Affogato

The affogato is the simplest serious dessert in the Italian repertoire — two ingredients, no skill, and no equipment beyond an espresso machine and a freezer. A scoop of cold gelato sits in a small glass; a hot shot of espresso is poured over it at the table; you eat the result with a spoon as the gelato slowly melts into a sweetened coffee pool. The whole thing takes about a minute to assemble and somewhere between two and five minutes to enjoy, and it is consistently among the best things you can make at home with an espresso machine. ...

An affogato is one of the best things you can make with a home espresso machine — and it requires almost no skill. Two ingredients, two minutes, one perfect result. The word “affogato” means “drowned” in Italian, which describes exactly what happens: a hot espresso shot is poured over a scoop of cold vanilla gelato, and the ice cream slowly melts into a warm, silky, bittersweet pool. It occupies the unusual position of being both a dessert and a coffee drink. In Italy it’s typically served after dinner as a combined dessert-and-digestif. At home, it’s the easiest impressive thing you can serve to guests. ...