Pannacotta Affogato. It’s pure creamy coffee fun. This makes the most perfect dessert for coffee lovers
This post is supported by Di Bella Coffee. If you are a coffee lover then chances are you have heard of Di Bella coffee.
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Coffee is a wonderful thing
Coffee is a wonderful thing. I mean it is a legal high. People are addicted to it, yet you can buy it in every neighbourhood. There is a cult of worship for it, some can’t bare to think of life without it, they follow it and love it, yet it is not frowned upon by the church. Some people take a shot before driving, or before working and even after too much alcohol….and yet no one bats an eyelid. Such is the power and wonder of coffee.
I have used it as a stimulant many times and now blame myself for overdosing on it. I used to drink 7 or 8 a day because during back to back double shifts it can be a crutch and the only one that can keep you firing and alert. It was during a particularly long stretch when working for Rockpool Catering that I overdosed and now have to be very careful with the way I administer coffee to myself. It happened all of a sudden, my crutch became my curse and for some years I was unable to even drink just one a day. How I have suffered……..): No sipping during the day to perk me up and no wake up call in the morning to boost my morale……….
When you discover your crutch is killing you
It started after a normal day and 6 or 7 coffees during the work. I fell into bed after a 15 hour shift, but sleep was fleeting. Eventually, when I did fall asleep I had service dreams the curse of every chef. It’s a feeling that you are on an endless service line of dockets that you can’t keep up with. You can’t cook fast enough and you just can’t seem to make it taste right, people are sending dishes back and you are panicking, getting further behind.
That started happening and each night for a week. All the while I was coping with double shifts and a small child, and in a short time I was looking haggard…..but still I couldn’t seem to get off my roundabout. I had no idea how to remedy this lack of rest. So, I drank more coffee, to kickstart my waking hours and this in turn was killing me, literally. Oh the pain of both giving up, and not having that boost for the day.
Years of abstinence are behind me. Now I have one beautiful coffee a day and I like it to be good.
The coffee I have to makle this dessert is from De Bella and originated in Peru, and like the chocolate grown in this country, it has a smoky, fruity quality and it is heavenly good. It is a Brisbane Australia Company started in 2002. They now roast over 3,400 tonnes of coffee per year, and have upwards of 3000 partners & customers in 37 countries.
To go with the smokey fruity coffee I had the idea of a Vanilla Pannacotta with coffee and chocolate AND Tim Tams ( or a delicious chocolate wafer biscuit to soak up the coffee) was the one that stuck.
Affogato Pannacotta
The Affogato is a dessert that is almost synonymous with coffee. It’s simply a scoop of Ice cream with a shot of coffee, and often a liqueur poured over. I wanted an Affogato where the coffee remained pure but the dessert lasted longer than the usual ice cream because it melts too quickly.
Here it is. Add a Tim Tam biscuit (straw) and a few Maltesers and you have everything you may ever need. Whilst making this I think I may have tested too many, and all of a sudden my coffee intake was well past its limit.
The coffee has just been reduced to syrup with a little maple syrup added. Made from fresh roasted beans it still tastes fruity and a little smokey. If you have a capsule machine Di Bella now makes their coffee into capsules too. Have a look HERE for flavours and ORDERS.
Love Pannacotta? Try these
Mascarpone Pannacotta with salted caramel 
Pannacotta Affogato with Tim Tam Straws
Ingredients
- 350 ml full cream milk 12 fl oz
- 350 ml thickened cream or heavy cream | 12 fl oz
- 20 gm caster sugar 1 tablespoon| 1Tablespoon + 1 teasp
- 1 vanilla bean
- 3 leaves gelatine (weighing 15 gm) 5 gm | gold strength, 6 x thinner 2.5gm
Coffee Syrup
- 250 ml coffee freshly brewed | 8.5 fl oz
- 60 ml maple syrup 1/4 cup | 2 fl oz
- 6 Tim tams ( or chocolate covered wafer biscuit)
Instructions
To make the Pannacotta.
