This recipe is inspired by one of my adventures in Italy. One of the best things I ate in Florence was the affogato at Vivoli, a popular gelato shop with a famous affogato. Since being home, I’ve consumed a lot less coffee, but I’ve kept up my gelato intake this summer. The weather has been sweltering, and I’ve been craving cold foods. So, I decided to make my favorite gelato flavor, coffee. To turn gelato into an affogato al caffe, you just pour an espresso shot on top. So, on a rare rainy day this week, I decided to make an affogato. And it was pretty magical. 

Affogato al Caffe in Italy

The first time we went to Vivoli was on a random weekday, and they were closed. I remember standing on the sidewalk looking at a shuttered, modern facade. We flipped through our phones, longingly looking at photos of their famous affogato al caffe that has gone viral several times. People travel far and wide to try it. So, the next day we returned.

This time, there was a bustling line of tourists filtering in and out of the small gelato shop. We scanned a glass case of gelato flavors to our left and glanced up at a sign. It explained that we could only order an affogato al caffe with classic cream / vanilla flavored gelato. I had no objection, and we waited near the counter to order. A tall Italian man wearing a dark polo shirt, one of those people that reminds you of a celebrity that you can’t place, waved us over. 

The Best Coffee Dessert

We each ordered a classic affogato al caffe and he motioned for us to wait over to the right. There were napkins and stools and empty espresso cups on plates on the counter. A woman working in the back quickly threw open the lid of a freezer. She reached down into it like a kid climbing into a washing machine and pulled out several mugs of pre-made white gelato. The mugs were filled artfully with gelato, pushed up against four sides of the mug with a hole for espresso.

The anticipation was intense. The woman lined up our three mugs of gelato as we excitedly glanced at each other and waited for the espresso machine. It roared and churned and soon she poured a steaming shot of dark brown espresso over each cup. One at a time we dug into our desserts. I went second, and watched my friend’s face light up with wonder as she ate. 

Food Festivals + Street Food

I thoughtfully picked up a spoonful of gelato and espresso and tasted it, grinning excitedly. The gelato was cold, creamy, and sugary. Like a fresh, thick whipped cream. The espresso was slightly bitter and dark but warm and toasty. So when the two flavors intermingled, it made something incredible. A hot-yet-cold dessert that bounced back and forth between bitter and sweet. Like coffee and gelato had a polite handshake.

It was incredible, and found itself in our top 3 foods we ate in Italy. Next to homemade lasagna and truffle and cheese pasta. We had affogatos another time when we took the train to Certaldo for their fall food festival. Before taking the tram up the hillside into Certaldo Alto, a medieval castle town with a stunning view, we visited a small collection of food makers in town. We ate fried pizza, arrosticini (lamb pieces grilled on skewers), and affogatos. We each ordered a different flavor of gelato from a food truck with a charming sandwich board. Pistachio, chocolate, and coffee. I got the double coffee, which ended up being my favorite. 

Making Homemade Coffee Gelato

So, this week I decided to make coffee gelato, just for fun. I got an ice cream machine for my birthday a few years ago, which I don’t use enough. I was so excited to pick out coffee beans from the health food store 20 minutes from my house. The flavor I went with had notes of molasses, brown sugar, and marshmallow. When I got home I infused the whole milk with coffee beans. I lightly hit them in the paper bag with a mallet to crush them and release a little flavor. Then, I left the milk overnight to soak up the flavor. 

The next day I woke up excited. I poured the milk and beans into a stock pot and heated it up for over an hour, infusing the flavors further. Then, I strained out the beans and was left with a deep coffee milk. I mixed my egg yolks with the sugars, salt, and cornstarch, the same recipe I used for my pine gelato (a hybrid of sorts between traditional gelato and ice cream). Then, I poured my hot liquid into the egg mixture, stirring quickly to keep it from scrambling. I returned the gelato base to the pot and cooked for about 7 minutes, stirring with a whisk over medium heat, until the custard began to thicken into a pudding texture. 

