Affogato

after dinner affogato...

My dad is a simple food person and since this series of recipes is for him, I'm making a very simple dessert - an affogato. It's an Italian dessert of ice cream or gelato served with a shot of expresso poured over top. That's it! Affogato means "drowned" in Italian, so in essence we are drowning ice cream or gelato in expresso. Besides coffee, ice cream is definitely one of my dad's weaknesses (me too!).

This dessert isn't really even a recipe because it's so simple. It's perfect for a crowd because you can top it as each person likes (or let them do it). Among the optional toppings and add-ins my favorite are shaved dark chocolate, toasted slivered almonds, whipped cream, and a shot of Godiva Liquor. But, make it any way you like it (or how your dad likes it). Here's how...

Ingredients - Makes 1 Dessert
2 Scoops Ice Cream or Gelato (suggest vanilla, chocolate, or coffee)
1 Shot Expresso (or 3T strong brewed coffee)
Optional Toppings & Add-ins: Shaved Dark Chocolate, Toasted Hazelnuts/Slivered Almonds, Whipped Cream, 1 Shot Frangelico/Grand Marnier/Godiva Liquor, and/or Biscotti

Directions
Make the expresso or strong brewed coffee.

Put 2 scoops of ice cream or gelato in a serving dish. Top with the shot of expresso and any other optional toppings or add-ins desired. Enjoy this simple dessert on a warm summer evening.

Choco Taco with Sweet Corn Ice Cream

no need to wait on the ice cream truck

By a far mile my favorite dessert is ice cream. Eating ice cream nearly anytime of the day is one of the best things about summer. I remember going to Dairy Queen with my mom in the middle of the day to get a Blizzard or Chocolate Dipped Ice Cream Cone. There was no rhyme or reason, my mom just wanted to treat. No wonder it's my favorite!

For this post I've done something a little different and I'm using a Food Network Sweet Corn Ice Cream recipe as my base. I've then re-imagined it into a Choco Taco. The sweet and salty combination is a little different than the ice cream truck version, but I think it's better. Try this out, here's how...

Recipe - Makes 6 Tacos
Sweet Corn Ice Cream
6 Crunchy Taco Shells
4oz. Semi Sweet Chocolate, cut into chunks
4oz. Butter, cut into chunks
1T Corn Syrup
3T Salted Peanuts, chopped

Directions

First make the Sweet Corn Ice Cream following the directions provided by the Food Network. Omit the topping suggestions. This can be made a day ahead and then softened to put into the taco shells. However, I stuffed the taco shells just after churning the ice cream (see below).

After the ice cream has churned, gently stuff the taco shells. Fill each one so that there are no air pockets and the taco shell is full. Place the stuffed shells into a high-sided dish, cover with plastic wrap, and put this into the freezer. Freeze for at least 2 hours.

Before serving, make the chocolate sauce. In a microwave safe bowl add the chopped chocolate. Microwave in 30 second intervals until the chocolate is melted. Add in the butter and stir until melted. Add in the corn syrup and mix well. Dip the top half of the taco into the chocolate mixture. Top with chopped peanuts. Allow the tacos to harden for 2 minutes and serve. Enjoy an ice cream truck favorite at home!