What is affogato?
Do you have espresso? Do you have ice cream? Good. Now you have affogato.
Yes, it’s really that simple.
You won’t believe how delicious this two ingredient dessert tastes. Affogato is an Italian delight that is creamy in texture and rich in flavor. This dessert features buttery notes of vanilla ice cream and bold accents of espresso. The best part of affogato is that it is super easy to make at home and can be customized to be as simple or complex as you desire.
Classic Affogato
Ingredients:
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1 scoop fave ice cream
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1 shot of espresso from 1 Emblem Capsule
It really is that easy! Scoop your favorite vanilla ice cream in a cup or bowl of choice, pour over your espresso shot, and enjoy right away.
More affogato, more fun
Here are some fun ways we like to make affogato at home. We used different flavors of our Single Serve Espresso Capsules to emphasize the variety created with these treats. All of our capsules are compatible with the Nespresso Original coffee makers.
Espresso Martini Affogato
Espresso Martini Affogatos elevate any dinner party and serve as a great evening indulgence. Our Emblem Espresso Capsules have notes of rich caramel that serve as the perfect compliment to the clean and crisp characteristics that are typically found in vodka. In this recipe, we recommend adding Kahlua or another coffee liquor alternative to enhance that sweet coffee flavor.
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1 scoop of vanilla ice cream
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0.5 oz of vodka (your choice -- we used Smirnoff!)
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1 oz of Kahlua
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1 cup of ice
Place your scoop of ice cream in your favorite espresso martinis glass. Combine the espresso, vodka, and Kahlua in a shaker filled with ice. Shaking for 15 seconds will create a velvety foam that enhances the texture of this treat. Strain the contents of the shaker over your scoop of vanilla ice cream and enjoy this cold frothy drink!
Nighttime Treat - Cherry Pistachio Decaf Affogatos
Want a sweet coffee treat before bed but don’t want the caffeine? We’ve got you covered! In this recipe we will be using our Decaf Emblem Espresso Capsules. These pods hold all of the same delicious caramel richness of our classic Emblem Espresso, just minus the caffeine. In this recipe we have added pistachio and cherries -- two ingredients that have been proven to promote a great nights sleep. In this recipe we will use:
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1 scoop of vanilla (or pistachio) ice cream
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Fresh pistachios
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Cherry preserves or fresh cherries
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Optional: pistachio cream
You can use any version of cherries and pistachios in this recipe. (Honey roasted pistachios, salted, fresh cherry, maraschino...) Here's how we made ours.
If you decide to use pistachio cream, coat it along the sides of your bowl or glass of choice. Add your scoop of ice cream -- for this recipe we decided to use pistachio ice cream for a nuttier flavor profile. In the middle of your scoop, plop a table spoons worth of cherry preserves. Finally, pour decaf espresso over the ice cream to create a tart and nutty affogato. We topped ours with fresh cherries and chopped pistachio crumbles.
Churro Affogato
This one is for our sugar lovers. In this recipe, the star of the show is our Waypoint Capsule. This blend of espresso celebrates notes of cacao and brown sugar, and this sweeter take on affogato resembles that of a churro due to the crunchy texture of brown sugar and notes of cinnamon.
For this recipe you will need:
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1 scoop of vanilla ice cream
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1 tbsp of brown sugar
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1/2 tbsp cinnamon
Take 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream and place it into a bowl or glass. Mix together your brown sugar and cinnamon until all parts are combined. Take half of this mixture and add it to your prepared espresso until completely dissolved. This will enhance the rich caramelized flavor of the brown sugar in the Waypoint Capsule. Sprinkle the remainder of your brown sugar cinnamon over your vanilla ice cream to create a texture that resembles a churro. Finally pour your espresso over the vanilla ice cream and enjoy!
Regardless of if you prefer the classic ice cream + espresso combo, or if you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, there’s no shortage of ways you can mix and match this fun treat! Try one and see what you think.