A budget-friendly recipe is going viral for channeling an Italian delicacy with just two ingredients that can be found at most roadside rest stops: coffee and an ice-cream sandwich.
"It's July and you know what that means: It's gas station affogato season," New York-based travel expert and television host Samantha Brown recently posted on social media.
An affogato, which means "drowned" in English, is typically served with fresh espresso poured over vanilla ice cream. But Brown, host of the PBS show "Places to Love," was forced to improvise while on a recent road trip stateside.
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"You're seeing everyone in Italy, Positano, the Amalfi Coast, but you're at a Gulf station off the [Massachusetts Turnpike]," she said.
To make the experience "fancy," she grabbed a cup of black coffee and an ice-cream sandwich from the gas station.
Travel host Samantha Brown took to social media to share her "gas station affogato" hack. (Samantha Brown/@SamanthaBrownTravels)
With her ingredients resting on top of an air pump, Brown dunks the frozen treat into the cup and takes a big bite.
"Delicious," the mom of two exclaims.
"Back in the car," she adds.
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The dessert "blends a high-brow treat with the realities of an American road trip," Brown said on Instagram and TikTok, where her videos had gotten over 3.1 million views and counting.
Many followers commented that they loved the relatable tip.
Social media users said they planned to try the hack on upcoming road trips this summer. (iStock)
"A little road trip luxury," one woman said on Instagram.
"Got to love that!"
"Road trip across Ohio and Pennsylvania coming up," another woman wrote. "I need to try that!! And dream of the Amalfi Coast."
Brown's impromptu recipe went viral, with social media users praising the budget-friendly treat. (Samantha Brown/@SamanthaBrownTravels)
"As someone who's crushed I couldn't go to Italy this summer, this is priceless," a TikToker commented.
Brown said she prefers to enjoy the snack with the most basic ice-cream sandwich: the kind wrapped in paper.
"I don't use a Klondike bar or a Chipwich," she told Today.com. "It's the quintessential ice-cream sandwich."
An affogato, which means "drowned" in English, is an Italian dessert. (iStock)
The idea came to Brown while on a road trip years ago with her two young children.
She had a hankering for coffee-flavored ice cream, but there was none to be found.
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"So I was like, 'Wait a minute, why don’t I make my own?'" she said.
"Desperate times called for desperate measures."