Try a new way to enjoy your cup of coffee

 

There’s nothing like the smell of coffee brewing, and the variety of coffee drinks seems endless.

As National Coffee Month — that would be August — wraps up, do  more than just drink your cup of joe.

Try coffee and its many forms in your meals as well.

Coffee in all its forms can be used in cooking and baking. It’s a natural paired with chocolates and in desserts but can also be used to add a smoky flavor and distinct taste to main dishes.

It makes a tasty rub for meats, often combined with peppers.

In cooking, coffee should be treated as a spice. Lighter roasts are more delicate but also more acidic, while darker ones are robust, toasty and strong, allowing coffee to hold its own against other strong flavors.

Ground coffee is often used in recipes. For the finest flavor, grind the coffee beans just before you use them.

The fact that coffee is roasted is the key thing to remember, because it allows coffee to work with toasted ingredients such as chocolate, caramel and nuts.

Following are coffee-related recipes from www.cookingontheweekends.com and www.seriouseats.com.

 

 

Espresso Chocolate Sauce

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate chunks

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup instant espresso

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Place all ingredients except cream in a small saucepan. Place over low heat and let the chocolate and butter melt.

Gently stir to blend. Add the cream and stir once again.

 

 

Coffee Granola

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup brown sugar, light or dark

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1-1/2 tablespoons instant espresso powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup almond meal

1 cup sliced almonds

2 cups rolled oats

2/3 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, mix softened butter with sugar until smooth. Mix in syrup, vanilla, cocoa powder, espresso powder and salt. Use a large spatula to fold in almond meal, almonds and oats.

Pour granola mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and use a flat-bottomed metal spatula to flatten the mixture. It should be about 1/2 inch thick.

Bake in a 350-degree oven 25 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Use your hands to break the granola into small pieces, then mix in mini chocolate chips.

Keep granola in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. (If it seems to have lost its crunch, spread granola on a baking sheet and heat in a 350-degree oven for five to 10 minutes.

 

 

 

Balsamic Coffee Marinated Flank Steak

For marinade:

1/3 cup brewed strong coffee, cooled to room temperature

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons garlic, minced

2-pound flank steak

For glaze:

1 tablespoon maple syrup

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

In a small mixing bowl, whisk coffee with balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and garlic. Set aside.

Cut excess fat off of the steak and place it in a large zipper-lock bag. Pour marinade in the bag, making sure it coats both sides of the meat. Gently let air out of the bag, seal it and refrigerate overnight to 24 hours.

Remove steak from refrigerator 20 minutes before cooking.

Season both sides of meat generously with salt and pepper. Place steak on a hot, preheated grill. Grill eight minutes for medium-rare, turning the steak over about half way through the grilling time.

Place maple syrup, balsamic vinegar and espresso powder in a small saucepan, and place over medium heat. Once bubbling, turn the heat to low and let it simmer three minutes, until thickened slightly and reduced a bit. Add butter and swirl pan until the butter is melted and blended in.

Place steak on a large plate or platter, cover with foil and let it rest at least 10 minutes.

Slice steak thinly against the grain, drizzle the glaze on top and serve.

 

 

Creamy Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons finely ground coffee beans

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup golden brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

2-1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 cups chocolate chips or chunks (semisweet, bittersweet or milk)

Set oven and prep pans. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a couple of sheet pans with parchment paper and set them aside.

Place cream, coffee grounds and vanilla in a small saucepan, place over low heat and cook three minutes, just until it starts to bubble along the edges. Remove from the heat and let mixture cool to room temperature.

Place butter, both sugars and salt in a large mixing bowl and mix just until smooth. Stir in cooled coffee mixture. Once blended, add egg and mix. Fold in about half the flour and baking powder. Add remaining half of the flour with the chocolate chips and stir until you no longer see dry spots.

Use a 1-1/2 inch cookie scoop to shape balls of dough, placing them on parchment-lined baking sheet with a couple of inches between them.

Bake in a 350-degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes. They should still look slightly doughy when they’re removed from the oven. Cool a few minutes on the baking sheet, and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool to room temperature.

Repeat until all of the batter is baked.

