How to make the three-ingredient Affogato al Café at home

With the European summer in full swing, it’s time for one of the best drink desserts from Italy. And like so many iconic Italian dishes, this is one of the most simple and straightforward possible.

If you are looking for a refreshing dessert or after-dinner drink, then you can’t go wrong with a quick and easy three-ingredient café al affogato.

Espresso (which in Italy is simply called café) and ice cream are undeniable two to the best Italian culinary inventions.

So, when putting the two together, it must be even better, don’t you agree?

Affogato al café, which means ‘drowned in coffee’ and it is literally that. A scoop of ice cream doused in espresso. And it’s delicious.

While you could basically stop at this point and have one of the best, easiest and fastest refreshing desserts, you could also go all the classic Italian way and elevate your affogato with a shot of grappa. This grape based pomace brandy, which is made by distilling the leftover skins, pulp, seeds and stems from winemaking, hailing from the northern part of Italy, is a popular digestif in Italy. Enjoyed either pure or added to a steaming hot cup of espresso. So, the next time you here someone ordering a café corretto in Italy, you know what’s the deal.

The classic affogato al café is made with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a shot of grappa. But like so many great recipes, there is a lot of scope here for delicious variations. Substitute the vanilla ice cream with any other flavour that works well with coffee such as chocolate, caramel, or pistachio and/or the grappa with amaretto, vodka, tequila, or brandy and you are in for a variety of amazing flavour variations.

Recipe: How to make a classic Affogato al Café

To make this delicious Italian drink dessert, you only need three ingredients and once you have brewed the espresso it will take you not even a minute to assemble!

1 freshly brewed espresso
1 scoop vanilla ice cream
1 shot grappa

Add the ice bream to a small dessert bowl or coffee cup. Pour the hot espresso and grappa and serve immediately.