But, what if you didn't have to choose? What if you could have the perfect drink at any seasonal time?
Not only that, but what if you could infuse your coffee with something sweet? Presumably you'd enjoy this sort of thing if you're not the kind of person who shoots back shots of espresso black.
I recently walked with my partner to a café near my home and we celebrated my birthday by ordering something new to try rather than sticking to my old, yet reliable, go-to's of a caramel macchiato or a maple cinnamon latte.
I chose the oddest-sounding thing and was more than pleasantly surprised to be given something I could simultaneously eat and drink that wasn't soup or a smoothie.
I was blessed with an unforgettable affogato, which is fortunately so easy to make you'll be kicking yourself that you haven't been making it all this time. I definitely was.
But, anyways, although the perfect time to start anything was in the past, the next perfect time to start anything is always in the present. With that being said, summer is coming up and it's the perfect season to brew yourself a lovely affogato delicacy to enjoy.
For those of you who don't know what an affogato is, don't feel bad, because I only just learned about it myself about a week or two ago, and I make a living as a coffee specialist...
An affogato is an Italian coffee-based dessert. It involves a hefty scoop of plain or vanilla-flavored gelato or ice cream and a freshly brewed single shot of espresso poured over to drown the whole thing in a sizzling delicious mix of icy-hot sensations.
Sounds good, right?
Also, fun fact, the word affogato in Italian literally means "drowned," so you want to be sure that you're not skimping out on the ingredients here.
By the way, the ice cream or gelato doesn't have to be vanilla-flavored. The one I tried for the first (and so far only) time was a chocolate orange vegan one made out of cashew milk. It was unbelievably amazing!
The recipe for this is even more simple than the one I wrote about for Dalgona coffee, which can be found by clicking here.
- Choose your favorite ice cream or gelato and scoop it out into a bowl or plop it on a cone if you've got one. Don't be shy now.
- Use an espresso machine to pour a shot generously over your treat. If you don't have one, you can try over-steeping your coffee in a French press to make it a bit stronger.
- Pour the espresso over the ice cream or gelato and enjoy quickly with a spoon before it all melts.
And, that's it!
So, next time you want to sound like a coffee connoisseur while also feeling like a skilled barista at home, why not try whipping yourself up this creative concoction with your own unique twists and impress your guests and their taste buds?
Want to stand out even more? Try serving these dessert scoops in wine glasses or champagne flutes for an even more impressive presentation.
Still craving more self care tips as good as this one?
Check out this self care list for a wealth of ideas and activities to engage in after you've enjoyed a nice cool toasty affogato treat. You're sure not to forget about this one.
Please do let me know in the comments if you try this recipe or your own version of it!
Daria :)