Espresso Patronum
Twenty years ago, a young boy had his entire life changed when he heard the words “Yer a wizard, Harry.” Today marks the 20th anniversary of the big-screen debut of our favorite bespectacled boy wizard Harry Potter. We are celebrating it in style and to commemorate the occasion we give you: Espresso Patronum!
This has been an idea brewing in my head for the last 6 months. Hah, get it? Brewing! Pun totally intended. I have said the word Espresso Patronum so many times, I almost forgot what the patronus charm was — expecto patronum! When I told Arafat what I was planning, this was his reaction.
We love Harry Potter, we love all things coffee and espresso, and what better way to celebrate two decades of HP than this! Also can we all just collectively agree that it’s the best time of the year — you know fall and winter to do a Harry Potter movie marathon. It’s a tradition in our house, always has been, even before we met each other. So you can imagine the realization of “match made in heaven”, when we discovered each others love for Harry Potter. Actually, it was on our very first date but I will save our love story for another time! So while you are binge-watching Harry Potter movies for the umpteenth time this year, treat yourself to some magical “Espresso Patronum!” to set the ambiance!
What is an Espresso Patronum?
It’s a boozy hazelnut flavored affogato with bits of crushed ferrero rocher on top. Arafat joked about how this is just a giant ferrero rocher ad but we have no affiliation with the chocolatier nor is this a paid advertisement of any kind. The gold wrapper of this hazelnut chocolate just happened to remind me of the golden snitch.
Arafat: so you are killing the snitch to make a drink?
Spoken like a self-righteous gryffindor. 👀🙄
Me: I am a slytherin through and through! 🐍
Fun Fact: The Golden Snitch was originally not a ball, but a little magical bird called a Golden Snidget. It had fully rotational wings, best known for early (and barbaric might I add!) use in the wizarding game of Quidditch, eventually being replaced by the Golden Snitch.
What is an affogato?
It’s a decadent coffee dessert!
Traditionally known as "affogato al caffe", it usually takes the form of a scoop of semisoft cheese-flavored or vanilla gelato or ice cream topped or "drowned" with a shot of hot espresso. The term "affogato" comes from the Italian word "affogare," or "to drown. The strictly for adult version also includes some type of an Italian liqueur.
What you will need
A good espresso maker. Here is our recommendations.
Hazelnut Liqueur - preferably Frangelico or a similar liqueur like Amaretto or Grand Marnier
And Ferrero Rocher, of course
I will leave the choice of coffee beans up to you, it really depends on your palate. Just note that, while you can use any type of roast for your espresso machine, you will get the best results with a dark roast or French roast. These two roast types will give you the taste and consistency expected from an espresso.
Recipe | Serving Size: 1
Vanilla Ice Cream - 2 scoops
Hazelnut Liqueur - 1 oz
Espresso - 2 shots
Ferrero Rocher - 1
That’s about an ideal serving per person. I feel like this is so straightforward, it doesn’t even need directions. Just make sure the ice cream is cold and the espresso is hot. You can also omit the liqueur and make it alcohol free.
I hope you find it just as magical as we did.
