Nothing says summer like no-churn coffee ice cream affogato!
This is the first recipe for my Gilmore Girls Recipe Project and so in true Gilmore fashion I made you a special coffee – a No churn coffee ice cream affogato! Affogato is an Italian delicacy; a scoop of vanilla gelato served in a cup with a shot of espresso poured over.
We are doing something a bit different, more Gilmore style with more coffee. I made coffee ice cream, which is made with both coffee and coffee liqueur. And the affogato is made with even more coffee. I’m sure Lorelai would approve!
Now, a few things about the recipe. The ice cream base is made by soaking coarsely ground coffee beans in the cream overnight. Instead of using instant coffee, this is the way to go as soaking the beans really infuses the cream with that wonderful coffee flavor. You can of course use instant coffee.
However do not use ground coffee – it’s too fine and while it will infuse your cream, you won’t be able to strain it as it’ll just slip through the sieve. You’ll taste it in the ice cream, which is a no-no.
As the name suggests, the ice cream is made without a machine. It’s airy and really good, but it melts quickly. To help it live longer, I make this affogato with lukewarm coffee, which isn’t the Italian way but it just works better here.
Use whichever coffee you prefer. My go-to is either Chemex or Turkish-style coffee (filtered, like in this recipe). Italians of course use espresso, one shot per affogato. But a classic espresso is tiny, even if it is strong! At least for a coffee drinker like me (or Lorelai and Rory!). So instead of a shot I use about 60-120ml (1/4-1/2 cup) of coffee per affogato. Once the ice cream melts, you have a nice latte!
Ultimately, this recipe is really uncomplicated. If you’ve never had an affogato before, you can always have a little taste testing party and try out a few different combinations:
The classic 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream plus a shot of espresso (or about 3 tablespoons strong coffee) or this Gilmore-style version with no-churn coffee ice cream.
Recipe
No-churn coffee ice cream affogato
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coffee beans OR 3 tablespoons instant coffee
- 300 ml 1 1/4 cups heavy or whipping cream + 2 TBSPs
- 175 g 1/2 cup + 3 TBSPs sweetened condensed milk
- 30 ml 2 TBSPs coffee liqueur
- 1-3 TBSPs powdered sugar adjust to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste optional
- 240-480 ml 1-2 cups coffee
- Serve with: caramel or chocolate sauce optional
Instructions
- If using fresh beans, coarsely grind them first. Transfer to a pitcher and add all the cream. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for 12-24 hours. (If using instant coffee whisk it into the cream and continue with the recipe right away.)
- Strain cream through a mesh sieve and discard the solids. Add 2 tablespoons of cream to make up for whatever was discarded along with coffee beans. Stir in milk, liqueur and sugar and transfer mixture to your mixer (or use a hand mixer). Whisk cream for a few minutes until soft peaks form and the mixture is light, fluffy and a pale latte color. Taste to see if you want more sugar.
- Transfer to two 500ml | 1-pint airtight containers (I use Weck jars, which are freezer proof). Don’t fill them all the way up to the edge, because the ice cream expands a bit as it freezes.
- Freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- First make the coffee of your choice. Let it cool down a bit, so it’s not as hot. Take the ice cream out of the freezer and put 2 scoops into each glass. Top with coffee, between 1/4 - 1/2 cup, depending on how big of a dessert / coffee you want. Top with caramel or chocolate sauce, if using.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
gah, i’ve actually never seen the girlmore girls..need to get onto it asap! and i just LOVE a good affogato, and this one looks so so perfect! Xx
Let me know if you do! Even if you hate it, hah. 🙂 And thank you!