BOOZY BAILEYS & MATCHA ICE CREAM AFFOGATO

Japan meets Italy meets Ireland: Homemade Matcha Ice Cream drowned in Italian Espresso, with a shot of Baileys Irish Cream: Boozy Baileys & Matcha Ice Cream Affogato.

Two glasses with green Matcha ice cream topped with espresso sit on a tray. A blurred bottle in the background reads "Original."

Affogato is our favorite go-to dessert: it's the perfect treat, combining coffee and dessert, and fulfills all after-dinner desires. Incredibly simple and fast to make, and with ingredients that we usually have at home, it's also great for unexpected guests.

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Affogato is an Italian dessert, and one of the many delicacies I discovered through my husband - or perhaps one of the many reasons why I married him - but don't tell him, that I said that... ;-)

Traditional Affogato al Caffè, Italian for drowned in coffee, is a simple dessert made with vanilla ice cream and a shot of espresso - simply genius, and all you need after a meal.

More refined versions are made with Tartufo, a truffle-shaped ball of ice cream, usually made from one or two flavours, with a melting chocolate centre, see the famous Tartufo di Pizzo - yes, it did just get even better!

Two clear glasses filled with green Matcha ice cream and espresso, each with a spoon. Set on a wooden table with a blurred brown background.

Usually, or ideally, the ice cream is served in a bowl or glass, with the espresso on the side, and then poured over last minute at the table.

Over the years, I have drowned various ice creams and flavours, and as long as they are milk- or cream-based they all work well.

Although it's not my favorite, at least when compared to Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Häagen-Dazs Belgian Chocolate ice cream is perfect for this. I don't like it as an ice cream (did I really just write this?), since I like my chocolate almost at melting point, and the small chocolate pieces in this ice cream are rock-hard, so that's a big NO for me. However, the same pieces, when drowned in hot espresso, become meltingly chocolatey delicious. And then there is Delhaize's own Almond Milk ice cream, with a bitter almond taste and crunchy almond pieces, just to name a few... Surely I must have your attention by now...?

Glass of ice cream with pieces of almonds drowned in espresso, with a spoon inside, on a dark background. Creamy and indulgent affogato dessert.

Use decaffeinated espresso if it's later in the day. Add a dollop of whipped cream - it's not really necessary, but it looks so nice, especially if you're Austrian like me!

Obviously, this recipe with Matcha ice cream and Baileys isn't for the faint of heart: there's the un-avoidable caffein of Matcha Tea Ice cream. And then the not-even-trying-to-avoid Baileys booziness - well, after all, we are talking dessert here, right? ;-)

It seems rather strange at first to mix tea and coffee flavors, but the combination works really well.

You can use shop-bought Matcha icecream for this recipe, if you can find it. Or check out my recipe for HOME MADE MATCHA ICE CREAM. It's really delicious with a beautiful earthy, and umami flavour, and so easy and fast to make.

About Matcha:

Matcha is a fine powder ground from unfermented, steamed, and dried green tea leaves. At its highest quality, it is used in Japanese tea ceremonies.

The powder's characteristic green color and umami taste are a result of the tea leaves being grown in shade or covered during the final weeks before harvest, depriving them of light. This shaded growth boosts an increased production of chloroplasts, giving the leaves their vibrant green color, and amino acids, contributing to the distinct umami flavor.

Matcha has a strong, earthy, and umami taste with a hint of bitterness, perfectly balancing the rich and sweet cream in this Matcha ice cream recipe.

How to prepare: