Standard Italian affogato consists of a scoop of vanilla gelato drowned in a shot of espresso. That’s too small a serving for something so good so we double the ice cream and coffee, and add a shot of Kahlua.
Cook’s notes
It’s one of the most magnificent desserts I’ve ever had. The first time I had affogato was at an art gallery that had been transformed into a small restaurant next to the home of a local artist. The late artist’s grandson was my daughter’s high school classmate and we went there at my daughter’s prodding.
The food was delicious but it was my first affogato experience that I still relish to this day. The chef brought ice cream in shot glasses and poured the espresso over the ice cream right there on the table. For dramatic flair, he let the espresso overflow and drip down the sides of the glasses. My eyes were wide as I gaped at the theatrics. And my heart was beating at the thought that what I was seeing was going into my mouth.
That was a long time ago. Affogato has since been demystified for us and we’ve been making it a home sans the drama of coffee overflowing and making a small pool on the saucer in which the coffee cup is laid on.
As delicious and unforgettable affogato is, the curious thing is how simple it is to make it. Just make ice cream (even store-bought works so long as the quality is good), scoop into an espresso cup, pour in piping hot espresso and serve. And we don’t serve affogato in shot glasses at home. We use something a bit larger. A demitasse is just the right size for us.
If you can get your hands on authentic Italian gelato, the better your affogato will be. Gelato is denser and richer than ice cream so, when it melts into the hot espresso, the mixture is thicker.
Do you drink affogato or do you serve it with a dessert spoon? If you’re in Italy, you’d drink it straight up. What we do at home is drink the melted portion and use a dessert spoon for the unmelted ice cream.
As delicious and unforgettable affogato is, the curious thing is how simple it is to make it. Just make ice cream (even store-bought works so long as the quality is good), scoop into an espresso cup, pour in piping hot espresso and serve. And we don’t serve affogato in shot glasses at home. We use something a bit larger. A demitasse is just the right size for us.
If you can get your hands on authentic Italian gelato, the better your affogato will be. Gelato is denser and richer than ice cream so, when it melts into the hot espresso, the mixture is thicker.
Do you drink affogato or do you serve it with a dessert spoon? If you’re in Italy, you’d drink it straight up. What we do at home is drink the melted portion and use a dessert spoon for the unmelted ice cream.Affogato with Kahlua
Ingredients
- 4 medium scoops vanilla ice cream (the best quality you can find if you can’t get gelato)
- 4 tablespoons Kahlua
- 4 shots espresso or very strong brewed coffee, about ⅔ cups
Instructions
- Drop the ice cream into two glasses.
- Stir the Kahlua into the espresso.
- Pour the coffee-Kahlua mixture over the ice cream slowly.
- Serve immediately.
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