Affogato

Happy National Coffee Day. Celebrate our favorite caffeinated beverage with an affogato, meaning “drowned” in Italian. Pour a shot of espresso over vanilla gelato for a sublimely simple dessert. (If you want to dress it up a bit, you can top it with whipped cream.) Biscotti are a natural accompaniment.

Affogato

2 1/4 cups (18 fl. oz./560 ml) milk

3/4 cup (6 fl. oz./180 ml) heavy cream

Pinch of kosher salt

6 egg yolks

3/4 cup (6 oz./185 g) sugar

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved, or 1 Tbs. vanilla bean paste

8 to 10 shots freshly brewed espresso

In a saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the milk, cream and salt. Heat until bubbles form around the edges of the pan.

In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Slowly add the warm milk mixture, stirring constantly until blended. If using a vanilla bean, stir in the seeds now. Transfer the mixture to a clean saucepan, set over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens and a finger drawn across the back of the spoon leaves a path, 5 to 7 minutes.

Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve set over a clean bowl. If using vanilla paste, stir in now. Place the bowl in a larger one filled halfway with ice and water and let cool, stirring occasionally. Refrigerate for about 2 hours.

Transfer the custard to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the gelato to a chilled container, cover and freeze for at least 3 hours or up to 3 days.

Scoop the gelato into glasses or bowls and pour 1 shot of espresso over each portion. Serve immediately. Serves 8 to 10.

Williams-Sonoma Test Kitchen