The Affogato Variation You're Going To Want To Make All Summer Long

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A simple combination of gelato and hot espresso will give you the delicious Italian dessert affogato. If you're a fan of coffee, it's a quick and cozy treat to enjoy whenever the mood strikes. There are many ways you can upgrade and experiment with this treat, such as adding hot honey on top or using different flavors of ice cream or gelato. But for a unique and memorable twist, try using matcha in place of the espresso. It's creamy, rich, and perfect for those who don't like coffee, but want to enjoy the Italian dessert.

A typical affogato is made with vanilla gelato or ice cream, and the most important aspect of eating one is making sure the ice cream is still cold and the espresso is still warm. It's the traditional Italian way to consume the dessert; the different temperatures create a delicious contrast and creamy texture. Affogato means drowned in Italian, so the espresso is essentially drowning the ice cream. Using matcha instead of espresso will still offer that bitter and sweet flavor, but with a new earthy, slightly grassy taste.

When making a matcha affogato, you'll want to proceed as you would for the classic version. Of course, you'll need to make the tea, which involves tools and a specific frothing technique. There are matcha-making kits, like Jade Leaf Matcha's Complete Matcha Ceremony Set, which you can purchase to upgrade your experience with a bamboo whisk, ceramic chawan bowl, and tea scoop. However, if you don't have specialty tools, you can still use what's in your kitchen by whisking a teaspoon of matcha into 1½ ounces of 175-degree-Fahrenheit water. To avoid clumps of tea in your affogato, sifting the powder before adding water is a must. 

Once the tea has been sufficiently whisked and frothed, you can pour it over your scoop of ice cream or gelato. While vanilla is the traditional flavor for an affogato, you could get creative and substitute complementary flavors like pistachio, cinnamon, or strawberry to mimic the popular strawberry matcha drink. Matcha is the perfect bitter taste to balance with the sweetness of the ice cream, and also provides a mellower energy boost with its lower caffeine and L-theaninecontent. If you're a green tea lover or simply looking for a new and exciting take on a tried-and-true dessert, the matcha affogato is just waiting to wow you.