Flavored Coffee As Dessert

For those with a sweet tooth, flavored coffee can serve as a great alternative to dessert! Next time you are craving a bowl of vanilla ice cream or a chocolate silk pie, try vanilla cream or chocolate fudge flavored coffee instead.

You’ll satisfy your craving without going over your calorie limit.

If you aren’t counting calories, but love the idea of coffee and chocolate after dinner, you should also try the decadent recipe below:

Ingredients:

* 3-1/2 oz. best-quality milk chocolate, very finely chopped
* Few grains of salt
* 1/4-cup heavy cream
* 1-cup water
* 2 tsp. instant coffee

* Optional garnish of lightly sweetened whipped cream
* Shaved or grated milk chocolate

Method:

In small microwaveable bowl, combine finely chopped milk chocolate and salt. Microwave at 50 percent (medium) power for thirty-second intervals, stirring well after each, just until chocolate is almost melted, then stir until completely melted and smooth. On high power, heat heavy cream until it is very hot. All at once, add hot cream to melted chocolate. Stir or whisk briskly until smooth (if you absolutely cannot get this mixture smooth, process at high speed in a food processor fitted with steel blade just until smooth).In two-cup liquid measure, heat water on high power until very hot. Add instant coffee to hot water and stir in well. Gradually add about half of hot coffee to milk chocolate mixture, stirring or whisking well after each addition. Add this mixture back to the remaining hot coffee in the two-cup liquid measure.

If necessary, heat beverage in two cup liquid measure at 50 percent (medium) power until steaming hot. Divide between two mugs (8 ounces each). If desired, garnish as suggested above. Serve immediately.

Hot Days, Cold… Coffee?

On a hot day, there’s nothing better than a cold cup of … coffee? Add the words “flavored” and “iced” and the concept is much more palatable. Check out three iced coffee recipes from www.greenmountaincoffee.com that will knock your flip-flops off!

Nutty Rainforest Freeze

* 1 cup (6 oz.) Fair Trade Rain Forest Nut coffee (brewed strong)
* 2 tbsp. heavy cream (or half & half, or…)
* 2 tsp. Sugar (or 2 packets Splenda)

Use basic technique: brew fresh coffee, add sweetener to hot coffee. Fill shaker with ice, add dairy over ice. Add coffee, shake, strain and serve in chilled glass. Garnish with a sweet strawberry, split and hung on the rim of the glass.

Blueberry Rhapsody
* 1 cup (6 oz.) Wild Mountain Blueberry coffee (brewed strong)
* 2 tbsp. heavy cream (or half & half, or…)
* 2 tsp. Sugar (or 2 packets Splenda)

Uses basic technique. Garnish with fresh blueberries, of course!

Pecan Praline Dream

* 1 cup (6 oz.) Southern Pecan coffee (brewed strong)
* 2 tbsp. heavy cream (or half & half, or…)
* 2 tsp. Sugar (or 2 packets Splenda)
* 1 tsp. Coffee Caramel Sauce

Use basic technique. Then swirl caramel sauce into chilled martini glass before adding strained iced coffee mix… Want a Southern Turtle? Swirl caramel and chocolate sauces in the glass!

A Good Coffee Recipe for Crisp Autumn Months

When the weather turns crisp and the ground is covered with red and yellow leaves, a cup of spiced coffee seems apropos. You can sample a wonderful Fair Trade Pumpkin Spice flavor fragranced with cinnamon and pumpkin pie spices on www.greenmountaincoffee.com. You can also create your own tasty treat, like this spiced coffee recipe below:

Ingredients

* 4 to 7 whole cloves
* ½ inch cinnamon bark (whole cinnamon)
* 4 to 7 whole green cardamom
* 1 to 3 tsp. Brown sugar (if desired)
* Whipped cream
* Shaved Chocolate and cinnamon sprinkle
* Coffee

Brew a pot of your favorite coffee, a little too strong.

In a small pan, add 1 1/2 cup water, 4-7 cloves, 1/2 inch cinnamon bark broken up, 4-7 whole cardamom -split the tips, and 1-3 teaspoons of sugar. Heat up to boiling point for 3-4 minutes.

Mix the coffee and the spice-mix, pour into cups, top with whipped cream and sprinkle with chocolate and cinnamon.

