Archive for: coffee
A basic bread pudding is like a blank canvas because you can put so many different flavors into one basic recipe. You can stir in chocolate, fruit or nuts to a simple vanilla bread pudding, or you could take things a step further and infuse the whole pudding with more intense flavors. This is a Coffee Bread Pudding, and it is definitely a recipe for coffee lovers. Coffee and cinnamon flavor the custard that gives this bread pudding a delicious coffee n’ cream flavor that any coffee fan is sure to enjoy.
The coffee flavor in this bread pudding comes from instant espresso powder (something like Starbucks Via works equally well) because it allows you to easily introduce an intense coffee flavor to the pudding. Even strong coffee would water down the custard that is the base of this pudding, and you want bread pudding to be rich and creamy, so it is best to stick with as much milk/dairy (as opposed to water) as possible. Instant espresso powder is also very easy to work with, and since it dissolves very easily in warm milk, you will be able to put this recipe together easily and won’t have to wait too long to taste the results.
When the bread pudding is still warm from the oven, it will be moist and custardy – as bread pudding should be. It isn’t as “wet” as some bread pudding recipes, which makes it easy to slice and serve without making a mess. It is excellent when served plain, since you get a good coffee flavor and a slight crunch from the cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top of the pudding before baking, but the recipe makes a generous batch and you will probably have leftovers. Leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator and this can cause the pudding to firm up quite a bit, so you will probably want to warm it up and serve it with a little sauce. Vanilla custard sauce is an excellent option that goes perfect with the coffee flavor, but if you want something cold to contrast with the warm pudding, vanilla or Coffee Ice Cream are good choices, too.
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Coffee cakes typically get their name from the fact that they are served with coffee, not because they have coffee in them. This Coffee Swirl Coffee Cake is an exception to that rule because it not only goes with coffee, but it has coffee baked right into it! This is a bundt cake that looks similar to many other bundt-style coffee cakes, but delivers a beautiful coffee swirl at its center, rather than the cinnamon-sugar or streusel centers that are so much more common. For a coffee lover, this cake could easily become a brunch favorite.
The base for this cake is a very moist vanilla cake made with plain greek yogurt. The Greek yogurt really helps keep the cake moist, and gives it a nice neutral flavor that the vanilla can really stand out against. You can actually use either nonfat or full fat greek yogurt and get a good result both ways, but you can also substitute sour cream into this recipe too for a similar effect. The light-colored cake is sweet enough to balance out the strong flavor of the coffee that you get in the dramatic, dark swirl in the center of the cake.
For the coffee swirl, I recommend using a strong instant espresso or Starbucks Via for the mixture to give it a really distinct coffee flavor. You want that coffee to really stand out, and the vanilla cake can handle the contrast. You can use instant coffee instead for a milder flavor. A hint of cocoa powder brings out some of the cocoa notes in the coffee, which keeps it from seeming too intense, too. The coffee swirl mixture is dry and crumbly, so be sure that it gets surrounded by cake batter when you incorporate it into the cake. It will form a kind of swirl as the cake bakes, and create a beautiful finished look with minimal effort from you.
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Everyone has a favorite flavor when it comes to ice cream shops. Sometimes it is something simple, like a simple vanilla or cookies n’ cream, and sometimes it is something that you can’t really find anywhere else. Baskin-Robbins’s Jamocha Almond Fudge is one of those flavors that you just don’t find anywhere else. The flavor has been on their menu since 1959 and has been the favorite flavor of many people since that time. BR isn’t exactly the small, artisan ice cream shop down the street, however, so the way to get a high quality batch of this particular ice cream flavor is to make it yourself.
My Coffee Almond Fudge Ice Cream has the same combination of flavors as BR’s Jamocha Almond Fudge. It starts with a coffee ice cream base that is studded with roasted almonds swirled with a chocolate fudge ribbon. I like to use slivered almonds in this ice cream because you still get a good crunch and almond flvor from them, but the almonds are thin enough that they don’t get rock hard when the ice cream is frozen. The coffee ice cream is rich and smooth, with a cafe latte flavor, and the roasted almonds and fudge are great ways to dress it up.
I use instant coffee (Starbucks Via is my preference) in this ice cream because it is a quick and easy way to control the amount of coffee flavor in the recipe. You can replace the instant coffee with about 3/4 cup of crushed, roasted coffee beans and steep them in the hot milk/cream for about 5 minutes, if you prefer to take that route, too. The ice cream is made as plain coffee ice cream and churned until soft. Once it is made, the almonds and fudge sauce are swirled into the base while it is still soft to distribute them, then the ice cream is frozen until firm to set the swirl before serving.
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I am a huge lover of coffee, so it should be no surprise that I am also a huge fan of coffee ice creams. Coffee ice creams can deliver the flavor of a good cup of coffee in a cold, refreshing package that is perfect for hot summer afternoons, and the are the perfect base for delicious affogatos. I’ve had both dark espresso flavored ice creams and very mildly flavored coffee ice creams. This Cafe Latte Ice Cream falls right in the middle and will satisfy a craving both for coffee and for a frozen treat.
The ice cream has a good coffee flavor and a very creamy base that balances it, and you taste both elements clearly in every bite. It gives you the same flavor effect that you get from a cafe latte – hence the name of the ice cream. Of course, a plain latte isn’t going to be sweetened and this ice cream has some sugar added to ensure that it keeps a creamy texture and still tastes like dessert. Whole milk and heavy cream give this ice cream a rich, but easy to make, base. You can use a lower fat milk in place of the whole milk and still get good results, but just keep in mind that the ice cream may be a touch less creamy if you do.
I used Starbucks Via when preparing this recipe, as it is easy to use and really concentrates a good coffee flavor. Instant espresso powder will also work well and is easy to incorporate. If you don’t have either of these ingredients, you can infuse the cream with 1/4 cup of ground coffee or espresso beans by combining the cream and coffee, bringing it to a boil and letting it sit with the beans for 4-5 minutes. Strain out the coffee beans and continue with the recipe. It adds an extra step to the recipe, but definitely gives it a good flavor.
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Coffee and cookies is a combination that is just as good as milk and cookies, but slightly more adult. These Chocolate-Drizzled Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies are a coffee-laced twist on classic chocolate chip cookies, made by adding a homemade espresso extract – instant espresso powder and water – to the cookie batter for a coffee flavor. The cookies are packed with dark chocolate chips and drizzled with dark chocolate to give them an elegant finished look on top of making them a great way to satisfy a chocolate craving.
The coffee kick in this otherwise fairly standard cookie dough comes from the homemade espresso extract I mentioned above. This mixture has an intense flavor and almost seems too strong when taken on its own, but when combined with the sweet, buttery cookie dough and the chocolate, it all balances out very well. The cookies are slightly chewy, with a good coffee flavor that just manages to not be overwhelmed by all the chocolate chips. The chocolate drizzle is optional, but is a nice touch that will set these apart from other cookies.
I like to work with instant espresso powder when I’m baking, because it lends a strong coffee flavor to cakes and other baked goods and is easy to incorporate, both as a powder or when reconstituted with a small amount of water. Instant espresso powder is definitely going to give you the best flavor in this recipe and it is available at many regular grocery stores. Specialty food and baking stores will stock intense coffee extract, which makes a good substitution for the instant espresso powder. After those two options, I would opt for a high quality instant coffee like Starbucks Via that will also impart strong coffee flavor over a regular instant coffee, though doubling the amount of traditional instant coffee will enhance the coffee flavor if that is what you have to work with.
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