How to Make Affogato? Creative Coffee with Espresso and Ice Cream?

If there's one food that's perfect for winter consumption, ice cream must definitely be on the list!!! And for coffee lovers, there happens to be a dessert that allows you to enjoy both coffee and ice cream—Affogato!

Many years ago, people were already creatively experimenting with what we now call creative coffee. For example, Con Panna with cream added to espresso, or Mocha imitating mocha flavors!

It can be said that almost anything can be added, including ice cream. And because these experiments started early, these "creative coffees" have stood the test of time and become traditional classics today, with Affogato being one of them. "Affogato" is the transliteration of the Italian word, which translates to "drowned" in English—legend has it that it signifies espresso drowning ice cream, which is indeed quite fitting. However, there's a major controversy about Affogato: should it be considered a coffee dessert or a coffee beverage?

Because it was developed based on espresso, most Italian-style coffee shops believe it should be classified as a coffee beverage. But the solid ice cream requires eating with a spoon, thus creating the controversy of whether it's a dessert or a drink. Although the controversy exists, people have reached a consensus on how to consume Affogato. When scooping the ice cream, one would also scoop up the espresso that has settled at the bottom of the cup, eating them together. This way, the intense sweetness of the ice cream carries the rich, bitter taste of espresso—the conflicting sensation created by these two very different flavors is like the finishing touch, leaving people amazed!

Traditional Affogato Components

Traditional Affogato uses vanilla-flavored ice cream. The fresh vanilla flavor can balance the bitterness of espresso, making it more suitable compared to other flavors. Espresso is typically extracted from darker roasted beans because this better highlights the sweetness of the ice cream. Besides the consideration of ice cream flavor, Affogato requires attention to another point... a good-looking cup! Otherwise, it might look like this...

Or like this...

But when you choose an appropriate cup, you can have this...

Or like this...

Making Affogato

The ratio for making Affogato is also very simple: ice cream and espresso in a 1:1 ratio. Prepare a scoop of ice cream in a cup, and additionally prepare a small pitcher to hold the espresso. When ready to serve, simply pour the espresso directly over the ice cream—it's very simple!

FrontStreet Coffee is rather lazy, so we usually just...

The Experience

In terms of the eating experience, the ice cream partially melts when drenched in hot espresso. This melted ice cream blends with the espresso, making the coffee's texture richer and the bitterness milder! Meanwhile, the addition of espresso to the ice cream creates a sense of contrast, allowing people to experience a completely different high-quality sensation!

Creative Variations

What FrontStreet Coffee mentioned above is just the classic version of Affogato. As times have changed, Affogato recipes have also evolved according to different regional cultures! For example, adding chocolate sauce or caramel sauce on top of the ice cream, or sprinkling cocoa powder or cinnamon powder to enhance aroma; you can also add nuts, cookies, or berries to increase the textural experience. Therefore, after experiencing the classic version, we can also unleash our creativity to create our own unique "Affogato."

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