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Affogato is the ultimate caffeinated treat. Creamy, indulgent, with a bitter edge and a beautiful contrast of both flavors and temperatures, the classic Italian dessert just oozes sophistication. It can be enjoyed at any time of day — some Italians have affogato as an afternoon pick-me-up, others order it after heavy meals. It’s even said to have been a popular breakfast item in the Piedmont region, which honestly makes us want to move there immediately. And, luckily, affogato is incredibly easy to make. Essentially meaning “drowned” in English, it’s just a shot of espresso poured over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. You can whip it up virtually anywhere, including at your favorite fast food restaurant.
All you need to do is order a vanilla ice cream and an espresso separately (preferably a double espresso to make sure you have enough liquid) and then mix them together. If there isn’t espresso available, regular ol’ black coffee should work just fine, but it’s worth asking if there’s any way to get an extra strong one. Make sure it doesn’t come with cream or sugar either, as you don’t want any external flavors influencing the taste — we’re trying to be authentic here. Likewise, get the ice cream in a large container so that the affogato doesn’t spill everywhere. You can choose any flavor you want, but vanilla is the most traditional.
Get creative with your fast food affogato
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Once you’ve secured the goods, let the coffee cool for a few minutes. You don’t want the ice cream to instantly turn into complete liquid, but it does need to melt slightly to get that perfect creamy texture, so balance is key. Once it’s ready, slowly pour the coffee over the ice cream, trying to be as gentle and patient as you can to preserve both the structure of the ice cream and the espresso’s delectable crema. Then just sit back, close your eyes, and pretend you’re in a palazzo in Rome. The process should be fairly easy at an ice cream chain that serves coffee, like Friendly’s or Amorino, but there are plenty of other, easily accessible fast food options too. McDonald’s, Burger King, Sonic, and Chick-fil-A all offer both ice cream and coffee on their menus, and the prices are usually very affordable.
Keep in mind that most food-focused chains only have soft serve ice cream, though, which melts faster. So, let the coffee cool for a bit longer before pouring it, or even order it first if you have the time. If you want to upgrade your affogato, you could ask for some toppings or see if there are any other ice cream flavors on offer that might complement the coffee even better. Chocolate is always a great option, as is caramel. Most fast food restaurants have sundaes available, so you can get fudge sauce and whipped cream too. There are a lot of fast food soft serve hacks out there –- you just need to channel your inner chef!
Dining and Cooking