I do not want to turn my oven and when I do I run away to the cooler part of the house. Summer is here and I love warm weather but on some days even in the Bay Area it can get rather hot. I recently had a couple of friends over for dinner and the best thing I could do for them and for me, was serve them this affogato at the end. An affogato which translates to “drowned” in Italian, is perhaps one of the easiest ways to prepare a dessert. The concept is simple; ice cream and coffee. But you have the option to play around with the flavor; the coffee for one is a good place to start and then of course the ice cream.
The ice cream I used in this version, is the Triple Chocolate TRIO Crispy Layers from Häagen-Dazs
which is made with Belgian white and milk chocolate that contains thin pieces of chocolate. When it meets the coffee, you end up with a delicious and decadent concoction. While this recipe gives you the backbones to make an affogato, you can and should play around. Sprinkle toasted chopped nuts like hazelnuts or macadamia, fresh cherries with a bit of Chambord or even Framboise. There are so many different kinds of seasonal fruit that can be paired with chocolate and for a more adult version, a splash of liqueur can go a very long way. Also you save $2 when you buy 3 participating Nestlé ice cream products at Safeway.
So for your next summer party, make an affogato and save yourself some time and have fun with your friends while you entertain. Stay cool and I hope you’re enjoying summer!
affogato
makes 4 servings
ingredients
14 oz ice cream (I used Häagen-Dazs ‘s TRIO-Triple Chocolate)
1 cup hot espresso or coffee (you can use a flavored one like hazelnut or vanilla)
Divide the ice cream equally between 4 serving mugs.
Pour 1/4 cup of the espresso or coffee over the ice cream and serve immediately.
Serving suggestions:
Add a 1/2 teaspoon toasted chopped hazelnuts/macadamia nuts. Tiny bits of marshmallows are also great here.
You can also add a splash (about 1 tsp) of Frangelico
Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Häagen-Dazs. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
