In 2021, everyone might have heard of Affogato. It can be served hot and cold on many coffee shop’s menus. It has a creamy and rich texture that comes from the blend of two flavorful ingredients. Many people call it dessert, while some consider it a drink. It originally comes from Italy, but nowadays you can find it anywhere around the globe.
Who Invented Affogato?
The history of Affogato is a bit hard to dig in. However, according to Keiko Sato, who is an SCA-certified barista and a chief trainer at Santo Grão, a Brazilian coffee roaster and coffee shop, she showed that the birth of it emerged after the espresso machine invention, but it began to bloom after the 1900s.
What Is Exactly An Affogato?
The two most common ingredients to make it are vanilla ice cream and espresso. Originating in Italy, “Affogato” means “Drown” in English. This meaning refers to when the ice cream is drowned in the espresso.
To know more about it, let’s find out the seven best recipes for easy and delicious Affogato from this article.
#1. Know the Right Way to Prepare an Affogato
An affogato base is usually served with vanilla ice cream. Yet, you can use alternate choices by switching it to other ice-cream flavors beyond vanilla-like coffee, mocha, mint chip, caramel, or chocolate.
Meanwhile, a classic affogato is made with two scoops of ice cream to one shot of espresso. However, once you make homemade Affogato, this standardized ratio is adaptable. You can adjust your favorite ice cream and the amount of espresso you need.
#2. Prepare the Main Equipment and Ingredients to Make Affogato
- Espresso Machine
- Ice-cream scoop
- A drinking glass or mug
- Espresso shot
- Vanilla ice cream (or other alternatives)
- Favorable toppings (optional)
#3. Follow the instructions on How to Make an Easy and Delicious Affogato Step By Step
- First of all, make the espresso and let it cool down to room temperature.
- Then, prepare the glass or mug and let it chill in the fridge first.
- After that, ensure that the ice cream is frozen, and then scoop it into the glass or mug.
- Last but not least, you can pour the espresso over the ice cream and serve it instantly.
- To make your affogato taste and look more esthetic, you can sprinkle it with different types of nuts, shaved dark chocolate, and sliced or chopped almonds. Otherwise, you can fancy your Affogato with a shot of liquor-like Amaretto, Frangelico, or even coffee liqueur, to add more caffeine to this dessert.
#4. Vary the Affogato Recipes
Most practitioners only go with the conventional Affogato’s two essential ingredients because they are easy and tasty to make. Anyway, coffee experts mentioned you can experiment with various ice cream and espresso choices based on your imagination and edibleness.
For example, if you serve it with a double shot of ristretto instead of a single shot of espresso, the flavor of Affogato will be much more intensified. Therefore, the concentration of its savor will be modified based on the amount and types of espresso you use.
Besides, a coffee expert says that the affogato recipe variations could transform from simplicity to sophistication. For example, some people like to add syrups, biscottis, or even oilseeds for an extraordinary affogato version. What’s more, people could level up their affogato game by adding classy liqueurs and whiskeys such as Baileys, Kahlua, or wine as well.
#5. Initiate the Best Affogato Topping Ideas
No hesitation; you can always customize your affogato flavor as you wish. Here are the best affogato topping ideas you can follow:
- Sprinkling the shaved dark chocolate
- Swirling the chocolate syrup with a pinch of flaky sea salt
- Garnishing the caramel syrup with sliced pistachios or pecans
- Topping with whipped cream with a few chopped almonds or other nuts.
#6. Make an Affogato at Home
If you haven’t tried, you will be surprised at how simple it is to make an affogato at home. It doesn’t need many ingredients, equipment, and time to make.
What you have to invest in carefully is good ice cream and coffee. For the classic recipe, you don’t even need a brewing machine to make the espresso. If you have a Moka pot or a coffee percolator, that’s also enough to prepare a few shots of concentrated espresso you need. The last option that works is that you can even use instant coffee to make the espresso as long as it’s concentrated.
#7. Serve and Eat an Affogato Like a Pro
Serving Affogato in a mug is okay, but it’s a must to serve it in clear glass. It’s so satisfying to see the espresso is poured over the ice cream and let them melt together. Therefore, it’s better to keep the ice cream and the espresso aside so that you can witness the ingredients dissolve the moment you immediately serve it. You can add a splash of liqueur, too, if you love it.
FAQ
Here are the best tips with frequently asked questions about Affogato that you should know:
Since there are only a few ingredients to make this tasty recipe, you must be selective about coffee and ice cream. So make them as premium as you can.
It would help if you also let the serving glasses chill in the fridge beforehand. This act helps preserve the cold temperature for the ice cream better, prolonging the melting process when pouring the espresso on it.
Another practical tip is, if you are serving it for many people at once, you should prepare the ice cream in the glasses, probably one hour or two in advance. After that, let those glasses stay in the freezer until you’re ready to serve. After all, pour the espresso once you’re about to eat.
What Coffee Is the Best to Use for Affogato?
Any coffee bean is suitable to use. However, you’d better choose the espresso bean because it is the preferable way and is approved by worldwide coffee lovers.
Do You Eat or Drink Affogato?
Despite the controversy of how you consume it, this drink can be either sipped slowly or eaten with a spoon. Plus, it is the best combination to enjoy an individual serving that smells like coffee but tastes like dessert.
When Do You Serve an Affogato?
One short answer is you can enjoy it any time of the day. However, most Italians adore this simple homemade coffee dessert after their lunch or dinner. If you worry that the caffeine might keep you awake at night, you can substitute with decaffeinated coffee instead. This coffee dessert is as friendly as your best friend to chill during winter days or summer nights.
What Will Be the Future of Affogato?
Coffee experts assume that Affogato won’t evolve much in the future. They believe the classic recipe will remain conventional since the two main ingredients of coffee and ice cream are easy for people to find. So basically, there will not be much reason to change the originality of Affogato. However, you might see some evolution through additional flavors or extravagant decoration.
Although there are different affogato recipe variations, the original Affogato has not changed much since its first appearance more than a century ago. Whatever it takes, it doesn’t matter if it will advance in the future. The most important thing is that it is still one of the most loved coffee-based desserts worldwide.