Espressino
Espressinoes-press-EE-no
A small glass with chocolate in the bottom, espresso, and soft milk foam on top, often with more chocolate or cocoa over it. It is sweeter and creamier than a marocchino, and in southern Italian bars it is the treat you order in the afternoon.
At a glance
- Espresso : milk
- 1:1.5
- Active time
- 2 min
- Total time
- 4 min
- Makes
- 1 small glass
- Serve
- Hot, in a glass
- Kit
- Espresso machine
Ingredients
Note: Some bars use chocolate syrup, some melted chocolate, some hazelnut spread. All are espressino. The spread version is the sweetest.
Method
-
Chocolate in the bottom
Spoon the melted chocolate or spread into a warmed small glass and swirl it so it coats the bottom and a little up the sides.
-
Espresso on top
Pull a single espresso straight onto it. Give it one stir so the chocolate softens into the bottom third of the coffee, but leave it unblended.
25 to 30 seconds -
Creamy foam
Steam the milk to a creamy, glossy microfoam, slightly wetter than for a marocchino, and pour it in to fill the glass.
Steam 10 seconds -
Finish and serve
Dust with cocoa or drizzle a little melted chocolate across the top. Serve with a small spoon for the chocolate at the bottom.
Why this works
An espressino sits between two better-known drinks. A marocchino is unsweetened, dry and layered, with cocoa and stiff foam. A mocha is a large sweet latte. The espressino takes the marocchino's size and the mocha's sweetness, and that makes it the easiest of the three to love.
Real chocolate or a spread behaves very differently from cocoa powder. Cocoa butter melts at around 34°C, just below body temperature, so chocolate softened by hot espresso coats the tongue and carries flavour for longer than dry cocoa does. The sugar in the chocolate also tames the espresso's bitterness, which means the drink needs no extra sugar.
The milk is foamed wetter than for a marocchino. Glossy microfoam integrates into the coffee where it touches, giving the middle of the glass a soft, latte-like texture, while the stiffer dry foam of a marocchino sits on top as a separate layer. That one change is most of the difference in how the two drinks feel to drink.
The name simply means little espresso, and the drink is a bar improvisation rather than a regional classic with a documented origin. You will find it across southern Italy, in Naples above all, with each bar making its own version. Ask for one in Milan and you are likely to get a marocchino.
Variations
- Espressino freddo: espresso, chocolate and cold milk shaken over ice, topped with cold foam.
- With Nutella: the most common southern version. Use a heaped teaspoon.
- With pistachio cream: popular in Sicily and increasingly everywhere.
- Without milk: espresso straight onto chocolate, which is closer to an Italian caffè con cioccolato.
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Questions
What is the difference between an espressino and a marocchino?
An espressino is sweeter and creamier, made with chocolate or chocolate spread and glossy steamed milk. A marocchino uses unsweetened cocoa and a stiff, dry foam and is drunk in layers.
What does espressino mean?
Little espresso. It is a bar name rather than a formal one, and each bar makes its own version.
Can I use Nutella in an espressino?
Yes, that is the common southern Italian bar version. A heaped teaspoon in the bottom of the glass, softened by the hot espresso.