Affogato with Amarula and Vanilla Ice Cream

March is apparently coffee appreciation month.

Says who?

The internet, that’s who, and I welcome any excuse to drink more coffee.

And making yourself a fancy coffee at home when most of the world is practicing social isolation can be a real treat.

A friend, in her second week of lockdown, wrote in a group chat how she can now have a shot of Amarula in her morning coffee and no one could judge or stop her.

And straightaway I thought, ‘oh, Amarula affogato’.

An Italian dessert meaning ‘drowned’, an affogato combines a shot of espresso and ice cream, and was commonly served at the end of dinner parties to save the hostess from having to serve both coffee and dessert.

I remember having my first affogato as a teen from this tiny hole-in-a-wall café my sister would frequent, letting the ice cream melt a little so that the coffee was still nice and strong, but just slightly less bitter for my yet unrefined caffeine palate.

Nowadays, affogatos are served far and wide, with or without an extra shot of alcohol, flavoured ice creams, and more often than not, topped with a sauce or something crunchy that you might not have thought to pair with coffee.

Traditionally, an affogato was a scoop of vanilla ice cream, topped with a shot of espresso and a shot of amaretto; now, the flavour combinations are really only limited by your own tastes. I’ve listed some possible flavour combinations below the recipe as a starting point.

So, with just a couple more days left in coffee appreciation month, treat yourself to your own version of an affogato with whatever flavour combinations you can create from the ingredients you have on hand. And if you make a good one, let me know!

Affogato with Amarula and Vanilla Ice Cream

An Italian coffee-based dessert made with freshly brewed espresso, Amarula liqueur and vanilla bean ice cream

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Course: Brunch, Dessert, Drinks

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Amarula, coffee, ice cream

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 serve

Author: Eff | Food Daydreaming

Equipment

• Stovetop Espresso Maker
• Dessert/Cocktail Glasses
• Long Mixing Spoons

Ingredients

• 1 to 2 scoops vanilla ice cream
• 1 shot of espresso
• 1 shot of Amarula, optional
• Amaretti or chocolate biscuit crumbs, optional

Instructions

• Add 1 to 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream into a dessert glass.
  1 to 2 scoops vanilla ice cream
• Pour in the espresso while it’s still hot so it will start to melt the ice cream.
  1 shot of espresso
• Add the shot of Amarula, if using, and top with amaretti or chocolate biscuit crumbs for some added texture.
  1 shot of Amarula
• Alternate between sipping the coffee and eating the ice cream with a long spoon.
  Amaretti or chocolate biscuit crumbs

Cook along with me

Notes

Possible flavour combinations:

Ice cream: caramel, cherry, chocolate, cookies and cream, espresso, matcha, mint, vanilla

Liqueur: Amaretto, Amarula, Baileys, Crème de Menthe, Frangelico, Irish Whiskey, Spiced Rum

Toppings: Amaretti or chocolate biscuit crumbs, caramel syrup, chocolate covered coffee beans, chocolate syrup, crushed hazelnuts, maple syrup, sea salt

And if tea is your thing, you can try pouring a dirty chai over some vanilla bean ice cream. Or during summer, swap out the hot espresso for cold brew, grab your spoon, and enjoy.

Nutritional information powered by Whisk.

Did you make this recipe?Mention @food_daydreaming or tag #fooddaydreaming on instagram. I love seeing what you all come up with!

Nutrition

Calories: 69.53kcal | Carbohydrates: 8.34g | Protein: 1.38g | Fat: 3.38g | Saturated Fat: 3.11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.85g | Cholesterol: 14.19mg | Sodium: 21.04mg | Potassium: 116.27mg | Vitamin A: 33.66IU | Vitamin C: 0.09mg | Calcium: 52.41mg | Iron: 0.09mg