What is an Affogato? Ice cream “drowned” with espresso!
An Affogato – also known as “affogato al caffe” – is a scoop of plain or vanilla flavoured ice cream, with a shot of hot espresso poured over the top.
[Sassy_Social_Share]Where did the Affogato originate? And what does it mean?
The traditional name for an Affogato is “affogato al caffe” or “affogato al caffè” or sometimes even “café affogato”. It literally means “drowned” in Italian. No one seems to know where it originated, but it first appeared in dictionaries in 1992.
Is the Affogato a dessert or a beverage?
It depends whether you eat it or drink it! Use either definition, who cares?
Variations
The variations are endless, and there’s really no right or wrong. Stick with the basics of a scoop of ice cream with an espresso poured over the top, and do what you want with it. Here’s some inspiration for you.
How about a Cold Brew Affogato?
Exactly the same as the regular version, but just topped with cold brew instead of hot espresso.
Jamie Oliver’s walnut-whip affogato recipe
Serves 4, ready in 9 minutes.
Ingredients
- 50 g dark chocolate
- 20 g unsalted butter
- 50 g shelled unsalted walnut halves
- 4 large scoops of vanilla ice cream
- 4 long shots of espresso
Method
- Melt the chocolate and butter with a pinch of sea salt in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, then remove.
- Reserving 4 perfect walnut halves for decoration, slice or crumble up the rest.
- Roll your ice cream into nice round scoops and divide between four teacups.
- Scatter over the sliced or crumbled walnuts, pour a shot of hot espresso into each cup, stick a walnut proudly on top, then drizzle over the melted chocolate.
Recipe from Jamie Oliver
The McAffogato Hack
So, ever found yourself near a McDonald’s, needing a coffee, but can’t quite face drinking one of their hot drinks? Yep, we’ve been there and done that. Check out this little hack, which might help you out of an un-caffeinated situation in the future.
About CoffeeCode
This article was written by Gregg Romano who is the founder of CoffeeCode, the UK’s fastest growing and most exciting coffee blog. CoffeeCode has a focus on great coffee, inspirational design and sustainability.
Credits:
Header image from illy.
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