This dessert is the Italian version of a hot fudge sundae. Traditionally it’s made with vanilla ice cream, but I love chocolate, so why not?

　　

Ingredients

4 servings

　　1/3 cup cold whipping cream

　　1/2 cup boiling water

　　1 tablespoon espresso powder

　　1 pint chocolate gelato or ice cream

　　

Step 1

In a medium bowl, beat the cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Cover and refrigerate the whipped cream until ready to use. (The whipped cream can be made 4 hours ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

　　

Step 2

In a 1-cup glass measuring cup, whisk the boiling water and espresso powder until the powder is dissolved. Scoop the gelato or ice cream into 4 dessert bowls or glasses. Pour 2 tablespoons of hot espresso over each, top with the whipped cream, and serve immediately.

　　Reprinted with permission from Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Copyright © 2005 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.