Hello, Coffee? Meet Ice Cream. That, my friends, is "Affogato" (which means "drowned" in Italian). To be precise, I suppose it really means espresso (which is technically hot water forced through tightly packed coffee grounds at high pressure to produce an intense, bittersweet and creamy-tasting little sip of coffee) poured over gelato (dense Italian-style "ice cream"). But, we have the crummiest espresso maker known to man (and that was even before the tamper disappeared--probably dumped in the trash by a helpful toddler). Thankfully, I can make strong coffee and I am sure more of you have a coffee maker than an espresso maker anyway!
This is a lovely, impromptu dessert that despite its simplicity is elegant and delicious. I always loved coffee ice cream and this combines the bitter and acidity of the strong coffee with the creaminess of ice cream. Also, you can play with the ice cream flavors. Vanilla is certainly a classic but the pictures feature Sweet Chai Latte flavored ice cream (a new flavor by Haagen Daz which I am having a hard not plowing through because it is so awesome). Chocolate also would be yummy for those of you who are Mocha fans.
Ice Cream Affogato:
serves 4
1 pint high quality ice cream, any desired flavor that would go well with coffee
4 small cups very strong brewed coffee or espresso (2-4 ounces a piece)
Just before serving, scoop ice cream into individual bowls or large coffee mugs. Serve coffee or espresso alongside each bowl for each person to pour over their ice cream. Enjoy immediately.
*Also, adding a small amount of liqueur (such as amaretto or Frangelico etc.) to each adult serving would fancy things up a bit, if you'd like. Just add to the ice cream alongside the coffee.
Inspired by recipe from Martha Stewart's Dinner at Home
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