By David Tanis
- Total Time
- 15 minutes, plus several hours’ freezing
- Rating
- 4(159)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Zabaglione (or Zabaione) is a classic Italian dessert custard, but is basically nothing more than egg yolks whipped with sugar, usually served warm or at room temperature. It is typically flavored with sweet Marsala wine, which has a caramel-like flavor, but other wines or liqueurs may be substituted for variation. In this version, espresso coffee and Cognac are used, and the zabaglione is frozen for several hours or overnight. It’s an easy way to make gelato at home, with a light airy texture.
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Ingredients
Yield:6 servings
- 6egg yolks
- 6tablespoons sugar
- ¾cup espresso
- 2tablespoons Cognac
- Cocoa powder and powdered sugar, for serving (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
107 calories; 4 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 14 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 13 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 11 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Put egg yolks in a medium-size mixing bowl. Add sugar and whisk together for a minute, until frothy. Whisk in espresso and Cognac, then place bowl over double boiler. (For a makeshift double boiler, put 3 inches of water in a saucepan approximately the same size as bowl. Put the saucepan on stove, bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat to a rapid simmer.)
Step
2
Whisk rapidly until egg yolk mixture is warmed through. Continue whisking as the mixture begins to thicken. After 2 minutes or so it should have doubled in volume and have the consistency of softly whipped cream. Remove from heat and whisk for a minute more.
Step
3
Pour custard into individual demitasse cups or into a serving dish. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for several hours or overnight.
Step
4
Remove from freezer 10 minutes before serving. Dust with cocoa powder and powdered sugar if desired.
Ratings
4
out of 5
159
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Cooking Notes
Eithan
This is better, in my opinion:
Combine the egg yolks and sugar with a whisk until the mixture is brighter and frothy. Put the bowl on bain-marie and whisk, adding the cognac from time to time. When the mixture is thick(this proccess can take 10-15 minutes. If you got a thermometer, it should be around 145-150°F), take down the bowl to a bath of ice water and mix. after two minutes of mixing, add the espresso and continue to mix until the mixture has cool down. Pour to cups and freeze overnight.
David Look
From Tanis: You may omit the Cognac entirely, or substitute 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
K
I wonder--did you use espresso grounds or prepared espresso? It should be the latter (3/4 c prepared espresso, or substitute the same amount of strong, dark coffee made using whatever brewing technique you usually use for coffee).
Dan
Made exactly according to instructions using 3/4 cup espresso made from my Nespresso machine. Came out smooth, creamy, and delicious- the entire family loved it. Not sure why so many other users had difficulty- I found this very straightforward to prepare as written.
MG
What do you do with the leftover egg whites?
Vmaria
Add them to an inlet or make merengue kisses. You could do several flavors with 6 egg whites. %20Search%20Recipe%20Card&pgType=search&rank=1
Nsabri
Agree with one of the other comments: the amount of espresso seemed like far too much, both in terms of consistency and taste.
A D
Tasts very nice, especially with the cognac! I added instant expresso mix, and no water which seems a little weird, but it tasted fine. However it was not very much, which is fine, but I may make a double batch next time if I have the eggs.
judy
Less coffee will make it less watery. Also, instant clear gel works miracles
Donna
I substituted chocolate liqueur for the Cognac, as well as using some vanilla sugar in place of plain (2 tbsp)
It took a while to thicken to the consistency of thickened cream; never really got to a custard thickness, but freezing it got it to a pudding consistency.
The taste - fabulous! A sprinkle of sea salt and cinnamon, and a bit of candied orange peel made it really superb.
david
Can anything nonalcoholic be substituted for the cognac?
David Look
From Tanis: You may omit the Cognac entirely, or substitute 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Eithan
This is better, in my opinion:
Combine the egg yolks and sugar with a whisk until the mixture is brighter and frothy. Put the bowl on bain-marie and whisk, adding the cognac from time to time. When the mixture is thick(this proccess can take 10-15 minutes. If you got a thermometer, it should be around 145-150°F), take down the bowl to a bath of ice water and mix. after two minutes of mixing, add the espresso and continue to mix until the mixture has cool down. Pour to cups and freeze overnight.
Dave
Can this dish be served without freezing? More as a traditional sabayon?
Charlene
These came out hard and frosty. The mixture never thickened. Perhaps someone needs to revisit the instructions.
JLew
This just didn't work at all. Perhaps I didn't whisk enough initially, but the amount of espresso seemed like entirely too much. It pretty much tastes like sugary espresso grinds. Perhaps I'll have to try again.
K
I wonder--did you use espresso grounds or prepared espresso? It should be the latter (3/4 c prepared espresso, or substitute the same amount of strong, dark coffee made using whatever brewing technique you usually use for coffee).
Fran
Not sure what went wrong here but this was frosty and thin with a watery base. Also too sweet made per recipe.
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