- You will need 6 x 150 ml moulds (5 fl oz)
- Put the milk, cream, vanilla and sugar into a medium pot and heat on low
- Meanwhile put the leaf gelatine into some cold water and soak till softened. Drain and set aside. To dissolve gelatine powder, put into a small dish and add an equal amount of water, let stand. ( for subsitutions of gelatine leaves to powder see below)
- Once the milk and cream is heated and the sugar dissolved (no need to boil) add the gelatine sheets and stir till dissolved. ( If using powdered gelatine after blooming with water add it to the hot milk and stir till dissolved ( no boiling))
- Strain the mixture into a jug and then into the moulds. Chill for 4 hours but for best results overnight.
- To turn out run a knife gently around the edge of the dish. Turn the dish upside down on your palm and shake till it loosens. Then turn back up the right way and put the dish under the pannacotta and shake it out.
Coffee Syrup
- Put the coffee into a pot with the maple syrup and reduce by 1/2. You should have about 150 ml left or about 3/4 of a cup. Cool to room temperature.
- Divide the mixture between the six dishes and cut the bottom of the biscuit off so that coffee can soak up into it. Tim tams are a shortbread biscuit that is layered and covered in chocolate. You could substitute another chocolate covered biscuit here
Notes
- Gelatine is available in different strengths or “blooms”. It’s a bit of a minefield to be honest. Powdered and leaf gelatines all come in different strengths
- If you can’t find leaf gelatine either on line or at a supermarket you will have to substitute it for powdered. There is no exact substitution conversion and the only foolproof way of knowing what the “bloom” or setting quality is is to read the suggested setting instructions on the packet.
- Just like leaf gelatine powdered gelatine needs to be soaked before using.
- Gelatine’s setting qualities diminish when it is boiled so always add it to the hot liquid when it has been taken off the heat. Stir well to make sure it is dissolved and then strain before using to remove unmelted lumps or bits.
- Sheet gelatine is preferred as it dissolves easier
- Always put gelatine into cold water. For sheets make sure you don’t crack it into tiny pieces as these disappear into the water and you lose it. try to soak whole and squeeze out the excess water as soon as it has softened. Put into a bowl and set aside until needed.
- As a very rough rule, you can substitute approximately 1 teaspoon of gelatine to 2 sheets of gelatine, HOWEVER best to read the packet instruction on how much to use.
- This recipe is approximately 700 ml
Oh YUM! I could eat this for breakfast!!! It looks so good Tania 🙂 YUM!!!!
Thanks so much for sharing/teasing
Julie
Gourmet Getaways
Oh yes breakfast would be perfect!
What a great idea,Tania! I enjoy a few versions of affogato but never thought to combine it with panna cotta. I bet it’s delicious and I cannot wait to try it. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks John, as you are a very experienced Italain I am chuffed you approve
i confess that i’m one of those suckers who’s addicted to coffee! i need it each morning, and i don’t mind it in my desserts, either! this is classy and elegant and delicious!
Thanks Grace. I knew you’d be a coffee lover. You are always chirpy and happy
Wow!
It looks divine….
Hi Flo, thanks
I love this refined, lovely dessert! Dang, that was a lot of coffee you were drinking!!
Thanks Jessie , yes as you can see I was addicted
While I’m not a coffee drinker myself, I know that this is a dessert that my friends would enjoy. Pinned it.
How lovely of you Karen!
7 or 8 a day is an amazing amount to have reached! I’m glad you have a good relationships with coffee now…I love it too and also try to keep to 1 a day. This sounds like a great dessert for when you want a little extra boost 🙂
Yes us poor one a dayers. !!
Hubby loves coffee but I prefer tea. Having said that coffee recipes are great and I love eating it in desserts and savouries. It always smells so good!
Yes it smells sooooo good
That is beautiful! I’ve never been a big coffee drinker. If someone is having a coffee, I’ll join in but it’s never been a big thing for me. Dessert, on the other hand, is always a big winner. 🙂
Thanks maureen . God top know as we have had a few coffees together!
Poor you! Know the feeling but I only drink one good coffee a day, lots of water and lemon in hot water first off. I have started using a product I remember my mother using Bushells Coffee and Chicory essence which I found in WOW for flavours in cakes, frosting etc.
Am going to TASTE on Thursday pm but thank you for your generous offer of tickets. ????
Ha thanks Pamela. I will have to follow your routine it sounds good. You are welcome re the tickets
Beautiful presentation, Tania. I am not a coffee drinker, but I do enjoy food flavoured with coffee.
Oh yes, as you have heard I find it hard to drink too much but I love it.