Hot chocolate affogato

Remember when I discovered affogato?  It was love at first bite.  I think my husband and I had it every night for dessert for about 6 nights straight.  Our little one was a little peeved and intrigued. He'd say "you're having affogato again?" when he'd see me setting up for it around his bedtime.

Well, I hate to leave my little one out so this hot chocolate affogato was for him.  I came across a picture of it from Bon Appetit.  I showed it to my son, whose eyes lit up, and he requested it right away.  I managed to make him wait a bit but finally made a version for him recently.

Ice cream drowned in hot chocolate.  I don't need to say we all enjoyed it thoroughly.  It was another instance where I asked myself why I haven't done this before!  Better late than never.

For our cups of hot chocolate affogato, I used vanilla and mint ice cream.  To make it a little extra special, I added a spoonful of freshly whipped cream and sprinkled them with either dark chocolate or peppermint candy.  My little one kept sneaking more of that peppermint topping; I quickly realized I had to remove the bowl from him.

This is my kind of seasonal eating.  You know we're always being told, rightfully so, to eat what's "in season" and I'm hoping hot chocolate counts because it's clearly hot chocolate season and I hope you're taking full advantage of it like we are.

Throughout the holiday season (especially in December but we're starting earlier and earlier), I love to have hot chocolate "breaks" where my family and I drop everything and sit down to a little hot chocolate and some treats on a weekend afternoon.  It's just a way to take a pause and savor the holiday season.  This affogato is a little alternative for those breaks but cookies are still welcomed alongside, of course. 

I love the upcoming month of December.  As busy as it gets, I also feel like it's the calmest month and I make an effort to make sure it's relaxing and peaceful (that means a lot of online Christmas shopping!).  I hope you'll have time to savor the holidays with your family.  On a cold afternoon or night, make some hot chocolate, add some ice cream, and dig in together.  I think it'll remind you that yes, life is good...and that simple things can bring us a lot of joy.

What's your favorite type of hot chocolate?  Do you like it super rich and thick, made with real chocolate, or do you prefer one made with cocoa powder?  I did a funny, totally-informal hot chocolate taste test with my family a couple of years ago, with some surprising results.

For the affogato, I don't think you need super rich hot chocolate since you'll be adding ice cream.  I made hot chocolate using unsweetened cocoa powder as a base but I couldn't resist adding just a teeny bit of chocolate into it at the very end for a little bit of a thicker texture and some complexity.

Whatever you choose to do, take a cup or mug and add two scoops of your preferred ice cream into it (I like to pre-scoop in advance and have it in the freezer ready to go).  Then, just pour your favorite hot chocolate on top.  Additional toppings like whipped cream, chocolate shavings, peppermint candy, sprinkles, cherries, crumbled cookies, etc. are all optional (but so much fun if you want to make a little party out of it).

I think I can promise you that no one will complain.  Furthermore, I think it'll put a little Christmas spirit into anyone.

Cheers to the holiday season!


Recipe:

Hot Chocolate Affogato
Inspired by this recipe from Bon Appetit*

* You hardly need a "recipe" so consider this a rough outline.  Simply think: hot chocolate, ice cream, and optional toppings, and have fun with it.

- For 1 serving - simply multiply to make as many servings as you need -

1 cup of your preferred hot chocolate (see my "hot chocolate taste test" for ideas)
2 scoops ice cream, flavor of your choice
Optional toppings: such as whipped cream, chocolate shavings, crushed peppermint candies, maraschino cherries, sprinkles, or nuts

Place ice cream scoops into a cup or mug.  Pour hot chocolate over the top and add desired toppings.  Serve and enjoy immediately!