Hot Coffee, Cold Weather

I left the custard mixture in a heat-proof container and covered the top with plastic wrap to keep a skin from forming. It chilled in the fridge overnight so it could get as cold as possible before churning. The next day I woke up even more excited than the last, as I would finally get to taste the fruits of my labor in a few hours. I found my ice cream machine base in the freezer, wrapped in an old shopping bag to prevent it from building up ice (I really don’t use it enough). Soon the machine was humming, and I poured my thickened coffee gelato base into the churner. 

I waited impatiently for about 20 minutes until the mixture thickened. I flipped the machine off and scraped the gelato into a metal loaf pan, once again placing it in the freezer after wrapping it with plastic wrap. Of course, I snuck a spoonful of gelato when it was done churning, and it tasted heavenly. The perfect amount of coffee. After a couple hours of painting, writing, and walking in the hot, humid weather, my gelato was ready. So, I sat down with a small bowl while watching Wimbledon, and let myself just relax for a bit. The gelato was creamy, rich-yet-light, and had an elevated, deep coffee and cream flavor. It’s my perfect bite. And my dream flavor of gelato.

Homemade Gelato + Coffee

The next day it was colder, and rainy. One of those confusing days when it rains one minute and is sunny the next. So, I made espresso on the stove before lunch and found a beautiful champagne glass in the back of a cupboard. The perfect vessel for my affogato. I thawed my gelato on the counter and then scooped a ball into the glass. All that was left was to pour my espresso over the gelato. I watched steam pour off the pale brown gelato as the dark, amber colored liquid filled the translucent glass.

I found myself back in Italy when I tasted the affogato al caffe. The rich, handmade gelato. The dark, bitter espresso mixing with the sugar in the cream. It was nostalgic and so refreshing, and left me buzzed with caffeine. I have nearly two pints full of homemade coffee gelato back in the freezer for another day. And I can’t wait to be able to make affogatos whenever I want. It feels so luxurious, but it’s so simple to make. 

If you make this recipe, let me know what you think! Or, you can always pick up your favorite store-bought ice cream and pour a shot of espresso on top. It’s definitely worth trying. If you like my recipes and paintings, make sure to check out Etsy for 100+ more art prints and recipe cards. Use code THEFORKEDRING for 25% off. Thanks for reading!

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Homemade Coffee Gelato Affogato

A rich, creamy coffee gelato inspired by my favorite dessert in Italy

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Keyword affogato, coffee bun, coffee gelato, gelato

Prep Time 2 days days 3 hours hours

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Author theforkedring

Ingredients

• 6 1/2 cups whole milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1-2 cups lightly crushed coffee beans
• Ground coffee for espresso

Instructions

• Lightly crush coffee beans with a mallet in a paper or plastic bag and mix with your whole milk. Cover and let infuse overnight until light brown.
• The next day, Transfer mixture to a large stock pot and cook over medium heat until steaming.
• Meanwhile, in a large pyrex bowl, whisk together sugars, salt, cornstarch, and egg yolks.
• Carefully pour some of your hot milk mixture through a strainer into your egg mixture and whisk vigorously.
• When the egg mixture is thin and cohesive, strain the rest of the milk into the egg mixture and whisk to combine.
• In a clean stock pot, return your egg and milk mixture to the heat and turn it up to medium/high.
• Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens into a thin pudding consistency. It should coat the back of a spoon.
• Remove custard from heat and let cool. Strain one again through a fine-mesh strainer into a heatproof container with a lid. Once cooled, transfer to fridge to cool overnight.
• The next day, prepare your ice cream machine and pour your custard into the base. Check back in 15-20 minutes to see if the custard has thickened into an ice-cream texture.
• Once mixture is thickened, transfer to a metal loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap, placing a layer directly on top of the gelato.
• Freeze for another 2-3 hours until the gelato is firm.
• To make affogato, scoop a ball of ice cream with an ice cream scooper into a bowl or glass.
• Prepare enough espresso for a shot and pour over your gelato. Eat with a spoon.