Affogato (coffee and ice cream dessert)

Affogato, or affogato al caffè, is an Italian dessert made using espresso and vanilla ice cream which can be prepared in around 5 minutes.

First, you might ask yourself, what is affogato? Affogato is an Italian term meaning "drowned" and gives it's name to this dessert as the ice cream is simply drowned by espresso.

It is delicious in its most simple form but you can add your own touches with toppings such as chocolate, honeycomb, fudge or broken amaretti biscuits. You could also add a dash of rum, brandy or Tia Maria in the coffee for a touch of luxury.

This coffee and ice cream dessert is perfect for the summer when you don't want to spend too much time in the kitchen but can be enjoyed at other times of the year too.

For other quick and easy no bake dessert ideas you may also like to try this recipe for avocado chocolate mousse which can be prepared in around 10 minutes. Or you could try lemon mousse or white chocolate mousse with raspberries.

The quantities in this 5 minute recipe are based on one serving.

Ingredients for affogato

• 2 scoops vanilla ice cream
• A double shot of espresso or strong filter coffee (slightly warm)

Optional toppings:

• Dark chocolate shavings
• Chopped nuts such as pistachios, hazelnuts or almonds
• Chocolate batons

How to make affogato

Place two scoops of vanilla ice cream in a dessert glass, cup or small bowl.

Pour espresso over the ice cream. If you plan to serve your affogato dessert in a glass make sure the coffee is not too hot.

Add any decorations or toppings of your choice.

To serve

• Serve immediately. This dessert is not suitable for preparing in advance.
• Serve either with or without toppings.

Variations

1. Add toppings such as chopped fudge, honeycomb, chopped nuts or broken amaretti biscuits to create your own variations. If using chopped nuts consider using toasted nuts as they have more flavour (you can either buy them ready toasted or you can toast them yourself in a pan over a low heat).
2. Or you could add a drop of alcohol such as rum, brandy or Tia Maria to the coffee before pouring over the ice cream to make a more sophisticated version of this dessert.

Other quick and easy dessert recipes