Here’s a lovely winter treat for you! Affogato literally means “drowned” in Italian. It’s difficult to imagine anything more lovely than drowning ice cream in hot chocolate, right? These dreary days are in desperate need of a little perking up!

First, my kids adore these, and I love any excuse to break out the espresso cups. Plus, affogatos are so easy to make and the variations are endless. You could throw in whatever extract you have on hand. Peppermint, hazelnut, almond, cinnamon, just let your imagination run wild! I made the peppermint version for Christmas last year. Just heat the milk on the stove, add the chocolate chips to a blender, pour the milk over, pulse a few times, and pour it over ice cream! Espresso cups are adorable and perfectly sized for the littles, but a pretty clear glass mug would also be beautiful.

You will need…

• 3 cups whole milk
• 1/3 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (add another 1/2 teaspoon of any other flavor you like, totally optional)
• 1 pinch salt
• Vanilla ice cream
• Chocolate shavings, little candy canes, Piroulines, etc. are all super pretty for a garnish

Pour the milk into a small saucepan. Add the vanilla extract and salt (and other flavor if using). Heat the milk slowly on the stove until just bubbling around the edges, stirring occasionally. Add the chocolate chips to a blender. When the milk is heated through, pour it over the chocolate chips. Pulse a few times until the chocolate is melted into the milk.

Scoop the ice cream into a mug or cup. Pour the chocolate mixture over the top. Top with garnishes, enjoy immediately. Here’s a printable should you need it!