Give Your Affogato A Boozy Twist For A Grown-Up Ice Cream Dessert

Turn a digestivo into a dessert-ivo with this boozy ice cream dish. The grown-up affogato takes the classic Italian dessert — a scoop of vanilla gelato showered in a shot of freshly brewed espresso — and adds something along the lines of a shot of hazelnut liqueur, like Frangelico. A dish of complementary contradictions — milky and bitter, hot and cold — this boozy affogato keeps the energy and spirits alive.

Ice cream and American-brew coffee are easy substitutes, but gelato brings a creamier texture and espresso heightens the bitterness, all while tying the affogato to its Italian roots. If hazelnut liqueur is not on your bar cart, many other liquors can add a strong kick. To accentuate the bitterness and flavor of coffee, use a coffee liqueur like Kahlua. Try chocolate vodka to resemble stracciatella (again, the gelato kind, not the other two), or a shot of whisky to round out the sweetness. To make it more boozy and more bitter with more bite, top the dish off with liquor-soaked coffee beans, which will add a satisfying crunch to the milky-smooth dessert.

There are few Italian desserts that don't welcome an alcoholic boost. When assembling the layers of tiramisu, for example, it's common to add cognac to the espresso before dipping in the ladyfingers. Though less common at a restaurant, tiramisu with liquor is the traditional recipe. For a Mediterranean flair, limoncello — an Italian lemon liqueur — can be mixed with powdered sugar to glaze cakes or sweet breads.

Instead of flavoring whipped cream with just vanilla extract, whisking in some bourbon will boost the notes of vanilla and add more structure to the overall flavor. Bourbon whipped cream goes especially well with decadent chocolate desserts, from chocolate ice cream to brownies to lava cakes. If you'd prefer finishing your meal with a dessert cocktail over a full dish, sip on an espresso martini, which has similar components to a boozy affogato, especially when Baileys Irish Cream is shaken in. Bushwackers and mudslides are also in the same flavor family, blending booze with cream and coffee.