Impress Guests this Festive Season with Five Indulgent Nespresso Recipes

If it’s your turn to host this holiday season, it’s time to start thinking about how to wow your guests. Whether it’s a brunch, lunch or dinner you’re planning, one of the easiest ways to win over family and friends is by taking their daily coffee order to the next level. What I love about coffee is its versatility. It can be enjoyed black, with milk, hot, over ice, in cocktails, mocktails or even savoury dishes and sweet desserts – meaning plenty of opportunities to surprise and delight your loved ones.

To make things even easier, each year, Nespresso releases new limited-edition festive coffees with unexpected flavours you won’t find anywhere else. This year, the range of coffees includes Almond Croissant and Peanut & Roasted Sesame (for Original and Vertuo machines), and Unforgettable Espresso (for Original), and Unforgettable Double Espresso (for Vertuo).

While all these coffees are a treat in their simplest form, using one of my five festive recipes will be sure to impress every coffee lover. The best part is, they’re simple to make and you can recreate all these recipes using any Nespresso machine.

For a moreish morning

Transport your guests to a cosy Parisian Cafe with my Pain au Chocolate Cappuccino. I recommend adding the chocolate powder to your coffee before pouring in any frothed milk, this creates a photographic chocolate pattern in your Cappuccino. Use our Medium Barista Cappuccino Cup for the perfect volume and serve with a Pain au Chocolat pastry for extra indulgence.

Method for Pain au Chocolat Cappuccino:

1. Add 1tbsp chocolate sauce to a Medium Barista Cappuccino cup.
2. Extract 80ml of Almond Croissant Flavour over the chocolate sauce and stir to combine.
3. Heat and froth 120ml of your preferred milk using your machine highest froth setting.
4. Dust the coffee with chocolate powder, then pour your milk to create a Cappuccino.
5. Sprinkle the flaked almonds over top.
6. Serve with a Pain au Chocolat pastry.

For a summer brunch

Add a cool, nutty twist to your daily cup with my Peanut Butter Iced Latte. Perfect for a summer morning, it’s smooth, sweet, and silky over ice. Thoroughly mix in the peanut butter, to prevent the oils seizing against the ice. The layers of milk, coffee, ice and peanut butter creates a drink that both looks and tastes amazing. Watch the milk marble in a Barista Recipe Glass or take it to go in a stylish Travel Tumbler.

Method for Peanut Butter Iced Latte:

1. Add 1tbsp peanut butter and 1tsp sugar and into a small glass.
2. Extract 40-80ml of Peanut & Roasted Sesame Flavour over the peanut butter/sugar and stir vigorously, or use a hand frother to combine.
3. Add ice cubes to a Barista Recipe glass and add 120ml cold oat milk.
4. Pour coffee peanut butter and sugar mixture over the top. Stir and enjoy.

For an afternoon treat

My indulgent Affogato can be enjoyed in the afternoon or as an after-dinner dessert. Coffee and ice cream come together to sweeten your Espresso, while the chocolate sauce and slivered almonds add a textural crunch.

Method for Affogato:

1. Add 2 ice cream scoops to a bowl.
2. Add 15ml coffee liqueur or leave this step for an alcohol-free version.
3. Extract 40-80ml of Unforgettable Espresso or Double Espresso down the side of the glass – this will create a moat around the ice cream.
4. Drizzle the chocolate sauce over the ice cream and sprinkle slivered almonds over top.

For an indulgent evening

Sit back and relax with my Espresso Amaretto Sour, a delicious and balanced cocktail recipe. This cocktail imparts sweetness and tartness, with an egg white for that classic froth on top. Use the Barista Cocktail Shaker to combine everything and strain into your glass. A non-alcoholic version of this cocktail is also available.
Enjoy responsibly.

Method for Espresso Amaretto Sour:

1. Extract 80ml of Almond Croissant Flavour into a small glass with ice to chill coffee.
2. Fill shaker 2/3 full with ice.
3. Add 90ml Amaretto, 60ml lemon juice, dash of bitters, egg white and chilled espresso to shaker, place lid on securely and shake vigorously for 15 seconds.
4. Strain between two Barista Cocktail glasses and finish with an extra dash of bitters on each drink, and a lemon wedge and cherry garnish.

For a decadent dessert

And lastly, my Coffee Granita is the perfect final act for your Christmas gatherings. This is my absolute favourite and, in my opinion, the star of the show. This refreshing and icy dessert features sweet nuttiness with a generous serving of ice cream, and it can be prepped the night before! For added flare, I recommend serving it in a Barista Cocktail Glass while your guests enjoy this sweet post-dinner treat.

Method for Coffee Granita:

1. Extract 230ml of the Peanut & Roasted Sesame and pour directly into a large baking dish.
2. Add 2tbsp sugar and 30ml coffee liqueur to coffee in baking dish and stir until sugar is dissolved.
3. Cover and freeze overnight.
4. Using a fork, break apart the frozen coffee to a shaved iced consistency (granita).
5. Create a bed of granita in a Barista Cocktail glass, then add a scoop of peanut butter ice cream on top.
6. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.
   So, no matter who is coming to visit this year, you’ll have a delicious coffee recipe to suit any preference or occasion.