The affogato is the perfect dessert. Ice cream. Caffeine. Pure unrivaled energy. Give me a vanilla bean affogato over an energy drink any day of the week. They say one perfect affogato is all you need to turn even the worst day around.
Yet…
Some people insist affogatos are overrated. Atrocious, even. I know it’s almost impossible to believe, but trust me they’re out there. At first I assumed they were just trolls.
Then I realized… they just weren’t having the right affogato.
See, as simple as an affogato is - there are certain rules that when broken result in a completely different dessert. We don’t want a milkshake. We don’t want just ice cream. We want beautiful affogato.
So what better way to set the record straight than breaking down what truly makes an affogato? The ingredients. The factors that matter. Even how soon you should consume it. Follow these points, and affogatos will surely be in your top 3 dessert rotations for eternity. This is the anatomy of real affogato.
Ice Cream
The type of ice cream you use will make or break your affogato. Vanilla bean is the standard and I’d always opt for simple flavors that complement the espresso. Something like a cookie dough triple chocolate chip hot fudge will absolutely ruin the experience. Keep it simple & classy.
The Ritual
Affogatos MUST be consumed immediately. I’m 100% sure that anyone who has a bad affogato experience sipped on an affogato that was sitting for way too long. The ice cream has to be in the process of melting. It shouldn’t have already melted. Then you get caffeinated melted ice cream. Not an affogato.
The Perfect Ratio
Too much ice cream and it feels like you’re just having gelato. Too much espresso and the ice cream disintegrates too early. 1 medium scoop to 1 shot is the golden ratio.
The Base: Beautiful Espresso
Every affogato needs caffeine. I don’t care what anyone says. An affogato isn’t an affogato without a shot of beautiful espresso - or two. I would opt for something stronger than your usual preference, it’ll definitely add to the experience.
Toppings
You may elevate an affogato by sprinkling chopped nuts, coconut flakes or even some grated chocolate. Just don’t overdo it. No whipped cream. No ugly syrups.
When
Affogatos are best consumed alfresco with the sun kissing your face. Affogatos are the dessert for the weekend. If you need a little something to cheer you up on a Sunday, why not? You deserve a little caffeinated treat.
Do It Yourself
Affogatos are one of those desserts you can easily make. All you need is a shot of espresso, ice cream and a love for life.
The Receptacle of Choice
The vessels you drink from absolutely matter. Glass, metal or some beautiful vintage ceramic only. It’s a crime to serve affogato in a plastic or styrofoam cup. It simply won’t taste as nice.
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❋ CRANBERRY POMEGRANATE CARAMELS
Pomegranate juice: We freshly squeeze ours because this provides the best color and flavor, but if you don’t want to, feel free to use the bottled stuff. The color just won’t be as red, and may be significantly more brown than what’s pictured here.
Cranberry juice: Make sure to use 100% cranberry juice that doesn’t have any added sugar! “Cranberry cocktail” usually has added refined sugars, so we wouldn’t recommend using it.
White and brown sugar: We use a 50/50 mix of the two, but you can use all white or all brown and the recipe will still work. White sugar creates a classic caramel flavor, but brown sugar creates a butterscotch-type flavor. We like ours somewhere in between.
Butter: Be sure to cut this into cubes so that it melts easily when added to the reduced syrup. If you can soften it to room temperature before adding it, even better.
Heavy cream: Adds flavor and mouthfeel to the caramel.
Kosher salt: We add this in towards the end, it helps to balance out the sweetness of the caramel. Be sure to use kosher salt, not table salt.
Vanilla: You can use paste or extract. We used extract, but have tested it with paste and it works exactly as well.
Orange peel: We add this in while the syrup is reducing to add another complimentary flavor.
❋ TIPS FOR USING STATIONERY IN A DIGITAL WORLD
Investing in a stationery wardrobe can be a daunting task as there are so many variables to take into consideration. Do you prefer notecards, sheets, fold-overs? And what size? Should you engrave, letterpress, emboss, or print your name, monogram, or logo? What colors should you choose? And of course, there is budget to consider. The options are endless! Personalized stationery can be pricey, so you want to make decisions that will suit you for years to come.
We really didn’t eat a lot of desserts when i was a kid. Usually after dinner, a pot of coffee was brewed and bowls of fresh fruit and nuts were heaved to the table. One particular treat at holiday time was freshly cracked walnuts stuffed into dried figs. This year, I gave the treat a little update by dipping the figs in bittersweet chocolate.
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