Espresso & Ice Cream: The Perfect Pair

Affogatto: Espresso meets Ice Cream

When warm, rich espresso collides with cool, creamy ice cream, something truly magical happens - the sublime Italian dessert, affogato. It’s a sophisticated, elegant and surprisingly simple way to wow guests, delight your family or just treat yourself.

Affogato—which translates from Italian to mean “drowning”—is traditionally made by pouring a shot of espresso over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. But with Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream gourmet ingredient-driven ice cream flavors (Pumpkin Cake Roll, Cognac Gingerbread, Gooey Butter Cake), it’s easy to take “traditional” to new heights. Simply mix freshly-brewed espresso from one of Café’s new espresso makers with one of the intense-flavor ice creams, like Salty Caramel, to make Jeni’s favorite, the Fire Toasted Sugar Affogato. (Sidenote: It’s also her daughter’s favorite—and one Jeni occasionally uses to rouse her from bed in the morning.)

You can also jazz it up a little for the grown-ups with a bit of cake and a splash of liqueur, like Jeni did with this Pumpkin Tiramisu Affogato, using cognac syrup and Jeni’s Pumpkin Cake Roll ice cream. Bonus: since they’re made without stabilizers, Jeni’s ice creams melt perfectly in the hot liquid, creating a creamy addition to the espresso.

Claiming to be the “worst at coffee,” Jeni appreciates the simplicity and elegance of the new Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine and its one-button feature. It creates the perfect cup for sipping alone or pairing with flavor-intense foods. “The Café Affetto’s pressurization of the coffee beans does a really good job of bringing out the flavors,” she says. (A semi-automatic version, the Bellissimo, offers more customization options for those who like to pull their own shots.)

It also pairs nicely with the other Café appliances in her newly-remodeled kitchen. Just as the Café Affetto lets Jeni explore her barista skills, she appreciates the way her kitchen is filled with tools that improve her craft and love for creating foods through their distinct design features.