Author Notes
When dining out, I have gotten into the habit of ordering an affogato for dessert, especially when I have had a rich meal and not quite enough room for a full-scale dessert. I think this would be a perfect ending to a celebratory Thanksgiving meal. NOTE: Ice cream should be made a day in advance to achieve best consistency and texture. This recipe makes about 6 cups of ice cream. - gingerroot —gingerroot
Test Kitchen Notes
Gingerroot's recipe, to simply put it, makes one great ice cream. The flavors are in perfect balance and once married to the espresso, forget about it. Words are useless to describe the flawless harmony going on here. I can only offer this advise: run, don't walk, to your kitchens and make this. It's pretty much happiness in a cup. —TiggyBee
Ingredients
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For Amaretto Ice Cream:
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6 tablespoons
unsalted butter, cut into cubes
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2 cups
2% milk
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3 tablespoons
brown sugar
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1/2
vanilla bean, scored down the length with a sharp knife
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6
large egg yolks
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4 tablespoons
granulated sugar
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1 cup
heavy cream
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1/4 cup
Amaretto liqueur
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+++++++++++++++++++++
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For Amaretto Affogato:
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1
scoop Amaretto ice cream
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1
hot shot of your favorite espresso (I used Stumptown Roasters Hair Bender espresso beans)
Directions
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In a shallow heavy bottomed pan, melt butter over medium heat. Continue to cook butter – it should foam up a bit and then subside – until brown specks begin to form at the bottom. It should have a pleasant, nutty aroma. Remove from heat and set aside.
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In a saucepan, heat milk, brown sugar. Using a sharp knife, scrape vanilla beans into pan; cook mixture, stirring occasionally, to dissolve brown sugar and incorporate vanilla. Remove from heat.
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Beat egg yolks in a large bowl, gradually adding granulated sugar. You want the mixture to be thick and pale.
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Temper the egg mixture by ladling some of the warmed milk into the beaten yolks, whisking constantly.
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Slowly pour tempered egg mixture back into remaining warm milk, whisking constantly, and cook over medium heat until mixture becomes thick. Add browned butter, stirring to combine. Remove from heat.
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Pour heavy cream into a heat proof glass bowl or Pyrex measure. Using a sieve, strain custard into container with cream; stir to combine, add Amaretto, and stir again. Cover container with plastic wrap and transfer to refrigerator. Chill in the coldest part of your refrigerator for at least two hours, nesting the container in a larger bowl with ice cubes and a little water.
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When ready to make ice cream, pour chilled custard into bowl of ice cream maker. Continue to process, following the manufacturer’s directions. After 40 minutes, ice cream will still be quite soft. Transfer to a container and freeze for at least a day before using.
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To make affogato, serve one scoop of Amaretto ice cream in coffee cups or bowls of choice. Pour espresso over ice cream and enjoy.
My most vivid childhood memories have to do with family and food. As a kid, I had the good fortune of having a mom who always encouraged trying new things, and two grandmothers who invited me into their kitchens at a young age. I enjoy cooking for the joy it brings me - sharing food with loved ones - and as a stress release. I turn to it equally during good times and bad. Now that I have two young children, I try to be conscientious about what we cook and eat. Right about the time I joined food52, I planted my first raised bed garden and joined a CSA; between the two I try to cook as sustainably and organically as I can. Although I'm usually cooking alone, my children are my favorite kitchen companions and I love cooking with them. I hope when they are grown they will look back fondly at our time spent in the kitchen, as they teach their loved ones about food-love.
Best of all, after years on the mainland for college and graduate school, I get to eat and cook and raise my children in my hometown of Honolulu, HI. When I'm not cooking, I am helping others grow their own organic food or teaching schoolchildren about art.
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