It seems during the last decade or so, America has gone completely crazy for coffee drinks. All sorts of overpriced caffeinated concoctions are foisted on the public under the guise of coffee. But there’s nothing you can buy that can beat this simple coffee dessert. Blanco y negro is the Spanish variation of affogato, an Italian creation consisting of an innocent bowl of ice cream drowned in hot espresso; affogato comes from the Italian verb affogare, meaning “to drown.” I’m not fond of dessert names that reference morbid things like drowning and death (as in “death by chocolate”), so I opt for the kinder, gentler Spanish interpretation that refers to snowy, white (blanco) sherbet mingling agreeably with the black (negro) espresso that’s poured over the top. They come together in an unexpected, but very winning, way.

　　

Ingredients

makes 1 quart (1 liter); 8 servings

　　4 cups (1 liter) whole milk

　　3/4 cup (150 g) sugar

　　Grated zest of 2 lemons, preferably organic

　　2 cinnamon sticks, coarsely crushed

　　2 tablespoons (30 g) sugar

　　1 cup (250 ml) freshly brewed espresso, warm

　　Soft-Candied Citrus Peel (page 253), made with lemons, for garnish (optional)

　　

Step 1

To make the sherbet, in a medium saucepan, warm the milk, 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar, lemon zest, and cinnamon sticks, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat, cover, and let steep for 1 hour.

　　

Step 2

Pour the mixture through a mesh strainer set over a medium bowl; discard the zest and cinnamon. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

　　

Step 3

Freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

　　

Step 4

In a small bowl, dissolve the 2 tablespoons sugar in the warm espresso.

　　

Step 5

To serve, place 2 scoops sherbet in each stemmed glass or small, deep bowl. Pour 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the sweetened espresso over the sherbet. Garnish with a few wisps of candied lemon peel, if using.

　　

tip

Step 6

You might want to have extra espresso on hand, in case anyone wants seconds. They likely will.

　　Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz. Copyright © 2010 by David Lebovitz. Published by Ten Speed Press. All Rights Reserved.David Lebovitz lived in San Francisco for twenty years before moving to Paris. He baked at several notable restaurants before starting his career as a cookbook author and food writer. He's the author of four highly regarded books on desserts, and has written for many major food magazines, sharing his well-tested recipes written with a soupçon of humor. His popular, award-winning blog, www.davidlebovitz.com, entertains readers from around the world with sweet and savory recipes as he tries to unravel the complexities of living in Paris.