Ingredients

Cafe affogato:

• vanilla or cream ice cream (ready-made or homemade from this recipe)
• espresso coffee
• caramel sauce (optional, ready-made or from the recipe below)

Caramel Sauce (about 1 1/2 cups):

• 1 cup of white sugar
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1 cup of heavy cream 30%

Preparation

1. Into cups, bowls, or small dishes, place a scoop of ice cream, drizzle with caramel sauce, and pour hot, strong espresso (a small cup). Serve immediately.
2. Into a medium pot, pour sugar and add water. Set to medium heat and stir until sugar completely dissolves. Increase heat to high (should be high, but moderate). Cook for about 9 minutes or less—until sugar turns a light brown color. Don't stir the mixture. Be careful, because at some point sugar starts to change color very quickly from light brown to dark, then after a moment it starts to burn and smoke. You need to catch the moment when the caramel is brown, but not yet burnt.
3. When the mixture turns brown, immediately pour in the cream while stirring quickly. Be careful, as the mixture will bubble vigorously. Keep cooking and stirring until the mixture has a uniform consistency and thickens slightly. The sauce is ready to use. It can be stored for quite a long time—a few days at room temperature, then it can be chilled.