It's hot, I want an ice cream, but quick, right! But I also want an espresso... well, then let's just mix the two things. That's how the affogato, i.e. the espresso with vanilla ice cream, came about. In the following lines, we'll explain how this delicious Italian dessert made of coffee and ice cream really came about, where the affogato comes from and whether there are any other interesting variations.
Espresso with vanilla ice cream - the creation of the "Affogato"
The birth of Affogato coffee seems to lie in modern times. But there are two stories of its origin - everyone can choose their own. The first sounds logical and the second sounds interesting.
Although there is no fixed date, it seems that affogato became popular in Italy in the 1950s, when ice cream production was industrialized and modernized. No one here knows exactly how the dessert came about. As a reminder, until World War II, ice cream was made from snow that was collected in winter and then stored in deep underground caves. This origin of espresso with vanilla ice cream seems logical. In Italy, people like to put things in their coffee: biscuits, croissants, etc.
Returning to the other possible history of affogato, there is a version that attributes its creation to the famous Franciscan friar Angelico, who lived in the province of Cuneo in the Italian region of Piedmont in the 17th century and dedicated himself to the production of liqueurs. First of all, the hazelnut liqueur that we know today as Frangelico and coffee liqueur. Those who insist on this version say that one day he had the idea of mixing vanilla ice cream with a shot of espresso. Why not? The first version fits better chronologically, but in our opinion it is unimportant, since the important thing is to enjoy a good affogato.
Espresso with vanilla ice cream – the recipe
Affogato means "drowned". That's logical, because the scoop of vanilla ice cream drowns in the espresso. Or rather in the espresso doppio. But from this point on, opinions differ completely as to how to make an espresso with vanilla ice cream. Even the Italians don't agree - some add a dash of liqueur to the ice cream and coffee, others top it all off with whipped cream, etc. Let's just start with the basic recipe and then work our way forward to all possible variations.
- A scoop of vanilla ice cream in a larger cup
- Pour double espresso over it
- Spoon out and enjoy
Espresso with vanilla ice cream – the recipe without a scoop
There is also a new-fangled - or stylish - version. Here you need creamy ice cream, like you can find in almost every good ice cream parlor. Then the barista takes the ice cream and scrapes it off the edge of the cup, creating the exact opposite of a ball. This creates a cup with a funnel made of ice cream and you then pour the espresso into the middle - into the hole. Not only does it look chic, it tastes just as good. We had our catering customers, the Energy Lab in Farchant, do the whole thing and filmed them doing it. As always, you can admire the results on our social media channels.
Espresso with vanilla ice cream – The ingredients
Affogato is a bit like pizza: even the bad ones are still pretty good. But if you want to get the best out of Italy's two culinary treasures, you have to pay attention to the quality of the basic ingredients - especially because there are so few of them! In the case of affogato, you absolutely need two things: first-class vanilla ice cream and really good espresso, ideally your favorite espresso from Wildkaffee. It is important that it is an espresso or an espresso doppio and not a filter coffee, because then you have an iced coffee. The world would not end because of that, because it tastes very good too. And with vanilla ice cream, it is best to make sure that it is made with real bourbon vanilla and not with extract or something similar. You can easily tell by the little black dots in the ice cream.
Espresso with vanilla ice cream – the variations
We already know that the Italians use the affogato as a basic recipe. Garnish with whipped cream or even add a dash of liqueur. However, very few ice cream parlors in Italy serve vanilla ice cream, so they use crema, i.e. cream ice cream, or fiordilatte, milk ice cream. Here we have become vanilla ice cream, because unlike the other two, you can find this in every ice cream parlor. But the fact is that there are already many variations: with nut ice cream, chocolate ice cream and also pistachio or almond flavor. Individual taste preferences play a big role in choosing the right scoop of ice cream.
There is one taboo, however: using coffee ice cream, because the different coffee flavors of the ice cream and the espresso usually don't harmonize.
Espresso with vanilla ice cream – the quantities
You can't really go wrong with this recipe. A scoop of vanilla ice cream and an espresso. We prefer a double espresso, though, simply because we then have more to spoon. If you want, you can also use two scoops of ice cream, but then you should really use an espresso doppio, so that the coffee-ice cream ratio is not right. For a change, you can also cut the ice cream into cubes beforehand so that it looks like ice cubes. Or you can serve all the ingredients separately, so that each guest - if there are guests - can have fun pouring the hot espresso onto the ice cream. And if you add liqueur, everyone can mix their own affogato
Espresso with vanilla ice cream – our suggestions
Now it's our turn to recommend new variations of the Affogato. Let's start with the simplest thing: a different type of ice cream. For example, you could use a scoop of dulce de leche, the creamy sweetness harmonizes perfectly with the bitterness of the espresso. Or maybe a scoop of cinnamon ice cream, which will remind you of Bulletproof Coffee with the fat and cinnamon in the ice cream. If you want something unusual, you can of course go for more daring ice cream flavors: maybe strawberry or raspberry, coconut or mint, orange or marzipan. We could go on and on with the list. It's up to each individual to find the best or favorite type of ice cream.
Espresso with vanilla ice cream – sometimes with a shot
The Italian himself also has the Affogato recipe with a shot - that is, with a sip of nut liqueur or amaretto. We can do that too and say, why not just create the White Russian cocktail as a dessert. Nothing could be easier. You will need:
- A scoop of ice cream (vanilla works too, but cream is closer to the original recipe )
- A shot of good vodka
- An espresso or an espresso doppio
Espresso with vanilla ice cream – crunch, crunch, crunch
We just mentioned the importance of contrasts. That's why we think you should serve something crunchy with such a creamy dessert. For example, you could sprinkle roughly crushed amaretti biscuits on top or serve it with cantuccini. Maybe just stick an ice cream cone into the scoop of vanilla ice cream. You could even replace the vanilla ice cream with cookies - or add them - and pour the espresso over it. To do this, you will need:
- A scoop of vanilla ice cream
- Cantuccini or other biscuit-like
- An espresso or an espresso doppio
And here too, the rule applies: whatever tastes good is allowed! We call this affogato “The Wild Crunch” .
Espresso with vanilla ice cream – the contrast
Vanilla, creaminess of the ice cream, coffee aromas. All of this goes very well together. But - and this is especially true for the palate - contrasts and opposites often play an important role. Sweet and sour, chocolate and fruit, creaminess and crunchiness. So here is our suggestion for the fruity version of an espresso with vanilla ice cream. You will need:
- Light roast of wild coffee, a fruity coffee
- A portafilter machine
- vanilla icecream
- Cup and spoon
Espresso with vanilla ice cream - Conclusion
Espresso with vanilla ice cream is a delicious Italian dessert that is becoming more and more popular here. And the best thing about it is that you don't always have to stick to one recipe, because a scoop of ice cream with an espresso and maybe a few other ingredients always goes well together and is enjoyed by almost everyone. And here's another little tip: for those who don't like espresso or can't tolerate it, you could make the affogato with cocoa, or for example with matcha instead of an espresso. Nothing stands in the way of enjoying this Italian dessert.
