don't you hate it when people say "expeesso" when they should say espresso !
Anyway Nigella Lawson makes an Espresso Martini on her TV show NIgella's Christmas kitchen but the recipe seems irritatingly illusive. Here is the recipe taken directly from the website followed by a commentary from me.
NIgella's bit
Equal measures of
1 butterscotch schnapps
2 espresso coffee
3 coffee liqueur
4 vodka
She pours the lot into a jug stirs and thats it! She mentions that if you can't get butterscotch schnapps toffee vodka will do( see later)
Well it is Martini so it should be be very alcoholic and this is, but at the same time flavour some. I have tried it I like the schnapps, it's a very dry drink, I have also tried putting a couple of measures of Tia Maria in as well as gran mariner both take the edge off of the drink for palest that have a fondness for the sweeter things in life.
In place of toffee schnapps NIgella suggests toffee vodka can be used, this can be bought but making it is easy and worth knowing for ski trips!
There are several methods my favourite is to put 100g of brown caster sugar into a dry non stuck pan and heat until the sugar has melted and turned a dark but not burnt golden syrup colour. Leave to cool a little, mean while pour about two thirds of the bottle into a jug and the cool but not set toffee into the bottle to mix with the vodka add a pinch of salt and top up the bottle with the reserved vodka.. Screw the cap on tight and wind some cling film around the neck to seal the bottle top from the Ingres of any water, because now put the bottle into the top of a dish washer and with it without dishes give it a full hot cycle.
The toffee vodka will be ready to drink once the cycle has completed and you have gently cooled the bottle.
I first tasted this in Val d'lsere France where it was a very popular après ski. After buying a fair amount I persuaded the bars landlady to give me her recipe and over the years I have messed with it. Little. The main thing to note is the use if an unusual kitchen appliance -te dishwasher - for goodness sake don't use a clothes washer you will get glass everywhere and worse loose a batch of toffee
For an even easier but less home made taste which is especially good for a fast start when skiing, pack two packets of toffees before you go make sure they are in the checked luggage so that you don't eat them and the jobsworths on airport security don't confiscate your toffees! As soon as you arrive or in duty free (omg you can even pack them) open a bottle of vodka pour half of it into a container like an empty lemonade bottle. Add 200g of toffees to the bottle of vodka you may need to crush these to get them into the bottle once in top up with the reserved vodka so that the glass original vodka bottle is full tighten the cap and wrap tightly with kitchen film. Place in a dishwasher if you have one and out on a hot wash cycles. When it finishes let it cool and then put it in the fridge followed by a couple of hours in the freezer.do not go from hot dishwasher to freezer !
Give it a go the toffee vodka is also great in coffee as a pick me up following any cold weather excursion.
Happy holidays
2 instead of putting toffee in to the bottle
