Difficulty: Easy
Yield: Serves 2
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 697, Total Fat: 4 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Carbohydrates: 127 g, Dietary Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 117 g, Protein: 2 g, Cholesterol: 11 mg, Sodium: 133 mg
Total Time: 5 hours (includes cooling and freezing time)
Active Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Craving the irresistible allure of an espresso martini without the late-night jitters? Skip the caffeine by brewing with decaf espresso at homethese frosty delights blend cocktail sophistication with dessert-like indulgence. Perfect for savoring after dinner with your favorite cookies, they'll elevate any evening into something special!

Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup instant espresso brewed as directed on the package
3 ounces coffee liqueur (for example, Kahlua)
3 ounces vodka
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Optional: whipped cream for topping
Optional: cocoa powder for dusting
6 espresso beans for garnish

Instructions

In a saucepan, gently heat the sugar and 1 cup of water, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves to create a simple syrup. Remove from heat and allow it to cool completely.
Pour the prepared instant espresso into an ice cube tray, then freeze until firm. This takes at least 4 hours, though freezing overnight works best.
When ready to serve, place the frozen espresso cubes into the blender pitcher along with the coffee liqueur, vodka, vanilla bean paste, and 2 1/2 ounces of the simple syrup. Blend until smooth. (Keep any leftover simple syrup for other uses.)
Pour the mixture evenly into two espresso glasses. Optionally, add a dollop of whipped cream on top, sprinkle with cocoa powder, and garnish each drink with three espresso beans.