Muscat Affogato

An affogato is already one of the great simple pleasures. A shot of hot espresso poured over a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream, the coffee melting the edges of the ice cream as it sinks in, the whole thing eaten quickly before it becomes a delicious soup. It is the kind of dessert that requires almost no effort and delivers completely.

Now pour a measure of Rutherglen Muscat over the top.

The Muscat brings sweetness, depth and a complexity that elevates the whole thing from a quick dessert to something people talk about. The combination of hot espresso, cold ice cream and the raisin, toffee and orange peel character of Rutherglen Muscat is genuinely extraordinary, and the fact that it takes about two minutes to assemble makes it arguably the best return on investment of any dessert you will ever make.

This is the dessert we recommend at the cellar door to anyone who asks what to do with a bottle of Muscat besides drinking it neat. It converts people immediately and reliably.

Serves 1. Ready in 2 minutes.

Ingredients

●     1 generous scoop of good-quality vanilla ice cream

●     1 shot of hot espresso (or very strong coffee)

●     30ml NV Classic Muscat or NV Grand Muscat

●     Optional: crushed amaretti biscuits, dark chocolate shavings or toasted almonds to finish

Method

1.  Place a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream in a small bowl, glass or cup. A rocks glass or a short tumbler works beautifully and looks the part.

2.  Pull a shot of espresso and pour it directly over the ice cream while it is still hot.

3.  Pour the Muscat over immediately after the espresso.

4.  Finish with crushed amaretti biscuits or dark chocolate shavings if you are using them. Serve immediately.

Tip: Speed is everything with an affogato. Have the ice cream scooped and ready before you pull the coffee. Serve it the moment the Muscat goes in and eat it quickly. The contrast between hot espresso and cold ice cream is the whole point.