Fast Friday: Hot chocolate affogato

IOTWIFTGIF -- It's only Thursday, wait, it's Friday! Thank goodness it's Friday!

I love utterly ridiculous abbreviations, don't you?  Especially considering that abbreviations are meant to save time, not require more to explain them.  Meh.  I'm not too concerned about it.

Just like I'm not too concerned about the fact that I've had no idea what day it has been all week.  With the holiday on Monday and getting back to my healthy self, this week has zipped right past me... and that's a good thing.  Hello, Friday!  Greetings, weekend! :)

I'm planning (for once, I use the word loosely) on making up for last weekend's couch marathon and doing oodles and oodles of fun things because I simply want to.  Those are the best kinds of fun things, right?  On tap so far: baking a cake, ordering pizza, watching two Penguins hockey games, a dinner and movie date with Matt, and maybe even a trip to the Strip District for play food shopping.  Play food shopping means I take no list with me -- watch out, world, there's a rebel on the loose!

While I'm aiming to be out of the apartment for much of the weekend, I'm surely going to make time for a quick dessert at home.  When I say quick, I should be saying lightning fast.  Two ingredients and about two minutes from start to slurping.

This is barely a recipe, but more of a slap-your-head "why didn't I think of that before?" kind of treat.  Ever heard of the Italian treat called an affogato?  Hot espresso or coffee served over gelato.  This is my American spin on it -- the hot chocolate affogato!

Use whatever ice cream you like love.  I went with chocolate chip cookie dough from our local Dave & Andy's.  Talk about honkin' giant hunks of cookie dough!  But anything from classic vanilla to cinnamon, peppermint or a rich dark chocolate (for the ultimate chocolate indulgence) would work wonderfully.  Just make sure it's crazy cold.  

My apologies for no pictures of the final product.  This is not a treat that wants to wait around for you to get your sorry camera ready to photograph it.  This is the kind of dessert that demands the eater be poised and in position.  Get your spoon ready!

Because the second that hot cocoa hits the ice cream, the melting begins.  Oh, the melting!  It's the good kind of melting.  The kind that marries the hot and the cold, making that hot chocolate so incredibly creamy you'll wonder how you ever enjoyed it without big fat scoops of ice cream. 

So, whether you're on the east coast and bracing for snow (squeeeeee!) or on the west coast whimpering that it's only 60 degrees (coughsissycough), this is a dessert that will satisfy both hot and cold cravings.  Enjoy and have a marvelous weekend!


One year ago: Caramelized Brussels sprouts
Two years ago: Turkey and rice stuffed peppers
Three years ago: Lentil salad with peppers and bacon


Hot Chocolate Affogato
-serves 2

1 packet hot cocoa mix (or homemade, if you're so inclined)
Very cold ice cream

Prepare hot chocolate in a vessel that's ideal for pouring.  Place two (or so) healthy scoops of very cold ice cream into each mug of choice.  Slowly pour half of hot chocolate over ice cream.  Serve immediately and enjoy!