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The Boulevardier
Boulevardier – A sophisticated, worldly, and socially active man; a man who frequents fashionable places; a man-about-town.
Are you in the mood for a cocktail? A Negroni, perhaps? Ah, what say you? You have had too many Negronis of late? What, they are just everywhere, too trendy? Oh, but you still want one, or maybe some thing with an even bigger punch. Running with the big dogs, are you? Well, then try a Boulevardier. Mais oui, ma certo, a Boulevardier – like a Negroni but lose the gin (I’ve said that before) and replace it with (get ready) bourbon. Yes, bourbon. The bourbon lends the drink a voluptuous smoothness that was a complete surprise to me. You simply have to try it. I am thinking this is not a cocktail for every woman, but it is surely a cocktail for every man. Read the remainder of this entry »
Mocha Espresso with Amaretto
Are you looking for a grown-up hot chocolate? Look no farther. This combination of cocoa, stovetop espresso and Amaretto topped with whipped cream will satisfy. The espresso lends its own unique coffee flavor to this libation. but if you do not have access to an espresso maker, stovetop or mechanical, you can use freshly brewed double strength coffee. As for the Amaretto, make it Luxardo, the most glorious of all. Whip your cream ever so softly, just to thicken it, and don’t omit the 1/8 teaspoon almond extract. It may not sound like much, but it works magic on the whipped cream.
Mocha Espresso with Amaretto
serves 2
2 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
7 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa, such as Pernigotti or Penzeys High Fat
1cup brewed espresso
1/3 cup Amaretto
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
cocoa for dusting drinks
Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
Make the whipped cream. Pour heavy cream into medium bowl. Add sugar and extracts. Beat until thickened. Set aside.
Pour milk into saucepan. Add sugar and cocoa, whisking to combine. Heat to scalding, whisking occasionally. Remove from heat and add hot espresso, Amaretto and vanilla extract. Pour into serving glasses, top generously with whipped cream and a dusting of cocoa. Serve at once.
Buon natale!
I have no affiliation with any product, manufacturer, or site mentioned in this article.
Panna Cotta all’Amaretto
Another in The Panna Cotta Diaries
Well, I am back to The Panna Cotta Diaries. I was in the mood. Comfort food. Easy comfort food. For me, that’s Panna Cotta. I decided to use Amaretto, and not just any Amaretto – Luxardo Amaretto di Saschira. If you have never tasted this brand, then you have never tasted Amaretto, the “little bitter” liqueur.
Luxardo uses the famous almonds from Avola in the province of Siracusa in the south of Sicily. Real almonds. Some say really the best almonds. Not all brands use almonds, much less the magnificent ones from Avola. Some use lesser quality nuts, peach pits or synthetic flavorings. I mention all this because until I tasted Luxardo, I did not care for Amaretto very much at all. If you think Amaretto is not for you, give the Luxardo a try. I bet that just as I did, you will change your mind.
The liqueur is a gorgeous clear amber. Open this sleek, slender bottle, and smell the heady scent of the finest marzipan. It is not as sweet as other brands, and the almond taste opens up as the liqueur wraps your mouth in a delicate blanket of almond. This is one luxurious liqueur, and it imparts the most extraordinary burnt sugar and almond flavor to this dessert.
Amaretto Panna Cotta
makes 6 1/2 cup servings
This Panna Cotta is just in time for elegant winter time dinner parties. I make it with a full 1/4 cup of Amaretto along with almond and vanilla extracts. Don’t skimp on the quality of liqueur. With this much Amaretto, you must use high quality spirits. Go for the good stuff, such as Luxardo. Ditto for the almond extract and vanilla extracts – use a fine brand such as Nielsen-Massey or Sonoma Syrup Co.
I tried several amounts of gelatin with this one. I started with 2 1/4 teaspoons, and the set was not firm enough. I upped it right to 3 teaspoons, and it was much too firm – a nerf ball comes to mind. I backed off to 2 ½ teaspoons – it was just a shade too tight, finally settling on a scant 2 ½ teaspoons. Remember though, the set on Panna Cotta is very much a personal choice. So feel free to change the amount up or down. but just remember that you will not need to change it very much. Unless you want a nerf ball, that is. For a photo essay on how to make Panna Cotta and information on how to treat gelatin, see my post on Espresso Panna Cotta.
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cups whole milk, divided
1/4 cup Amaretto
1/4 cup granulated sugar
scant 2 1/2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
chocolate curls to garnish
Pour 1/4 cup milk in shallow bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over milk and soften five minutes. Be sure all the gelatin comes in contact with the milk – otherwise it will not soften properly.
Pour cream, remaining 1 cup milk and sugar in medium saucepan. Stir to combine. Over medium flame, heat to scalding. Do not let mixture boil.
Remove from heat, add softened gelatin, stirring to combine thoroughly. Continue stirring until gelatin has dissolved. The mixture should be quite smooth.
Strain mixture into clean bowl. Add Amaretto and extracts and combine thoroughly.
Set bowl over an ice bath. Stir frequently to promote even cooling until mixture develops the consistency of high-fat heavy cream.
Pour into serving glasses. Cover with plastic and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
Garnish with bittersweet chocolate curls for service.
A note: I like to cool the Panna Cotta until it thickens somewhat. That way when I move it from my counter to the refrigerator, it does not shift in the serving glass and I get a perfectly even line of Panna Cotta in the glass. Do avoid the pitfall of letting it get too thick. You will wind up with an uneven surface. I know. I know. Picky, picky.
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.