Affogato With Biscotti

Photo: Nicole Franzen

August 07, 2020

It’s tough to improve on the classic combo of espresso and gelato, aka affogato. This version, from the book Twenty Dinners, features a no-machine-needed ice cream recipe and couldn’t be easier.

For the Ice Cream
1½ cups granulated sugar
1 cup sweet dessert wine (your favorite affordable one)
1 cup orange juice, strained
9 large eggs, separated
Seeds of 2 vanilla beans
3 cups heavy cream
¾ cup powdered sugar

For Serving
½ cup unsalted pistachios (enough to scatter on each bowl), toasted
8 biscotti
8 shots espresso or amaretto

Set up a double boiler by half-filling a large saucepan with water. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Place a medium metal bowl on top of the saucepan, but don’t let it touch the water.

Add ¾ cup of the granulated sugar, wine, orange juice, egg yolks and vanilla-bean seeds to the bowl and whisk until the mixture is thick enough to hold figure eights. Take the bowl off the saucepan and continue whisking until the mixture cools.

In an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk together the cream and powdered sugar just until soft peaks form. (Or do this by hand.) Remove the whipped cream to a large, clean bowl and carefully wash out and dry the mixer bowl.

In the electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, then gently stir in the remaining ¾ cup granulated sugar. Don’t overmix or you’ll lose all the air from the egg whites.

Fold the cooked yolk mixture into the whipped cream, then gently fold that mixture into the egg whites.
Transfer the ice-cream base to containers and freeze overnight.

Once frozen completely, it’s ready to serve. Simply put a scoop of ice cream in each bowl or dessert cup, add a generous pinch of pistachios and a biscotti, and top with freshly pulled espresso.

Serves 8.

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