Affogato with chocolate gelato (and amaretto)

When I made this affogato the other day, it was late afternoon after a fairly long, hot, and busy day. I was tired but wanted to put one together so I could take a few clicks while it was bright out. Well...let me just tell you that I dug my spoon in, took one bite, and the world was right again.  I think I felt the earth shift back into place like a puzzle piece slotted into its proper home.

Maybe it was just the caffeine-sugar-chocolate-slightly boozy hit that I needed that late afternoon but I put the camera down and just sat back and enjoyed my first affogato - which translates into "drowned" in Italian.  It is simply gelato (or ice cream) topped with a shot of espresso.    

I highly recommend adding a splash or two of liqueur.  I'm not automatically one for alcohol in my desserts but the amaretto liqueur I went with works really well here.  The combination of rich chocolate gelato with the almond flavor of the amaretto, together with the hot espresso and teeny bit of fresh whipped cream created a little bit of magic in a glass.

I asked myself: How have I not only never made, but never had, this before?!

The marvelous thing is this is very easy to make.  I used homemade chocolate gelato, a wonderful recipe I blogged about here but you (and I) could certainly use store-bought gelato or ice cream, and any flavor at that.  For me, chocolate reigns supreme and we all know how wonderful the combination of chocolate and coffee is!

Once your gelato/ice cream is in place, all you need to do is pour a shot of hot espresso over it.  To make my espresso, I simply used espresso powder, which I always have in my pantry for baking. I'm no coffee connoisseur and while I realize that a true espresso with that coveted crema on top would make a far better affogato, taking this necessary shortcut more than sufficed (in fact, was excellent) for me.  Espresso is normally way too strong for me to drink straight-up but in this dessert, it's a whole other happy story.

Next, I added a healthy splash of amaretto liqueur and topped the affogato with a dollop of freshly whipped cream.  If you have any biscotti, ladyfingers, or amaretti cookies lying around the house, this is a great place to serve one alongside.  

Everything melds together - it's cold, it's warm, it's smooth and soothing.  It's sweet yet a little bitter.  It is a wonderful grown-up dessert.  As you can probably tell by now, I liked it a lot more than I thought I would.  I love a happy discovery!  My husband agreed with my assessment; when I made him his first one that night, his only complaint was that his portion was "too small"! 

I waited too long to have my first affogato but now that I'm in on the secret, I'm quickly making up for lost time.  Better late than never!


This has got me thinking that Starbucks should really start carrying and serving their ice cream in stores.  And not only that, they should put affogato on the menu!

In fact, we should see affogato more often in cafes and restaurants.  They'd be served with the ice cream ready scooped into a coffee cup or glass, with the espresso and any accompaniments alongside. That way, a person can pour the fresh espresso right over the ice cream just before digging in.  It's something people could enjoy all year round since it's both cold and warm.  I'd argue you can have it any time of day, too.

Recipe:

Affogato with Chocolate Gelato (and Amaretto)

Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis and Martha Stewart

- For 2 servings (perfect for date-night) - 

Approximately 1 cup chocolate gelato (or ice cream of your choice)

1/4 cup boiling water

1 1/2 teaspoons espresso powder

2 tablespoons (or so) Amaretto liqueur (optional; or you could use another liqueur such as Frangelico)

Optional garnishes: Lightly whipped cream (I simply hand-whip about 2 tablespoons of heavy cream with a splash of vanilla extract); also consider serving affogato with biscotti, ladyfingers, amaretti or other similiar cookies

In a measuring cup, dissolve espresso powder in the boiling water.  Place approximately 1/2 cup of gelato into each of two small glasses.  Pour 2 tablespoons of the hot espresso over each glass.  Add about a tablespoon of amaretto liqueur to each.  Top each with a dollop of whipped cream, if using. Serve immediately.