Description
a modern twist on affogato, this dirty chai affogato “drowns” a generous scoop of homemade chai ice cream with a shot of hot espresso. dirty chai affogato is the perfect easy make-ahead dessert to serve at your next dinner party or the next time you have guests over!
Ingredients
Scale
for the chai ice cream
- 2 C heavy cream
- 1 C whole milk (half and half would work in a pinch, too!)
- 1/2 C sugar
- pinch of salt
- 3 chai tea bags
- 3” fresh ginger, sliced
- 2 vanilla beans, halved & seeded*
- 2 3″ sticks of cinnamon*
- 20 whole cloves*
- 5 whole star anise*
- 1 allspice berry*
- 6 large egg yolks
for the affogato
- 6 shots of fresh espresso (or 3 cups of fresh brewed dark roast coffee in a french press)
special equipment required
- ice cream maker
Instructions
before you do anything!!
- freeze the bowl of your ice cream maker, if necessary for your model! usually it takes about 24 hours to freeze completely, so be sure to give it enough time.
cook the ice cream base
- in a heavy-bottomed pot, combine cream, milk, sugar, salt, chai tea bags, & spices (ginger, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, allspice) & heat over medium low heat, stirring frequently, allowing the sugar to dissolve & the tea to steep into the cream & milk.
- continue to stir until the mixture reaches a low, continuous boil. the ice cream base should be fragrant, having taken on both the aromas & light brown color of chai tea. remove from heat.
- strain the tea bags & spices out of the cream mixture using a fine-mesh strainer & allow to cool slightly.
- while the cream mixture cools, separate the yolks of 6 large eggs into a bowl that is large enough to hold the cream mixture. (save the egg whites for an omelette tomorrow!)
- whisking vigorously, slowly add the warmed chai cream into the large bowl with the separated egg yolks. add the chai cream little by little at first, allowing the egg yolks to come to temperature with the cream. pour the remaining chai cream into the egg yolk mixture, whisk until incorporated, & store in an airtight container in the fridge until cool (up to 2 hours).
churn your ice cream
- churn the chai ice cream base according to the directions of your ice cream maker.
- move the ice cream into a freezer-safe container or dish & freeze for at least 2 hours to allow it to set up.
serve your affogato
- scoop chai ice cream into 6 small bowls or rocks glasses. this can be done in advance & stored individually in the freezer if you’re planning to serve to guests.
- brew 3 cups of coffee or pull 6 shots of espresso.
- pour coffee or espresso over each scoop of ice cream.
- serve & enjoy!
Notes
- *if you do not normally stock your spice rack with these spices, you can find them & buy exactly what you need in the bulk spice section of your grocery store, a much more affordable option than investing in whole jars of spices that you aren’t inclined to use often.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6