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

The brilliance of the affogato lies in its simplicity.

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.”

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.

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