The Perfect Spring Dessert: Affogato, AKA Hot Coffee With Cold Ice Cream

The brilliance of the affogato lies in its simplicity.

ByABC News
April 28, 2015, 3:52 PM
Affogato Bar's affogato, or hot coffee poured over ice cream.
Affogato Bar's affogato, or hot coffee poured over ice cream.
Patricia Chang

— -- Not many dishes brag only two ingredients, but the brilliance of the affogato lies in its simplicity. It’s just cold ice cream topped with hot coffee, creating a delightful temperature and texture play when the steaming brew melts the ice cream into a luscious, sweet pool.

Traditionally, affogato (Italian for “drowned”) is a shot of espresso over a scoop of vanilla gelato, but this is America, right? And we excel in modernizing traditions, as the co-founders of Sightglass Coffee in San Francisco are doing with their new Affogato Bar, dedicated to serving just that.

“We thought it’d be a fun way to showcase our coffees,” Jerad Morrison told ABC News. “It’s a very classic Italian dessert, and it’s always delicious, which is the nice part about it.”

PHOTO: Affogato Bar's Vanilla Iced Cold Brew Float with Salt & Straw's Single Origin chocolate ice cream.
Affogato Bar's Vanilla Iced Cold Brew Float with Salt & Straw's Single Origin chocolate ice cream.

Jerad and his brother Justin are pairing their coffee, sourced worldwide, with Salt & Straw ice cream. The flavors will rotate, but they’re starting out with Sea Salt with Caramel Ribbons, Blood Orange with Olive Oil and Single-Origin Chocolate.

Don’t live in San Francisco? No worries -– it couldn’t be easier to make your own at home. Just pour freshly-brewed espresso over your favorite super-cold ice cream, and drown in affogato euphoria.