The most significant inventions of all time are not the most complicated. On the contrary, they’re often quite simple. The first person to pour a shot of espresso over a scoop of vanilla ice cream was a genius — he invented the affogato.

What does affogato mean? Affogato means drowned in Italian, but the most critical question is: is this a drink or a dessert? Well, depending on the viewer.

I love coffee, much more than desserts, so my affogato is a coffee drink. I drown the ice cream in my coffee instead of pouring the precious dark liquid over a sad ice cream scoop.

So, here’s the deal, if you’re pouring a shot of espresso over your ice cream, you can use any dessert bowl or glass. In my opinion, most of the good stuff melts away.

If you scoop the ice cream over the coffee, then the icy treat not only cools down your coffee a bit but also acts like creamer and a sweetener. That’s the beauty behind an affogato.

I know what you’re thinking, a scoop of ice cream doesn’t fit in your favorite espresso cup, but I have solved that too. How? With a melon scoop.

That gadget you have around and never use — that mini-ice cream scoop used to make melon pearls. If you don’t have one, get one, but not for the melon, but your perfect affogato.