Celebrating National Ice Cream Day...Chocolate Gelato Affogato!

I was eating this in the 1960's and didn't know it had a name!

Boarding school meals are atrocious, as anyone who has gone to one can attest..but leave it to a group of creative 14 year olds and even vanilla ice cream can turn into a gourmet dessert.

Remember those ice cream squares covered in paper that they used to have years ago? They tasted like frozen milk. On Sundays, as a treat (?) they would give us Neapolitan ice cream... or so they called it. To us, it was just three colors of frozen milk. I can't remember exactly which one of us invented what I now know as Gelato Affogato* but God Bless her! We'd take a vanilla square and pour coffee over it and presto! coffee ice cream...what a treat! Hey, Haggen Daz wasn't around in those days... but we did have Schraffts, just not at school.

This secret recipe became a tradition, particularly if you were a junior or senior, although I wonder if boarding school kids today would put up with the horrors they called food in those days.

So in memory of those horrible days, here's a wonderful recipe for a hot summer afternoon!


Serves 4


Ingredients

1/2 cup cold heavy cream

2 pints chocolate, vanilla or coffee gelato or ice cream

2 cups freshly brewed espresso

Kahlua (optional)

Crushed Espresso Beans (optional)

Biscotti or amaretti cookies (optional)



Directions

Beat cream until soft peaks form

Place two scoops gelato or ice cream into each of 4 glasses. Pour 1/2 cups hot espresso over tops of each, just to cover. If you are using Kahlua, pour some now. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle some amaretti cookie crumbs or crushed espresso beans on top and serve with biscotti.



*The word affogato means "drowned" in Italian; affogato al caffe is the name of a popular dessert in which hot espresso is poured over gelato just before it is eaten. The bitterness of the espresso acts as a pleasant counterpoint to the sweet creaminess of the ice cream. Liqueur intensifies the overall flavor. Although traditional gelato is denser than ice cream and therefore melts more slowly, you can use either one for equally delicious results. If you prefer, substitute very strong brewed coffee for the espresso.

If you want to make your own gelato go to:





Photo: marthastewart.com