A two-minute dessert that turns your freezer's quarter tub into something warm and melted, poured over crisp wafers and a scoop of cold. Affogato is the grown-up's shortcut to decadence when time is short and the craving is real.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 12 at the stove.

About 670 calories a serving, 11 g protein, 92 g carbohydrate, 29 g fat. From USDA figures for 80% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need 1 cup [240 ml] ice cream, 4 tablespoons [57 g] butter, 3/4 cup [90 g] flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, pinch salt, 1 cup [240 ml] strong espresso or very hot strong coffee.

1. Heat the oven to 350°F [175°C]. Melt 4 tablespoons butter, then stir in 3/4 cup flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, and a pinch of salt until the mixture looks like damp sand.
2. Spread the dough thinly across a baking sheet, press it flat with the back of a spoon, and bake until pale gold and crisp, about 10 to 12 minutes; it will firm up as it cools. While it bakes, bring strong espresso or very hot strong coffee to a boil.11 min
3. Break the cooled shortbread into shards. Divide the ice cream between two bowls or glasses, surround with shortbread shards, and pour the hot coffee over and around the ice cream so it starts to melt and pool. Serve at once.

Note Swap shop-bought shortbread, digestive biscuits, or vanilla wafers for homemade if you prefer. The melted ice cream will keep in the fridge for a day but refreeze it if you want to save it. Serve alone or with a second scoop if appetite allows.

A float is not quite dessert and not quite a drink, and it's the fastest way to turn three scoops of ice cream into something you'll sit down to eat. The melting and the bubbles make it feel like more than it is.

Serves 2. 10 minutes, 5 at the stove.

About 650 calories a serving, 9 g protein, 116 g carbohydrate, 18 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need three scoops worth (about 1 cup) ice cream, 2 tablespoons butter, pinch salt, 12 ounces club soda or ginger ale, 1/4 cup brown sugar.

1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter with 1/4 cup brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often until the sugar dissolves and the mixture smells caramelized, about 3 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and let it bubble for 30 seconds, then pull off the heat.3 min
2. Pour 6 ounces of club soda or ginger ale into each of two tall glasses and divide the three scoops of ice cream between them, one and a half scoops per glass, nestling the scoops into the soda.
3. Pour the warm caramel sauce over each float in a thin stream so it mixes into the soda and ice cream, then top with another splash of soda if you like, and serve right away with a long spoon.

Note Use root beer or cola instead of club soda for a classic float. The ice cream melts as you drink, so there's no keeping it. Serve with wafers or cookies on the side if you want to stretch it into a fuller meal.

This is what you make when there is nothing left but a spoonful of melted ice cream at the bottom of the tub. Warm it gently with butter and brown sugar, then pour over warm bread to make a bread pudding that drinks the cream. The freezer shelf tells you to use it or lose it.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 10 at the stove.

About 510 calories a serving, 12 g protein, 77 g carbohydrate, 17 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need 3 tablespoons leftover vanilla ice cream, 2 tablespoons butter, pinch salt, 1 cup [130 grams] flour, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 cup whole milk.

1. Heat your oven to 350°F [175°C]. Tear 4 slices of bread into bite-sized pieces and spread them in a small baking dish.
2. Warm 3 tablespoons of the leftover ice cream with 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring often, until the mixture is liquid and smooth, about three minutes. Pour over the bread pieces.
3. Whisk 1 cup of milk with 1 egg, a pinch of salt, and 1 tablespoon of flour, then pour the mixture over the bread. Let it sit for three minutes so the bread absorbs some liquid.3 min
4. Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake until the top is set and the pudding jiggles slightly in the center when you shake the pan, about fifteen minutes. The custard will continue to cook as it cools.15 min

Note Swap the bread for stale biscuits or pound cake. Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for two days and taste fine cold, or reheat gently in a low oven. Serve warm with a spoon alongside coffee or tea.