Add more sugar if desired.

This also makes a great drink with some Tia Maria or Mozart-liqueurs, for a more adult evening drink.

Christmas Coffee

Eggnog is great, but this holiday season, why not surprise family and friends with a new holiday drink? This flavored coffee treat features nutmeg, cinnamon and cocoa.

* 1 pot of coffee (10-cup equivalent)
* 1/2-cup sugar (baker's sugar is best with it's smaller quicker to dissolve granules)
* 1/3-cup water
* 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
* 1/4-tsp. cinnamon
* 1 pinch grated nutmeg
* Whipping cream for topping

Prepare pot of coffee.

In a medium saucepan, heat water to a low boil. Add sugar, cocoa, cinnamon and nutmeg. Bring back to a low boil for about a minute, stirring occasionally.

Coffee in desserts

There are a host of delicious desserts that include coffee among their ingredients. To get you started, try these delicious Cappuccino Brownies.

CAPPUCCINO BROWNIES

For Brownie Layer
8 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)
1 cup walnuts
1-1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
2 tbls. instant espresso powder*
1 tbls. boiling water
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tsps. vanilla
4 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsps. salt

*available at specialty food stores, and some supermarkets

Make Brownie Layer
Preheat oven to 350F.
Butter and flour a 13 X 9 inch baking pan.
Chop chocolate and walnuts and cut butter into pieces. In a cup, dissolve espresso powder in boiling water. In a metal bowl, set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, melt chocolate and butter with espresso mixture, stirring until smooth. Remove bowl from heat and cool mixture to lukewarm. Stir in sugar and vanilla. Stir in eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition, and stir in flour and salt until just combined. Stir in Walnuts. Pour batter into baking pan and smooth top. Bake brownie layer in middle of oven 22 to 25 minutes, or until a tester comes out with crumbs adhering.

Find more delicious coffee recipes here in our Coffee Lovers’ Recipe Collection

Liquor In Coffee and Coffee-Flavored Liquor

Coffee and liquor have always been a great combination. Liquors that go exceptionally well with coffee include Frangelico, Kahlua, Amaretto, Grand Marnier, Irish Cream and Butterscotch Schnapps. Some companies, such as Starbucks, realized just how popular liquor and coffee really is, and have cut out the middleman by creating coffee-flavored liqueurs. On the other side of the equation, famed-vodka brand, Absolute, has published a recipe for coffee flavored liquor, featured below. We have one more recommendation for all you coffee-flavored liquor fans: it works beautifully over ice cream.

Absolute recipe for Coffee Liquor

2 cups water
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup dry instant coffee (fresh jar)
1-tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups vodka

Boil water and sugar until dissolved. Turn off heat. Slowly add dry instant coffee and continue stirring. Add vanilla extract to the vodka, then combine the cooled sugar syrup and coffee solution with the vodka. Cover tightly and shake vigorously each day for 3 weeks. For Tia Maria: Substitute brandy for the vodka.

Coffee Fudge Brownies

If the world is divided between those who love cakey brownies and those who prefer theirs fudgey, there's widespread agreement in both camps that a hint of coffee flavor is the best way to improve upon something that nearly defies improvement. Notice I said hint. Our aim is to add a whisper of coffee flavor, not shout it from on high – these are brownies, after all – and we achieve that end with a subtle one-two coffee punch: a bit of ground coffee, and some coffee liqueur. Warning to those of you, like me, who have a habit of licking utensils and may wonder about this: the coffee flavor is muted in the batter but more prominent in the baked brownies.

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, in several pieces
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons finely ground, almost powder-like coffee (see note below)
2 tablespoons Kahlua or other coffee liqueur
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1. Put the butter in the top of a double boiler and begin to melt it over barely simmering water. As butter starts to melt, add the chocolate, spreading it evenly rather than dumping it in one big pile. Leave the mixture over the heat for about 5 minutes, until melted, then stir to smooth. Transfer the top of the double boiler to a cooling rack and stir in the ground coffee and Kahlua. Cool for 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9- by 9-inch cake pan and dust it with flour, knocking out the excess. (Do not use a smaller pan.) Set aside.

3. Combine the sugars in a large mixing bowl. Rub with fingers to break up any lumps. Add the eggs. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium-high speed for about 30 seconds, until well blended. Blend in the vanilla. Add the melted chocolate and blend on medium speed just until evenly mixed.

