Salted Caramel Affogato
A delightful use for salted caramel, no-churn ice cream
So simple. So tasty. Salted caramel affogato, before garnishing with salted caramel drizzle.
Unlike most of my friends, I have a tentative relationship with coffee. I love the taste but am very sensitive to caffeine. I have to limit coffee drinking to the morning, and keep it to one cup. ‘Just drink decaf’ I hear you say? I’ve tried that - meeting friends at night for coffee and getting decaf. It still keeps me up at night. (insert facepalm here)
So, I approach it with caution and make coffee a treat. I make it something to truly enjoy, when I take the time to make it. Affogato is one of the nicer ways to enjoy coffee as a treat. Affogato is traditionally a dessert; affogato means drowning - a reference to vanilla gelato or ice cream drowned in espresso.
Since I don’t drink coffee so frequently, I don’t keep an espresso maker handy, nor coffee in an espresso grind. What I do have is a beautiful and practical Chemex coffeemaker, and custom ground beans for use in it both from Full City Rooster Coffee Roasting Studio here in Dallas. If you’re in the area, I highly recommend trying them out, whether by Covid-safe to-go visit, or ordering online for local delivery. Saving that, or actually having an espresso maker, use your preference of dark, strong coffee or even instant espresso if you have some on hand!
If you’ve read the handful of prior posts on this blog, you’ll have seen the article on no-churn ice cream. I’ve been finding fun ways to use all of it up. As I made a batch of salted caramel ice cream last week. The idea for a salted caramel affogato popped into my head suddenly. I thought, caramel machiatto is a thing… why wouldn’t salted caramel be good with espresso? The modest saltiness with the burnt sweetness of the caramel is balanced beautifully with the slight bitterness of the espresso. If you have these ingredients handy, I highly suggest trying this simple combination out.
It takes only as long as making coffee, if the ice cream is already made. If you, like me, happen to keep a bottle of salted caramel sauce handy in the fridge, it makes for a delightlfully over-the-top garnish. Yum!!!
Ingredients:
1 scoop Salted Caramel Ice Cream (purchased or homemade)
1 shot Espresso or strong-brewed coffee
Method:
Place one scoop of Ice cream in a small glass or coupe, pour the espresso over the ice cream, into the glass. As an option, feel free to drizzle with salted caramel sauce.
Servings: 1
