Considering the thrilling news about my book and the rising temperatures outside, it’s no surprise that ice cream has been on my mind lately. Starting off the season on a high note with one of my personal favorites, an affogato is the perfect transitional dessert for a lingering spring with a few sudden heat waves thrown into the mix.
Classically prepared with vanilla ice cream, the frosty scoops are unceremoniously drowned in steaming hot espresso, mingling for those few fleeting seconds to create a sensation that vacillates between hot and cold, cold and hot, and finally hot once more. It’s the kind of dessert that you can’t get wrapped “to go” at a restaurant, that you can’t get prepackaged; it must be enjoyed immediately, but above all else, thoroughly. Perhaps I love it so much because it really forces you to be in the moment, rather than mindlessly munching on stray cake crumbs or a few leftover cookies. It’s more of an experience than dish, when you get right down to it.
Of course, I’m hardly the sort to do anything traditional when it comes to food, so my flavors vary as wildly as the weather. The only constant has been that strong, dark shot of espresso poured on top… Until I discovered there was such a thing as chocolate tea. Pacha provided me with the opportunity to sample their cacao infusions, providing the inspiration for my inverse affogato. Instead of pouring espresso on top, why not freeze it as the ice cream instead? Steeped for twice as long and at double-strength, the chocolatey brew marries harmoniously with the creamy coffee ice cream, giving life to a new mocha flavor, as delicate as it is complex.
If the world is not black and white, why should all affogato remain merely vanilla and espresso?
Inverse Affogato
Espresso Ice Cream:
1 Can (1 3/4 Cup) Full-Fat Coconut Milk
1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Teaspoons Instant Espresso Powder or 1 Tablespoon Instant Coffee Powder
1 Tablespoon Arrowroot Powder
1/4 Cup Kahlua or Coffee Liqueur
To Serve:
Strong Brewed Cacao Tea, Hot
To make the ice cream, simply toss all of the ingredients except for the liqueur into a medium saucepan and whisk thoroughly. Make sure you break up any clumps before turning on the heat to medium. Whisk periodically until the mixture comes to a boil. Cook at a full boil for 2 additional minutes, and then remove the pan from the burner. Add in the liqueur last, stirring to incorporate. Let cool to room temperature and then chill thoroughly for at least 3 hours before churning in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Once churned, transfer the fresh, soft ice cream into an air-tight container and stash it your freezer for at least 3 hours before serving.
To serve your affogato, simply scoop the ice cream into a heat-safe dish and pour as much of the hot cacao tea on top as desired. Eat immediately!
Makes About 1 – 1 1/2 Pints Ice Cream