coffee crystals topped with softly whipped cream. I don’t know if service was always that fast or if I presented in a most precarious state. Cool and icy, with the taste of strong coffee and a kiss of sugar, it hit the spot. I felt better and continued on to Emperor Vespasian’s iconic amphitheater. Read the remainder of this entry »
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! Read the remainder of this entry »
Not Giada’s Espresso and Chocolate Jellies – Synchronicity
Okay, so you are wondering about the title. I can hear you all now. Adri, that is SO not you. What are you thinking, writing a title like that? What’ll people think? Kinda snippy, Dudette! Let me set everyone straight right now. Don’t think anything about it, and since you asked, yes, I like Giada DeLaurentiis. I like her a lot. She makes some great Italian food, and she makes it accessible. She is, as they say in the biz, relatable. The stories, the laughs, the Italian family, the neighborhood in which we both grew up. Yes. I shall proclaim it now. I, Adri Barr Crocetti, am a fan. Giada – for all the great recipes and all the inspiration, mille grazie.
Moving along. Just a few days ago Bart and I were talking about my blog articles and making a list of subjects under consideration. Among them was one of my fave rave summer desserts, Gelatina di Espresso. Espresso Gelatin. Homemade Espresso Jell-O. Call it what you will. I love it, especially on a scorching hot summer day. I entered it on my list and moved on.
Saturday morning I looked at the Food Network lineup I saw that Giada D. was going to do Espresso Chocolate Jellies. That sounded intriguing, so I took a look. Her dessert consists of a layer of chocolate covered with a mixture of instant espresso and Kahlua set with gelatin and topped with whipped cream. Mine is not. Mine is pure unadulterated espresso set with gelatin and topped with sweetened vanilla scented whipped cream. See? That’s all I meant by my title. Two different recipes.
I first tasted this very adult dessert in July of 1971 – on a night train from Milan. After a wonderful and very elegant dinner, it was time for dessert. And I could not believe I was being served Jell-O. I came halfway across the world for Jell-O? No way. Except it was true, and as it turned out, I was glad. One taste and I was transported to the world of adult desserts. Not too sweet, with the bitterness of Espresso, this was a soft gelatin that surrendered to the heat of my tongue. This was not my mother’s Jell-O.
In another twist to this story, and this is where the synchronicity comes in, we celebrated National Train Day this past Saturday, in honor of our great American railroads. I love trains, and I traveled all through Europe on them. So today, along with celebrating American trains and Amtrak, I salute Italian trains, the trains that introduced me to Gelatina di Espresso and the last trains in the world where the conductor kisses the passport photograph of a woman he finds particularly beautiful. Viva i treni!
Alfonso Bialetti’s Italian stovetop espresso makers rocked the coffee world when they first appeared in 1933, and they dominate the market to this day. Known as Moka Express, Bialetti’s original stovetop espresso maker has remained almost unchanged since 1933 save for one decorative addition – the chubby mascot on each coffee maker L’Omino con i baffi – The Little Man with a Moustache is Sig. Bialetti himself. Familiar to us all, these darlings of the Italian design world come in sizes ranging from single serving all the way up to 18 cups. (The standard of measure for a cup in a Moka pot is 1 cup =2 oz.) Steam does the work in this style of espresso maker, and it does it quickly, which matters a lot if you have a recipe that calls for 2 standard U.S. cups (a total of 16 oz.) of espresso, as this one does. These iconic babies with their easily recognizable octagonal shape continue to live up to their maker’s promise of allowing customers to enjoy in casa un espresso come al bar – an espresso in the home just like in a coffeehouse.
Gelatina di Espresso
makes 4 servings, ½ cup each
1 envelope (1/4 oz.) KNOX Unflavored Gelatine
2 tablespoons cold water
2 cups ( 16 ounces) hot espresso
3 to 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate shavings
Before we begin – don’t be put off by the idea of using gelatin. Once you understand it, you’ll be glad you took the time to learn. Classic gelatin technique consists of two steps, bloom and dissolve. If you are new to gelatin or just need a refresher, click here to see my post on Espresso Panna Cotta and come up to speed with step by step directions. For even more information click here to see my post on Blood Orange Fruit Gelatin.
