Stout Floats with Cocoa Syrup

Stout Floats with Cocoa Syrup Bon Appétit | February 2011

by Alice Medrich

Slightly bitter beer, ice cream, and bittersweet cocoa syrup make for the perfect adult treat. Any leftover syrup will keep in the fridge for up to one month.
Yield: Makes 6 servings
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes (includes baking and cooling time)
ingredients
Cocoa syrup:
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder (spooned into cup to measure, then leveled)
2/3 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Floats:
1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons Kahlúa or other coffee-flavored liqueur
Chocolate ice cream
3 12-ounce bottles or 2 pints (about) chilled stout

Special equipment
6 iced-teaspoons
6 straws
preparation
For cocoa syrup:

Whisk sugar, cocoa powder, and pinch of salt in small saucepan. Pour 2/3 cup boiling water into heat-resistant measuring cup. Whisk just enough boiling water from cup into cocoa mixture in saucepan to form smooth paste (about 3 tablespoons), then whisk in remaining water. Bring to simmer over low heat, stirring constantly. Simmer syrup 1 1/2 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Cool to room temperature. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 weeks ahead. Cover; chill.

For floats:

Using electric mixer, beat cream and vanilla in medium bowl until peaks form. Cover; chill. Pour 1 tablespoon Kahlúa and 1 tablespoon cocoa syrup into each of six 10-ounce glasses. Place 1 scoop of ice cream in each glass. Add stout, pouring gently down side of tilted glass to prevent too much head from forming. Spoon dollop of whipped cream into each glass. Drizzle with cocoa syrup, place spoon and straw in each, and serve immediately.

Grenadine

Equal parts pomegranate juice and sugar. Put in a mason jar and shake like hell. Keep in freezer, won't actually freeze.

Watermelon Lemonade

From Smitten Kitchen, adapted from Bubby’s

Makes enough to fill two glasses with ice cubes; we quadrupled it to fill a pitcher. We already need more.

1/4 cup (2 ounces) fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup (4 ounces) fresh watermelon puree, strained through a coarse strainer to remove seeds
3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) simple syrup*
3/4 cup (6 ounces) cold water

Stir it all together and serve over ice. Garnish it with a thin watermelon or lemon wedge, if you’re feeling fancy.

Lemonade Syrup

Ingredients:

* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 1/2 cup boiling water
* 1 lemon of zest
* 1 1/2 cups lemon juice

Preparation:
Dissolve sugar in hot water, and remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and lemon zest. Let cool and keep refrigerated. To make instant lemonade, mix 1/4 cup of syrup with 3/4 cup cold water. Serve over ice.