Affogato Dessert Recipe with Sherry, Raisins & Prunes

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

Have you seen my advocaat affogato too? It’s lovely at Christmas.

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Whatever the time of year, it’s always handy to have a few ideas on standby for desserts that require very little effort and can be thrown together in a flash. This sherry affogato dessert recipe fits the bill perfectly.

Why Make this Dessert?

This simple affogato 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.

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

For a change, I like to scatter a few tiny chunks of chocolate brownie into the glass instead of the fruit. The combination of cool ice cream, mellow sherry and chocolate is sublime.

In a nutshell, my sherry affogato recipe is even easier to prepare than the classic coffee affogato dessert. Unlike the espresso, which must be brewed, the sherry comes ready to be poured. Hurrah!

Whichever way you chose to serve this dessert, you can’t fail to be impressed by its simplicity and flavour.

What is Affogato?

A classic Italian affogato recipe comprises 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.

Ingredients notes

I’ve used Pedro Ximénez in my boozy twist on the classic affogato dessert.

This sweet dessert sherry is laden with intense fruity and smooth flavours. Dried raisins and sweet grape juice feature strongly in the taste and bouquet of this sherry.

It is the only sherry worth considering for this affogato dessert recipe in my view.

How to Make Sherry Affogato

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 affogato dessert can be ready in 2 minutes flat:

• Put a large scoop of ice cream into a glass
• Pour a shot of sherry over the top & serve

Of course, I do also recommend that you try the full version of this sherry affogato recipe 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 affogato dessert – scatter a little over the top before serving

The boozy fruit keeps for weeks in the fridge, so make a double batch and enjoy this speedy dessert for a while to come.

Expert Tips

• For best results, 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 sherry affogato dessert.
• Oh and small spoons are most definitely the order of the day when eating this luxurious treat.

Variations

Where to start. There are so many ways this simple sherry affogato recipe 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
• Serve topped with an undecorated Christmas Pudding Chocolate. The blend of juicy pudding and chocolate will do down a storm with this dessert
• If this affogato 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, Baileys 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

Have you made my sherry affogato dessert recipe? Let me know how you got along by leaving a rating or comment. I always love to hear from my readers.