Hi there. It's currently 52 degrees in San Francisco. On average, our temperatures in the last several weeks have barely made it to 65. So maybe you'll understand why I'm not so excited that we're in the middle of ice cream week here in The Kitchn. And I hope you are suitably impressed by my dedication and bravery as I pull on woolly socks and sweater (seriously!) and set out to a friend's house make an ice cream dessert I crave no matter what the temperature: The affogato.
There are few things on earth simpler than the affogato. It's nothing more than a shot of hot espresso poured over a chilled scoop of vanilla gelato (or ice cream.) That's it and I mean, that's it! No whipped cream or drizzles or even, despite the popularity of the Tipsy Affogato, booze. I'm an affogato purist.
I'm making affogato at my friend's house because he has a decent espresso machine. A good, strong, hot cup of espresso is critical (it's 50% of the ingredients!), so go for the best quality your home can produce. A Moka pot is a less expensive, lower-tech option.
We scoop vanilla ice cream into cups and place them in the freezer. I usually prefer gelato because the lower fat and sugar content help the espresso flavor come through, but it is damn good with a nice vanilla ice cream, too. One by one, we pull espresso shots, pour them over the ice cream and hand them out. Another critical step in our affogato is to have super cold ice cream and super hot espresso.
While its simplicity is deeply satisfying to me, affogato has a complexity that is slowly revealed as it is eaten. I love how the first bite or two still holds the heat of the expresso and the way the thin, bitter coffee flavor dances with the rich buttery ice cream. I love how a lump of the ice cream remains until it eventually it melts into a thick, milky soup as I scrape the bottom of the cup with my spoon. I stop just short of running my finger around the cup and licking up the last drops. (Ha!)
I sip a quick whisky for the road, then wrap myself up in the woolies and head out the door into the damp, foggy chill that is San Francisco in August. Completely satisfied, there is nothing else I need and nowhere else I'd rather be.
Related:
• Word of Mouth: Affogato
• Tipsy Affogato: You Must Try this Soon!
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The first time I went to Spain I was introduced to a similar thing, they called it "blanco y negro." We used to make it in the college cafeteria--somehow combining the crappy ice cream and crappy coffee made both a lot better. :)
Oh, and NO sympathy for your weather complaints. It's been 90+ in NY for, like, forever, and I would KILL for some 52-degree goodness...
I am glad for this SF based chilly weather post, and concur with it's sentiments.
You may wish for our cool weather but truly, we've had ZERO summer. ZERO. It's liberating in a way because I'm not constrained on cooking something that will not heat up the kitchen. However, the constant cloudiness and lack of sun is depressing. The weather guy said this morning that it hasn't gotten above 70 in SF since July 4.
You guys are making me want to move to San Francisco. Seriously, you're describing my favorite weather. (And just to stay on topic, the affogato sounds really good!)
I third (fourth?) the SF sentiments. I miss the sun! And I am SO SICK of getting drizzled on in the morning.
The cold hasn't stopped me from eating ice cream, though. If I have to huddle under a blanket to eat it, I will!
Do you think someone who doesn't like coffee but does like coffee ice cream (yes, I'm weird) would like affogato? Or should I just stay away?
I LOVE LOVE affogato and one version that is absolutely delicious is with Hazelnut Ice-Cream - I know the purists will scream at me, but I prefer Hazelnut to Vanilla to start with, so the Affogato tastes completely nutty and coffeey so it is perfect for my taste. Must make some fresh vanilla ice-cream this weekend - those vanilla beans are sitting in the drawer.
I hasn't gotten below 100 in weeks here so that sounds amazing.
I hear you, we're even further up North and I wore a wool coat the other day. IN AUGUST. Oh well.
I introduced the affogato to the ladies at work. Nothing beats the 3:30 slump like a little espresso & ice cream.
Although, even just thinking about ice cream gives me chills, I love affogato, so would sacrifice, too!!!
Ooh, having this at work in the afternoon is a brilliant idea.
Total sympathy for the SF weather complaint. We're heading up from Silicon Valley tonight for the Cubs/Giants game and I've packed my down jacket. Come down this way! It's been very temperate!
What a beautifully written description; I'll have to try this!
p.s. I'm not complaining about the lower temps this SoCal summer!
it's been said so many times, but yes, the lack of summer in SF is depressing. I feel like I would even take New England/Mid-Atlantic 90's some days.
oh my god haven't seen 52 degrees in probably 5 months. so jealous.