So who the heck is Don Pedro anyway?
Well, he might be:
* a prince of Aragon in the Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
* an American actor
* a former governor of Guatemala
* a Latin-American restaurant in New York
* a dam
All very impressive, but to me, Don Pedro will only ever mean one thing: one of my favourite South African desserts.
I say South African, but truth be told, its name and its regular appearance on Argentine menus suggests that this is a South American import. How an Argentine boozy ice cream cocktail came to our shores is anybody’s guess, but its here to stay on every menu south of the Limpopo (and probably a few north of it as well!). Here in London, it is unknown (outside of a handful of South African and Argentine restaurants) and it is surprising how often after a meal I feel like one but can’t find it on the menu. The great thing is that it tastes like a cocktail, looks like a dessert and doesn’t fill you up too much. What’s not to like?
I guess you could describe it as a grown-up milkshake, consisting as it does of cream, ice-cream and booze, and the classic booze to use is whisky. However, in South Africa you can customise it according to what your favourite liqueur happens to be. Just like when you order a steak you will be asked to choose between chips, rice or baked potato, when you order a Don Pedro you will be asked whether you want it with whisky, Kahlua, Amarula or other more adventurous options like creme de menthe or tequila. Although mine is served with a restrained glace cherry, you can also have them with grated chocolate or whipped cream topping, just in case you feel the need to up your calorie intake…
Here’s the classic whisky version – enjoy!
DON PEDRO (per serving)
2-3 scoops good vanilla ice cream
25 ml whisky (or alcohol of choice)
50ml cream
a glace cherry to garnish
grated chocolate to garnish (optional)
Blend the ice cream, cream and whisky in a blender. Pour into champagne flutes and garnish with cherries or grated chocolate, as you prefer.
Cheers!