Add 1-2 scoops of ice cream to a small glass then our the espresso over and enjoy! Garnish with shaved chocolate or chopped pistachios if desired.
Notes
The trick to keeping the espresso from melting the ice cream immediately is to serve it in an ice-cold glass. Place the glass in the freezer ahead of time to chill it.
To get the prettiest scoops of ice cream, run the ice cream scoop under some hot water. This way, the ice cream will scoop into perfectly round balls and release into the cups without sticking.
When purchasing ice cream, make sure you buy real 100% dairy ice cream. There are ice creams labeled as “frozen desserts” made with vegetable oils. It won’t melt as nicely into your coffee.
Swap vanilla ice cream for vanilla gelato.
This affogato is simple enough not to make ahead of time but to save time, try pre-scooping the ice cream into individual glasses and keeping them covered in the freezer to save time.