Italian Frozen Espresso Mousse | La Coviglia al Caffè
This classic semifreddo dessert, known for its irresistibly soft texture even when frozen, combines the velvety richness of egg yolks, sugar, and robust espresso, whipped to creamy perfection. This decadent mixture is then delicately folded with whipped cream and airy meringue, creating a heavenly mousse that's both light and indulgent.
Ingredients
Method
- Begin by making freshly brewed espresso using whatever espresso brewing device that you own (espresso machine, moka pot, etc). You will need a total of 60 ml or ¼ cup of hot espresso. Set that aside while you begin the mousse.
- To a large metal bowl, add the egg yolks and the first 50g (¼ cup) of sugar and beat this on high speed until it becomes stiff and very light yellow.
- Continue beating on high and drizzle in the warm, measured espresso. Let that continue beating until it is emulsified.
- Now place your metal bowl over a lightly simmering pot of water and, using an electric beater, beat the mixture for 5-10 minutes, or until it becomes thick and creamy and reaches a temperature of 175℉ / 79℃. Don't let the water below the bowl boil too vigorously. You want the temperature to rise gradually in order to avoid curdling the egg yolks.
- Remove the metal pot from the heat and place it in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes, or until the mixture has cooled. You can stir occasionally to speed up this process. You can also place it over an ice water bath (taking care not to get any water into the espresso cream).
- Towards the end of the cooling time, put the 2 leftover egg whites into a medium-sized bowl with a pinch of salt, and beat them on high until soft peaks form. Begin spooning in the last 50g / ¼cup of sugar a little at a time as you continue to beat the egg whites. When all of the sugar has been incorporated and stiff, glossy peaks have formed, set the meringue aside to work on the whipped cream.
- Pour the heavy cream into a separate medium-sized bowl and beat the whipping cream on high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Remove the cooled, espresso cream from the refrigerator and pour it over the whipped cream. Gently fold this into the whipped cream until no white streaks are left. Be careful not to deflate the mixture.
- After the whipped cream and espresso cream have been fully incorporated, begin spooning meringue into the mixture and gently fold it in in the same way you mixed in the whipped cream. Once all of the meringue has been incorporated and there are no streaks left, set this aside to prepare your serving bowls.
- Place your serving bowls (⅓-½ cup capacity) on a baking tray and arrange lady fingers or leftover sponge cake at the bottom of each bowl. You may need to break them into pieces to make them fit. Pour 1-2 teaspoons of Italian liqueur of some kind over the lady fingers to soften them (Frangelico makes a nice addition to the espresso flavor). If you don't want to use alcohol, you can use leftover espresso instead.
- Spoon two ice cream scoops (4 tbsp each) full of mousse into each bowl. Smooth the tops and garnish with chocolate covered espresso beans. Place plastic wrap over each bowl.
- Place the baking tray with the covered bowls into the freezer for a minimum of 2 hours. Remove the bowls 5 to 10 minutes before eating to allow them to slightly soften before spooning into them.
Leave a Reply