Something truly indulgent and truly delicious for you to try this weekend, from The Happy World of Dri Dri Gelato. This coffee/dessert is a perfect way to end a dinner party. It's easy to make and bound to impress your guests!
Affogato, meaning ‘drowned’, is a classic Italian way to serve gelato. Drown scoops of gelato with a shot of hot espresso. Almond and coffee is a perfect combination, but you could try it with other gelato flavours such as Madagascan Vanilla, Bacio or Hazelnut. This recipe makes enough gelato for eight servings, but if fewer servings are required, simply store the remaining gelato in the freezer to enjoy another time.
500 ml/2 cups organic whole milk
165 ml/2⁄3 cup organic whipping cream
140 g/1 cup shelled almonds
½ teaspoon of sea salt
165 g/ ¾ cup organic (caster) sugar
1 free-range egg white
shots of espresso made with organic
100% Arabica beans, to serve
Serves 8
Put the milk and cream in a small saucepan and heat gently until it reaches boiling point. Pour the mixture into a heat-resistant bowl and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
In a dry frying pan/skillet, lightly toast the almonds with the salt and set aside to cool. When cooled, grind the almonds to a paste in a food processor.
In a large mixing bowl and, using an electric hand whisk, beat together the sugar and egg white until it forms soft peaks when the beaters are lifted out of the mixture.
Stir in the almond paste, add the chilled milk mixture and whisk for a further 20 seconds.
Pour the mixture into the gelato maker and churn freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Prepare shots of espresso using an espresso machine or an Italian moka. Place a scoop of the gelato into each coffee cup and serve with a shot of espresso on the side so guests can pour the hot coffee over the gelato and enjoy immediately.
This recipe is from The Happy World of Dri Dri Gelato by Adriano di Petrillo, photography by Steve Painter © Ryland Peters & Small