Warming and wonderful, this Vegan Campfire Espresso Martini combines deep coffee flavours with the sweetness of a homemade vegan marshmallow syrup. Cocktail hour never looked better.
We don’t live a life where cocktails are common, we’re beer and wine people, but when I saw the recipe in delicious. Australia for a campfire martini, I was inspired.
With full-bodied espresso and Kahlua AND marshmallows…my tastebuds were a-tingle. My brain also went to pouring the cocktail over ice-cream but given ice-cream has a dedicated space in my noggin, that’s not unusual.
With inspiration firmly in place, the challenge to vegan-ise the campfire martini was set. Turns out, it is pretty simple. Both vodka and Kahlua are vegan, as is coffee (allelujah!). The only real challenge was the marshmallow infusion. The original recipe used both marshmallow vodka and a marshmallow syrup. I assume most of us don’t have marshmallow vodka lying around so I simplified by using regular vodka and created my own vegan marshmallow syrup.
What did we do before aquafaba?
If you haven’t worked with aquafaba before, the process can seem a little confronting. Let’s be honest, the idea of whisking chickpea brine to a fluffy meringue sounds…well, disgusting. I fought the trend for a long time but after biting the bullet to create my homemade maple marshmallows, I am now converted. Besides marshmallow, we have made meringues and used aquafaba in cakes and as a base for crumbing. It is unbelievably versatile and you can’t taste the chickpeas; praise the kitchen gods.
In this vegan campfire espresso martini, I use the aquafaba in two ways. Firstly, to create a marshmallow fluff that sits atop the coffee martini and secondly to create the marshmallow syrup. It might seem a little fussy for a cocktail, but the process takes around twenty minutes plus infusing time; it’s not a huge investment for such a delicious outcome. And, it is very worth it. The marshmallow syrup can also be used in coffee, over ice-cream and in cakes.
While gumboots trump stilettos in these parts, it doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate a good cocktail. This vegan campfire espresso martini is a perfect antidote to the cold winds blowing across the hills this Winter. As soon as the warm coffee flavours hit your tongue, this decadent martini curls around you like a big hug while the marshmallow adds its unique sweetness.
Besides, this cocktail is a bit special. And every once in a while it is imperative to give your something a little special. Bottoms up.
Vegan Campfire Espresso Martini
Ingredients
Marshmallow Fluff and Syrup
- The brine from a 400 ml can of chickpeas
- 2/3 cup raw fine granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon 5ml vanilla extract
- 1 cup 250 ml boiling waterCampfire Espresso Martini
- 45 ml espresso cooled
- 15 ml Kahlua
- 45 ml vodka chilled
- 30 ml marshmallow syrup
- 1 tablespoon marshmallow fluff
Instructions
- To make the marshmallow fluff, drain the brine from a can of chickpeas in to a large mixing bowl. Set aside the chickpeas for another use.
- Using a hand-held beater, whisk the brine to soft peaks, around 7 minutes.
- One spoon at a time, whisk in the sugar until it is dissolved.
- Remove two heaped cups of marshmallow fluff into a saucepan.
- Stir in the vanilla extract and a cup of boiling water. The fluff will deflate, that's what you want.
- Set aside the mixture to infuse, stirring occasionally. The longer you leave it, the stronger the syrup will be. I allow around thirty minutes.
- Strain the syrup from the fluff in to a jar or pouring jug and place in the refrigerator.
- To make the campfire martini, combine the espresso, vodka, Kahlua and marshmallow syrup in a cocktail shaker or sealed jar and shake well.
- Pour the cocktail in to a martini glass and top with a dollop of marshmallow fluff.
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