Brew espresso. While espresso brews, pour 2 tablespoons cold water in medium bowl and sprinkle gelatin over. Set aside to soften for 5 minutes, do not stir. When espresso has brewed and gelatin has softened, pour 2 cups (16 oz.) hot espresso over gelatin mixture and stir to combine and melt gelatin. Add sugar, a tablespoon at a time until desired degree of sweetness is achieved. Keep in mind you will eat this cold, so a little extra sugar may be necessary no matter how perfect the sweetness level seems when you first try it. Place bowl over ice water bath, stirring occasionally to promote even cooling.
Pour mixture into serving glasses and refrigerate until set, 2 hours or overnight. If you are feeling particularly playful, rather than serving this dessert in the traditional wine glasses or coupe dishes, use coffee cups or espresso cups. The whimsical touch will delight your guests and guarantee smiles all around.
Beat heavy cream with sugar and vanilla, until very soft peaks form. To serve give each gelatin a dollop of whipped cream. If you are a fan of dark chocolate like Bart, then finish it with a dusting of either bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate shavings.
And for the gardeners out there – don’t discard those espresso grounds, they’ll give your tomatoes a great nitrogen boost!
Note: You can click on any picture to see a slide show with even more pictures!
I have no affiliation with any product, manufacturer, or site mentioned in this article.
Espresso Panna Cotta
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The French have Creme Brulée. The Italians have Panna Cotta. Creme Brulee is thickened with eggs. Panna cotta is thickened with gelatin. Both are creamy. Both are delicious. Today’s post is Italy’s answer to the French. And I think it is a great answer.
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Panna Cotta can be made with lots of different dairy products – milk, cream, yogurt, buttermilk, sour cream, creme fraiche, pretty much anything you can think of. It is often flavored, always sweetened and always includes gelatin. My Espresso Panna Cotta is made with milk and cream, sweetened with sugar, flavored with espresso beans and set with gelatin. Classic.
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A few words about Fear of Gelatin. If you were born after the ascendancy of JELL-O you have it. We all have it. In 1950 JELL-O began a heavy advertising campaign, and they really took America by storm. Housewives everywhere were looking for shortcuts, and Jell-O was a sure bet. The homemade fruit gelatins my mom grew up with all but disappeared. At about the same time menu items such as Tomato Aspic and gelées in general fell very much out of vogue. Use of gelatin decreased overall. For lots of us our main gelatin memory is that we drank it in hopes of growing long, strong beautiful nails. But when you make this Espresso Panna Cotta, you will conquer your fear. Really. My sister always gives me grief when I say a recipe is easy. But this one is.
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So, about gelatin. It is made from the collagen found in beef and pork. It is an animal product. Vegetarians out there, beware. For those following a kosher diet, kosher gelatin is available, but not all gelatins are created equal. While unflavored gelatin can be found sold in bulk, the product most supermarkets sell is KNOX Unflavored Gelatine, and it is supplied in boxes containing individual packets. Each packet contains 1/4 ounce of gelatin, an amount just shy of 2 1/2 teaspoons. If your recipe calls for anything other than a packet of gelatin, you must measure.
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I have made many Espresso Panna Cotta recipes that call for instant espresso. They are really good, and they are pretty quick, but if you are looking for a depth of round coffee flavor, go for the beans. And the beans you use are important. Use a good full flavored fruity espresso bean. I used Oro Blanco Tazzo D’Oro, from Guidi Marcello in Santa Monica, California or Amazon.com.
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To infuse the cream with the coffee flavor you must first coarsely crush the beans. I said crush, not grind. Use a hammer, a meat mallet, a skillet or what ever grabs your fancy. Put the beans in a plastic bag (that way you can see how much you have crushed them) and get to it.
