Sherry Affogato with Raisins & Prunes

Sherry Affogato is an incredibly simple yet elegant dessert. Try adding a few sherry soaked raisins & prunes or a few chunks of chocolate brownie to elevate this stylish dessert further.

Whatever the time of year, it’s always handy to have a few recipes on standby for desserts that require very little effort and can be thrown together in a flash. Sherry affogato with raisins is just that kind of dessert.

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This simple dessert requires very little hands-on time yet the end result is a cool glassful of delight. At the most basic level, top-quality ice cream is topped with intensely sweet & rich Pedro Ximénez sherry.

Pedro Ximénez is a sweet dessert sherry that is laden with intense fruity and smooth flavours. Dried raisins and sweet grape juice feature strongly in the flavour and bouquet of this sherry and it is the only sherry worth considering for this affogato in my view.

Since raisins are so prominent in Pedro Ximénez, I decided to tinker around by soaking some raisins and dried prunes in a little sherry for 24 hours. A few of these boozy nuggets scattered on top of the dessert takes this semi-frozen treat to another level.

And if there’s no time to soak some dried fruit, just scatter a few tiny chunks of chocolate brownie into the glass right before serving. The combination of cool ice cream, boozy sherry and chocolate is sublime.

What is an Affogato?

A classic affogato is an Italian coffee-based dessert comprising of two ingredients – vanilla ice cream and espresso coffee. This sophisticated treat is usually served by scooping a firm ball of quality vanilla ice cream into a chilled glass and then pouring the hot espresso over it at the table.

This dessert has got quite a reputation for being a simple sensation and as such, it has also acquired quite a fan base.

Incidentally, affogato means drowned in Italian. Since the coffee drowns the ice cream, it’s a very fitting name for this delectable concoction.

How to Eat Sherry Affogato

My sherry affogato is even easier to prepare than the classic coffee affogato. Unlike the espresso, which must be brewed, the sherry comes ready to be poured. Hurrah!

Just keep a tub of ice cream in your freezer and the Pedro Ximenex at room temperature and you are good to go whenever the craving takes hold. In it’s very simplest form, this dessert can be ready in 2 minutes flat.

But better results can be achieved if you give some thought to your glassware. For the coffee version, it is essential to chill the glass so that the ice cream doesn’t melt too quickly. Here, though it is less imperative, I still suggest chilled serving glasses to allow the diners to linger over their unbelievably tasty desserts.

Of course, I do also recommend that you try the full version – sherry affogato with raisins and prunes too. Just chop the prunes up, mix in with the raisins, add a little orange zest and top with sherry. After 24 hours the dried fruits will have plumped up sufficiently to make an uplifting impact on your dessert.

Bonus – the boozy fruit keeps for weeks in the fridge, so make a double batch and enjoy for a while to come.

Sherry Affogato Variations

Where to start. There are so many ways this simple base recipe for affogato can be varied.

• First of all, the choice of ice cream can be played with. Top-quality vanilla is a safe and favourite option for many. But chocolate ice cream can add a new dimension to both the classic and sherry affogato. Personally, I love the idea of a nutty ice cream too – especially pistachio or hazelnut.
• Try adding a few tiny chunks of chocolate brownie. With or without a few boozy raisins alongside, this flavour combination is heavenly
• If this dessert is a little too smooth for your likely, serve it with something crunchy – biscotti would be great
• Not so keen on sherry but want to keep the alcohol? No problem. Try a coffee or chocolate liqueur, or even Amaretto. Just drown that ice cream in something boozy
• Need a kid-friendly version? It has to be hot chocolate – make a rich & thick hot chocolate, pour on a shot and watch those small faces light up with joy

If you are planning on using sherry, do, however, make sure it is suitably sticky and sweet. There are so many varieties of sherry available and not all are suited to this recipe. Pedro Ximénez is best… just sayin’.

More Boozy Desserts:

• Muscovado Meringue with Red Wine Poached Fruit
• Prosecco Truffle Pots
• Triple Spiced Orange Cheesecake with a hint of Rum
• Bourbon Peach Crisp
• Italian Ricotta Cheesecake with Amaretto Soaked Raisins

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