Hazelnut Affogato

Hazelnut Affogato

An affogato is the perfect pudding to end a dinner party on a sweet but sophisticated note. The recipe is simple. A shot of rich espresso poured over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It is a pudding that I often turn to when hosting for friends and always the thing I make when my midweek supper needs a bit of a lift. Good vanilla ice cream is key. My favourites are Green & Blacks and Hackney Gelato. Another popular way to enjoy an affogato in Italy (from where it originates) is with a shot of vin santo (Italian pudding wine). Whilst I prefer the chocolatey hit of espresso, I love the addition a splash of booze in my affogato. I tend to use Frangelico (a hazelnut liqueur) but Amaretto (for a more almondy flavour), or even Kahlúa (for a coffee kick) work well too.

INGREDIENTS

| Serves 1 (increase as necessary) |

• 1 scoop good quality vanilla ice cream (I like Green & Blacks or Hackney Gelato)

• 1 shot of Frangelico liqueur (amaretto, Kahlúa also work)

• 1 shot of brewed espresso, still hot

METHOD

• Ideally place the tumblers or glasses that you plan to serve the affogato in in the fridge for 2-4 hours to chill. They need to accommodate the scoop of ice cream and the coffee so bare this in mind when choosing them.

• Brew the espresso and have it ready. If you are using cafetiere coffee pour it into individual espresso cups so that each person can pour the coffee over themselves

• Place a single scoop of ice cream into the chilled glass. Pour over the shot of Frangelico and either pour over the espresso and serve right away, or serve with the espresso alongside for guests to pour.