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Next, place the cream, beans and sugar into a saucepan, stir to dissolve the sugar and heat until small bubbles form around the edge of the pan. This technique is called scalding. Please note I did not say “Boil the cream.” If you go beyond the scald and arrive at the boil your next stop is the dreaded boil over and its attendant mess. You will wind up with cream all over your stovetop. Some of it will scorch and stick to your stovetop, and you will have quite a clean up job on your hands. Do keep a good eye on your saucepan. You have been warned. Once you have scalded the cream mixture, remove the pan from the heat, cover and let the mixture steep for 20 minutes.
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After 15 minutes pour the milk into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it to soften, also called blooming. Do not stir.
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The softened gelatin will look like a relief map of a very blond landscape, all rolling hills. This is what you want. Things are progressing well.
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After the gelatin has softened for 5 minutes (we are at 20 minutes total now) pour it into the cream and stir to combine and dissolve the gelatin. (If you are concerned about the gelatin not melting, heat the cream mixture briefly before you add the gelatin to insure the cream is hot enough.)
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Prepare an ice bath. For this you need two bowls, one larger than the other. Fill the larger bowl half full with ice water.
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Strain the mixture into the smaller of the two bowls.
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Set the bowl containing the panna cotta into the bowl containing the ice water and stir occasionally until it is cool, about 15 minutes, taking care that no ice water gets into the panna cotta. This will cool the panna cotta to allow for a smooth and uniform set.
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Don’t discard the crushed coffee beans! They are an excellent high nitrogen mulch for your tomatoes. Waste not. Want not.
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Once your panna cotta is cool, pour into serving containers and refrigerate until you are ready to serve. It will take several hours to set up. I suggest making it in the morning, or even the day before. This is such an ethereal dessert, and I love to see how my guests savor each bite. I can tell when people like dessert. Table conversation stops. That makes me smile. You will too.
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Espresso Panna Cotta
makes 4 servings
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup espresso beans, coarsely crushed
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
1 1/4 teaspoons gelatin
Combine cream, espresso beans and sugar in a saucepan. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Heat over medium heat until scalding. Remove pan from heat, stir and cover. Steep for 20 minutes.
After the cream mixture has steeped for 15 minutes pour milk into a small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over it. Allow gelatin to soften for 5 minutes.
After the gelatin has softened pour the milk and gelatin mixture into the cream mixture, stirring until smooth and gelatin is completely dissolved. Pour through a fine strainer set over a bowl. Place bowl in a water bath to cool, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Pour cream mixture into 4 serving glasses and cover carefully with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until completely chilled.
To serve, garnish with white or dark chocolate shavings or chocolate covered espresso beans.
Note: You can click on any picture for a larger image, and to see a slide show!
I have no affiliation with any product, manufacturer, or site mentioned in this article.
Gelato Affogato
David Rocco again today. His Gelato Affogato is a classic recipe, vanilla gelato smothered in espresso. Gelato affogato al caffe, to call it by its full name, is like an Armani suit, simple and elegant. You can dress it up. You can dress it down. It can go from day into night. I prefer mine dressed with whipped cream, con panna as they say in Italia.
But which is the star? The gelato or the espresso? Hard to say. The gelato must be rich. And if it is a good gelato, it will be. The espresso must be strong, Italian and hot, which is a good combination for lots of things besides espresso. But I digress.
This dessert sounds so simple, espresso poured over ice cream, but it is a remarkably complex blend of flavors, temperatures, textures and smells. Start with cold creamy gelato, usually vanilla, but some prefer chocolate. (It is your dessert. Have what you want.) Pour on the espresso – the hot liquid essence of coffee with just a hint of a bitter edge. The perfume of the espresso wafts up to your nose before you place your spoon in your mouth.
This is a dessert for the senses. A grown-up dessert for sure, the kind you would expect to see Audrey Hepburn enjoying in an outdoor café on the Via Veneto. Or maybe Giorgio Armani.
And with chocolate
More than one
Note: You can click on any picture for a larger image, and to see a slide show!