There’s nothing we love more than to indulge in a delicious coffee treat. While travelling is off the cards at the moment, that shouldn’t stop you from immersing yourself in overseas culture. During lockdown we are learning to appreciate the simple pleasures in life, including the Affogato. The Affogato showcases how a somewhat simple recipe can be oh so good. But before we get to the recipe, it’s important to learn its origins for the full Italian experience. So, let's fly away to Italy and learn a little bit more about this coffee treat.
The Affogato
The term Affogato meaning drowned, refers to the preparation of the coffee treat. It is simply ice-cream or gelato with espresso poured over the top. Some variations also like to "drown" the ice cream with a shot of Amaretto or Kahlua - we'll leave that up to you to decide. We do have some excellent, tried and tested tips in our recipe that will make sure your Affogato tastes like its straight from Italy.
Origins
While this recipe is very renowned across the world, its origins are a little more mysterious. We do know the Affogato was created in Italy around the time of the Renaissance or “Rebirth” during the 14th to 17th Century. During this period Italy underwent great change in every aspect of life, including art, architecture, food and even coffee. Unfortunately, because of the lack of evidence surrounding the topic we can’t pinpoint when or who during the renaissance created the Affogato.
While the history is unclear, its still one of the most iconic Italian coffee recipes. Throughout the streets of Italy is quite common to come across the beautiful Affogato being served from Gelaterias. Traditionally these Gelaterias will serve the Affogato using Fior di latte. Fior de latte meaning flower of milk is a beautiful gelato. The flavour is quite different from anything we have tasted in Australian gelato stores, with it being described as the “milkiest milk…with a floral nuance” (Sarah Jampel ‘The Gelato Flavour to Measure all Gelato Shops by’ Bon A Fior Di Latte: The Gelato Flavor to Measure All Gelato Shops By | Bon Appétit (bonappetit.com)) This unique flavour of gelato pairs perfectly with the simple espresso shot it is later topped with.
Recipe
With such a simple recipe it’s important to make sure that every element is perfect. As well all know the Italians have perfected the art of the espresso. With one of the most common coffees served across Italy being the Caffè (an espresso shot). We recommend picking up a bag of our House Blend Coffee Beans to ensure a balanced flavour. The flavour of House Blend has been described as having tones of Toffee Caramel, Roasted Almonds and Dark Chocolate the perfect aromas to be paired with ice-cream or gelato.
We found that remembering Affogato means drowned was an excellent tip when trying out this recipe. Traditionally an affogato is made with only two ingredients. However, you can definitely add some Amaretto or Kahlua to yours for an afternoon pick-me-up (that’s what we love to do). We do recommend placing your glass in the freezer before preparing the dessert just so it will keep the ice-cream frozen for longer!
All you will need is:
- 1 glass
- 1 scoop of gelato or ice-cream (preferably Fior di latte however vanilla ice-cream works perfectly too)
- 2 shots of espresso (you can do one shot of espresso depending on desired strength)
- 30ml of Amaretto or Kahlua (optional)
Now to prepare:
- Place glass in freezer for about 30 minutes before making this recipe
- Brew coffee according to machine instructions to make 1-2 espresso shots.
- Place scoop of ice cream/gelato into glass
- Pour hot espresso shots over ice-cream/gelato
- Add Amaretto or Kahlua to the glass (optional)
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do! Please share with us on our socials if you tried this recipe out at home. And don't forget to try it out with our House Blend Coffee beans.
