madbaker | (no subject)

This week's Resolution Recipe: Tosca House Cappuccino.

3-5 oz cream
1/4 oz heavy cream
1 oz 70% chocolate, grated
pinch salt
1/4 oz simple syrup
dash vanilla
3/4 oz water
3/4 oz milk
1/2 oz Bourbon (I used rye as I don't keep bourbon in the cabinet)
1/2 oz Armagnac (I used Calvados; it's the closest we have)

Heat water and pour into an Irish coffee glass; set aside. Heat 3-5 oz cream in a small pot until nearly simmering, then turn heat off. Use a milk frother (I used an immersion blender with the froth attachment) to create foam. Set aside.

Heat 1/4 oz cream in a separate small pot on heat. (I assume low, but sloppy recipe writing here.) Do not boil. When cream is almost simmering, pour over chocolate and salt and let sit 3-5 minutes. Stir cream and chocolate until combined. Add syrup, vanilla, water, and milk, and mix well. Heat on low, whisking constantly so it doesn't burn. Turn the heat off just before it simmers. Use milk frother to aerate slightly.

Drain the glass. Pour chocolate mix into the glass and then add bourbon and Armagnac. Top with hot cream and foam. Serve.

What worked: This drink has a long history at Tosca's. It used to be far less indulgent (and apparently, not very good - the common descriptor is "muddy") but this is the current version served. It did indeed look like a cappuccino. It was good, if you like a dose of rich European drinking chocolate.

What didn't: The cappuccino mix (aka the ganache) didn't pour through the lighter cream/foam and booze when I sipped at it. I should have stirred it up, I guess. Although that would have ruined the effect. As it was I got cream/booze, then eventually rich chocolate.

I don't think the Calvados worked as well as Armagnac (or even brandy) would have. However, Calvados was the closest we had in the booze cabinet.

Will I make it again? No, but I didn't expect to. This is not something I would want very often regardless; if I did, I'd just go to Tosca's for one made better, and one that didn't dirty up a lot of dishes.