Giada De Laurentiis' Espresso Martini Packs A Classic Dessert Twist
There's never been a better time in history to be an espresso martini. It's incredibly popular, people think it's gorgeous, and everyone wants a sip, meaning it gets to show up at countless parties and restaurants. Even celebrity chefs like Giada De Laurentiis are giving the drink a shout out. Though, in true De Laurentiis style, she's putting her own spin on the cocktail, and, of course, it involves plenty of Italian influence. While a lot of people enjoy an espresso martini after a meal for a sweet treat, the chef's version makes it a legit dessert in the style of an affogato.
An affogato is an Italian sweet treat that combines gelato and hot espresso to make a great double-duty dessert. The coffee is poured over the gelato (traditionally a vanilla flavor) so that it melts and everything combines into one sweet coffee-flavored treat. Imagine this all in martini form, and this is essentially what De Laurentiis' espresso martini is all about. It's a cinch to make, it's trendy, it's delicious, and it makes the perfect grown-up dessert.
Gelato transforms an espresso martini into a super sweet treat
On her Instagram page, Giada De Laurentiis shows her viewers just how quickly this treat can come together. She places a scoop of vanilla bean gelato into a cocktail coupe and then combines vodka, espresso, and ice in a cocktail shaker and shakes until it's all nice and icy. The chef then strains the liquid into the coupe, over the gelato, garnishes the drink with a dusting of cocoa powder and a few espresso beans, and, voilá, it's done!
De Laurentiis' recipe is just one of many twists that have been tried with this cocktail-of-the-moment. Another extra-boozy version of the espresso martini could include scotch, coffee liqueur, Drambuie, and amaro, not to mention honey and cayenne pepper. The same way De Laurentiis does with her affogato-style cocktail, pouring this over ice cream would certainly wake anyone up from a food coma. Though, adding any kind of liqueur to an espresso martini is totally appropriate and is actually a nod to Italy's caffè corretto, or a shot of espresso combined with a touch of liqueur like grappa, sambuca, or amaretto. Just like flavored lattes and coffees, you could flavor up an espresso martini in a myriad of ways: Add a little peppermint around the winter holidays, for instance, or a touch of pumpkin syrup in the fall.
This is one recipe you can really play around with
This take on an espresso martini is a great one to play around with; for example, if you want to double down on the coffee flavor, use a coffee- or espresso-flavored vodka. Vanilla vodka would also be delicious. The choice of vanilla gelato is definitely not set in stone, either. You could opt for hazelnut, chocolate, coffee, pistachio, or caramel flavors. If you're making these special cocktails for a party, it could be fun to let everyone pick their own flavor (and do their own scooping, for that matter).
Giada's recipe beautifully combines both the dessert course and the after-dinner drink into one. It's the perfect ending to an Italian feast, or any dinner, for that matter. You could also make these ahead of time by scooping the gelato into glasses and placing them in the freezer so it sets before you make the espresso and mix up the cocktail. Since you'll be using vodka rather than coffee, the liquid poured over the gelato won't be hot in the way it is for a true affogato, so it won't melt as quickly. Because of this, it might be a good idea to serve these up with some spoons.