One of my favorite desserts of all time is affogato. It's simple, it's classy, it's refined yet unfussy, it requires almost no effort and a mere two ingredients, yet it can finish a meal on a note as strong as the espresso used to make it.

This pumpkin spice affogato I made last year is one of my all-time favorite blog recipes. I loved the flavors, the photos and, obviously, the dessert itself. Naturally, I couldn't help but think of other affogato flavors, including a seasonal favorite, peppermint bark. A year later and I'm finally getting around to making it. Such is life....

While it probably goes without saying, this peppermint bark affogato recipe is quite possibly the easiest thing to make...EVER! In fact, it's probably easier than making actual peppermint bark (not that you have to do that for this recipe). You simply whip up a batch of no-churn ice cream, toss in some peppermint bark pieces, let it freeze, scoop into a glass and pour on your hot espresso.

If you've been looking for an easy, simple dessert to serve at a holiday dinner/party/gathering, I think it's fairly safe to say, your search officially ends here.

Who else likes their espresso served with ice cream (aka affogato)? Let me know in the comments below!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pint heavy whipping cream

• 14-ounce can of condensed milk

• 1 cup peppermint bark pieces

• 4-6 espresso shots

• extra peppermint bark and pirouette cookies, for garnish (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), whip heavy cream. Gently fold in the condensed milk and peppermint bark pieces. Transfer to a loaf pan, cover with a lid or plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 6-8 hours or overnight, until frozen.

2. Once the ice cream is ready, scoop into glasses/mugs/serving dishes. Pour hot espresso over ice cream, garnish with more peppermint bark and/or cookies and serve immediately.

NOTES

• For reference, I like to use 2-3 scoops of ice cream for every 2 espresso shots.