 

 

Double-Chocolate Cream Pie

Old-fashioned flaky pie dough for a blind baked pie

For filling:

4 ounces 72% dark chocolate, roughly chopped

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1-1/3 cups sugar

3/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; (use half as much if iodized)

1/2 teaspoon espresso powder

1/2 cup Dutch cocoa powder

1/3 cup cornstarch

Scant 1/2 cup egg yolks, from about 8 large eggs

3 cups milk

For topping:

6 ounces egg whites, from 5 to 6 large eggs

1-1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (use half as much if iodized)

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Scraped seeds from 1 split vanilla bean, optional

Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl, add vanilla and suspend a large, single-mesh sieve over the top. Whisk sugar, salt, espresso powder, cocoa powder and cornstarch together in a three-quart stainless steel saucier. Add egg yolks and roughly 1/2 cup of the milk and whisk until smooth before adding the rest of the milk. Cook over medium-low heat six minutes, stirring gently with a whisk until hot to the touch.

Increase heat to medium and continue whisking gently five minutes, until thick and bubbly. If it’s not bubbling, increase the heat. When you see the first bubble, set a timer and continue whisking exactly 90 seconds. Immediately pour into sieve, pressing with a flexible spatula until custard passes through. Fold mixture until chocolate has melted into the custard, then cover with a heavy towel.

  Fill a wide pot with at least 1-1/2 inches of water, with a thick ring of crumpled tinfoil placed inside to act as a “booster seat.” Place over high heat until steaming-hot, then adjust temperature to maintain a gentle simmer.

Combine egg whites, sugar, salt, cream of tartar and vanilla seeds in the bowl of a stand mixer. Set over steaming water, stirring and scraping constantly with a flexible spatula eight to 10 minutes, until egg whites hold steady at 175 degrees.

Transfer to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip at high speed five minutes, until meringue is glossy and beginning to ball up inside the whisk.

Pour custard into prepared crust, then dollop meringue over top. Gently spread it edge to edge with the back of a fork, using the tines to sculpt it into a pretty design. Place on a wire rack set inside a 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheet and bake in the lower third of a 375-degree oven 15 minutes, until well browned.

Cool one hour at room temperature, then cover loosely with plastic and refrigerate 3-1/2 hours, to an internal temperature of 60 degrees. Cut with a wet chef’s knife, rinsing the blade clean with cold water between each slice.

Wrapped in plastic, leftovers can be refrigerated as long as a week.

 

 

Four-Ingredient Cocoa-Coffee Steak Marinade

1 cup hot, strong brewed coffee

1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Pinch chili powder or cayenne pepper

2 to 3 pounds steak of choice

Stir together coffee, chocolate, sugar, salt and chili powder or cayenne until chocolate is fully melted and sugar and salt are fully dissolved. Let cool.

Transfer marinade to a large zipper-lock bag, add steak, press out air from bag and seal. Refrigerate at least one hour and as long as 12 hours. When ready to cook, remove steak from marinade, blot dry with paper towels and grill as desired.

 

 

Milky and Mild Coffee Ice Cream

6 large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons medium-grind coffee

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together egg yolks, sugar and coffee until well combined. Whisk in cream and milk until yolk mixture is fully incorporated.

Place pot over medium-low heat and cook, whisking frequently, until a custard forms on a spoon and a finger swiped across the back leaves a clean line, or until custard temperature reaches 170 degrees. Stir in salt to taste.

Strain custard through a fine mesh strainer and chill in either ice bath or refrigerator until it is very cold, about 40 degrees. Churn in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions, then transfer to an airtight container and to harden in freezer for at least four hours before serving.

 

 

Barbajada, or Milanese Hot Chocolate Coffee Drink

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/4 cup sugar

1-1/2 cups milk

2/3 cup strong coffee or espresso

Whipped cream, for serving

In a medium bowl, stir together cocoa powder and sugar until thoroughly combined. In a medium saucepan, heat milk over moderate heat until steaming. Whisk in cocoa/sugar mixture along with coffee, whisking rapidly until hot and frothy. Divide into warmed mugs and top with whipped cream.

 

 

Coffee-Ginger Barbecue Sauce

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup strong coffee or espresso

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon molasses

1 2-inch knob peeled fresh ginger, grated on a microplane

1/2 ounce dark (70%) chocolate

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

In a medium saucepan, combine ketchup, coffee, Worcestershire sauce, molasses and ginger and bring to a low simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Stir in chocolate and smoked paprika until chocolate is melted, then let simmer over very low heat five to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until flavors have mellowed and melded. Season with salt and pepper.