The affogato coffee A drink or a dessert? For the moment I will tell you that it is a simple delicacy that is prepared with two ingredients.
That mixes hot and cold, the creamy texture of an ice cream, and the foam of a good espresso.
Of Italian origin, the word affogato means “drowned. ” The history of the affogato attributes its creation to the famous fray Angelico.
A Franciscan friar who lived in the province of Cuneo in the Italian Piedmont region, during the seventeenth century and who was dedicated to the preparation of liqueurs. Especially the hazelnut liqueur that today we know as frangelico and coffee liqueur.
And what a day of culinary inventions, because it occurred to him to mix the vanilla gelato with the jet of espresso coffee.
In this article, I will tell you about the original recipe for Italian affogato. To include it in your barista menu, show it off with your friends, and enjoy it at home.
What is an affogato coffee?
This is the question we must clarify about affogato coffee. Is it a dessert that uses coffee or a coffee drink with added ice cream?
Well, let’s say that this time, the main ingredient of the Italian dessert is espresso. Although espresso is sugar-free and ice cream is hardly the sweet element, it is considered more of a dessert than a drink.
As I said before, it is a very simple recipe and it has been maintained over time. It is typical in restaurants and bars in Italy. It is original and with some variants.
However, it became more popular when the Starbucks chain created a drink called affogato frappuccino that gave rise to the original recipe.
How is affogato coffee prepared?
Originally to prepare an affogato coffee, the following is required:
- A cup or glass with a narrow base
- A spoon
- Fior di latte or vanilla ice cream
- Espresso.
Preparation:
Believe it or not, this preparation has its details. Take note.
In a glass with a narrow base and wide mouth, we add a generous scoop of fior di latte or vanilla ice cream .
Then add 20 ml of espresso coffee around the ice cream scoop to prevent it from melting so quickly. Remember that the best espresso you get with your Moka coffee maker or with the filtering method, but more concentrated.
The idea of using this type of glass or container is that the ice cream does not reach the bottom. So that when adding the espresso coffee layers are formed. The dark coffee is on the bottom, the ice cream scoop swimming in liquid, and the espresso foam on top.
I recommend that the glass is frozen or preserve the ice cream already in the glass in the refrigerator, thus reducing the effect of the heat of the coffee.
There are those who vary the flavor of the ice cream, although the original recipe is with fior di latte . A gelato made only with milk, sugar, and starch, without eggs.
If you don’t find this flavor available, then go for vanilla, which is the closest to the original recipe.
If it is for personal consumption or at home, you can add other ingredients, such as chocolate syrup, cookies, even baptized with some liquor.
However, when it comes to serving a barista service, the recipe only calls for well-regulated espresso coffee and very creamy Fior di latte or vanilla.
How is affogato taken?
The affogato coffee is served with a spoon to eat ice cream before it melts mixed with espresso. Then when everything melts you can drink normally.
The important thing is that you can feel the contrasts present in this presentation. The cold, the heat, the sweet, and the bitter, together with the nuances of the perfect coffee extraction.
Nothing limits you to trying variations that highlight the flavor profile of the coffee. Such as chocolate or caramel ice cream.
Or try the so-called affogato corretto that is accompanied with brandy or grappa. That is, with added liquor. I suggest you try Khalúa or creamy liquor and whiskey.
Affogato vs other types of coffee
From this simple preparation, other similar ones have arisen. They coincide in using hot and cold ingredients.
Such is the case of the Freddo broth. A somewhat more elaborate preparation, but that follows the same hot-cold principle.
It is a sponge cake bathed in liquor, under a layer of Italian coffee-flavored ice cream and topped with whipped cream with hot chocolate syrup.
I recommend that you experiment with the same affogato recipe, but mix everything with a blender to create a frappe drink.
Even tiramisu itself, the most classic of all Italian desserts, has a lot to do with affogato.
Conclusions
Finally, it is worth noting the versatility of coffee for any hot or cold recipe that you want to make.
Make your ingredient combinations to highlight different nuances. You could even make up your own version of affogato coffee. By the way, leave me the recipe in the comment and share it on social networks