Traditional Affogato
The Affogato
The affogato is simple to make yet very versatile, so whether you like it traditional or want something a little more modern this caffeine fuelled treat is sure to please your tastebuds. We take a look at the basics of how to make an affogato and some interesting tips you might like to try, to mix it up.
The Traditional
This happens to be one of my personal favourites, I enjoy the creaminess of the delicious vanilla ice cream as it melts into the rich, strong smooth espresso that is poured over the top. While it is simple - it is very important to make sure the components are at their best by brewing fresh, quality coffee and using a great quality ice cream.
To make a traditional affogato start with your vanilla ice cream or gelato. Personally I like to make my own ice cream given that it is so quick and easy to make, you can find a recipe for it here: Easy Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe. You want to scoop one or two firmly packed and generous sized scoops into a serving glass.
Follow this by freshly preparing your espresso, my preference is for a double ristretto extraction because it gives the desired strength with less chance of negative acidic flavours. Now simply pour your espresso over the ice cream - and enjoy!
Mix it up
Now it's up to your imagination here and you will find in many cafe's around the country serving up their interpretations of a great affogato. I have listed a few options here that you may like to try.
Cold Brew Affogato
Follow the same procedure as you would for a traditional affogato but swap out your freshly brewed espresso for a pre-prepared cold brewed coffee instead. Why?? Well the ice cream isn't going to melt as quickly, but the real reason is the smooth flavour of the cold brewed coffee together with it's less acidic attributes makes it perfect - especially for a hot day.
Boozy Affogato
Why not try serving your affogato with a liqueur of your choice? Great for a desert, some of the options you may like to try are a few teaspoons of amaretto, then top the drink with some whipped cream! Or why not splash in a little cognac or frangelico and top with some roasted, crushed hazelnuts?
Ice-Cream - Your Choice
This ones a simple matter of dropping into your local gourmet ice cream or gelato shop and buying a take home pack of their ice cream which you can use as a substitute for vanilla ice cream.
A few tasty options that come to mind may be a white chocolate gelato, chocolate and peanut ice cream, belgian chocolate. You can hardly go wrong - just stay away from the fruit ones I would suggest.
So next time you want to incorporate your caffeine addiction into a desert, or just feel like something a little different why not try out an affogato? If you have any awesome combinations that you enjoy we'd love to hear about them, leave us a comment below!