Espresso and Ice Cream

Wikipedia says that “Anaffogato (Italian, “drowned”) is a coffee-based beverage or dessert. “Affogato style”, which refers to the act of topping a drink or dessert with espresso, may also incorporate caramel sauce or chocolate sauce.”

I think we should drown more desserts with espresso.  One simple treat that I have frequently enjoyed with friends and family lately is vanilla ice cream with a shot of espresso.  This dessert is super-easy to prepare, yet when presented well, it feels “special” and “indulging”.

To make this type of affogato, I usually put a few scoops of vanilla ice cream in a nice glass.  Glassware is important if you want to get the full experience of watching the hot espresso mix with the frozen ice cream.  I like to use a brandy glass (as pictured), but many other types would suffice.

The espresso needs to be made fresh, and quality does matter.  Fresh brewed espresso — complete with crema, the golden foam that comes along with well-shot espresso — makes the dessert so much more delightful.  Present the espresso in an espresso glass along side the ice cream.  The coffee and ice cream should not be mixed until it is time for it to be consumed, unless you are trying to make a coffee milk shake.

Pouring espresso into ice cream

When ready to enjoy, pour the espresso into glass with ice cream.  This is fun to do with guests — especially ones who haven’t done this themselves.  It is almost like letting your guests make their own dessert.  A very simple dessert, but it makes people smile.

After eating the ice cream and drinking the delicious liquid, smiles usual lead to laughter.

For a more substantial dessert, add biscotti.  Hey, affagoto is Italian – might as well stick with it.  I like cinnamon biscotti.

I have never served a dessert drink along with affagoto, but I imagine port would be a good pairing.  Any other suggestions?