AFFOGATO WITH CHOCOLATE-COATED COFFEE BEANS

Serves 2

4 bananas, peeled and frozen • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
Easy Chocolate Sauce • 1 shot espresso or strong coffee

For the chocolate-covered coffee beans:

85 g (3 oz/½ cup) dark chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
85 g (3 oz/1 cup) coffee beans
cocoa powder, for dusting (optional)

Get your caffeine fix with this dairy-free version of the classic Italian dessert. To make it extra special, add a drizzle of chocolate syrup and some chocolate-coated coffee beans for a bit of a crunch.

To make the chocolate-covered beans, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl suspended over a pan that’s half-full of simmering water. Stir the chocolate until smooth.

Put roughly a third of the coffee beans in the melted chocolate. Stir around until coated. Remove your coated coffee beans from the chocolate using a fork and place on a sheet of parchment paper, but don’t allow the coated beans to touch each other. Continue coating your coffee beans until all are finished. If you like, take them one step further and roll your chocolate-covered coffee beans in cocoa powder before they harden.

Let the chocolate-covered beans harden overnight in an airtight container. If you are in a hurry, put them in the freezer (spread out on a tray) for 30 minutes.

When you are ready to eat the affogato, blitz the bananas and cinnamon in a blender or food processor until thick and creamy, scraping down the sides every 30 seconds. Process until the mixture becomes completely smooth and the consistency of soft-serve ice cream.

Scoop the nice cream between bowls or cups, drizzle some chocolate sauce on top and then pour a shot of espresso over the top. To finish, scatter with chocolate-covered coffee beans.