4. Sift the flour and salt into a medium bowl. Stir it into the chocolate mixture, about half at a time, until evenly mixed and no dry streaks remain. Stir in the nuts. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth with a spoon.

5. Bake the brownies on the center oven rack for 30 to 35 minutes. When done, the brownies will have risen somewhat and will have a thin, brittle top crust. A toothpick, inserted at the center, should emerge with a little batter attached. Try not to over bake.

6. Transfer the brownies to a cooling rack and cool thoroughly. To get the cleanest cuts, cover and refrigerate for several hours before slicing. Serve slightly cool or at room temperature.

Makes 16 brownies

Note: Whenever I need to make finely ground coffee for a recipe such as this, I do it in either my blender or – even better – my mini-chopper style coffee grinder. For best results I'll usually mix in a bit of the total amount of sugar with the coffee beans – perhaps 2 to 3 tablespoons.

Find more delicious coffee recipes here in our Coffee Lovers’ Recipe Collection

Making Steamed Milk

To make steamed milk, also known as microfoam, for an espresso drink like cappuccino, you will need an espresso machine with a steam wand.

How to steam/froth milk:
- Fill a stainless steel milk pitcher with milk.
- Place the steam wand in the pitcher and open the steam valve.
- Put your steam valve hand under the pitcher so your palm touches the bottom of the pitcher
- Place the steam tip just below the milk's surface. If it's too high, the bubbles will be too big, too low, you won't get bubbles at all. The steam tip should be exactly in the middle so that tiny bubbles will rapidly expand the milk. Raise the wand as the milk expands. Be sure to listen for the whispering/hissing/sucking noise.
- If the pitcher against your palm is body temperature (about 37 degrees Celsius), stop expanding the milk and lower the wand slowly into the milk. Whirl it over the bottom to heat the milk slightly.
- If the pitcher against your palm becomes too hot to touch, turn off the steam, knock the pitcher gently on the counter, and whirl the milk slowly for a couple of seconds.

For more coffee tips, check out: http://www.toomuchcoffee.com

Boule de Neige

10 oz. chopped semisweet dark chocolate
5 fl. oz. brewed coffee
1 cup unbleached sugar
10 oz butter
5 medium eggs
5 chocolate garnishes

Melt chocolate, butter, coffee and sugar. Beat eggs tempure into chocolate mixture. Lightly spray a 2 inch or 4 inch pan. Pour chocolate mixture into pan. Use rubber scraper.

Bake in a low 300 F oven for 60 to 70 minutes. Refrigerate overnight. Serves 5.

Find more delicious coffee recipes here in our Coffee Lovers’ Recipe Collection.

Mocha Java Shake

½ cup cold prepared strong coffee (Mocha Java of course!)
4 triangles from a 100g Toblerone chocolate bar (or similar amount)
Blend on high speed until chocolate is chopped into small pieces
Add 2 cups of ice cream (coffee, chocolate or vanilla)
Blend on high speed, using On/0ff action until smooth.
Pour into glasses
Serve immediately.
Makes approximately 2 - 8 oz. servings.

Find more delicious coffee recipes here in our Coffee Lovers’ Recipe Collection

Smoothie Recipes: Thick Coffee Banana Smoothie

Smoothie recipes are quite popular these days, and for good reason: they’re simple to prepare, good for you, and delicious. A smoothie is a great breakfast on the run when you’re pressed for time. Still, there are a few little preparation quirks that distinguish a good smoothie from a great one - at least in my book. For one, I like to par-freeze the fruit I’m using - not rock solid, mind you - because it helps thicken the drink; room temperature fruit only thins it. Ditto for the liquid I use, in this case coffee - usually left over from the pot I’ve made that morning. As prepared here, this smoothie has a mild coffee flavor, but if you want a stronger coffee kick then go ahead and use some, or all, coffee yogurt instead of the French vanilla. Note that chocolate syrup may be used as well, for a mocha flavor profile - but do go easy with it, so you don’t mask the coffee flavor. Finally, never over-blend smoothies because the friction tends to thin them out.

3/4 to 1 cup fresh brewed coffee, cooled
1 medium banana, peeled
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar or honey, to taste (optional)
1 1/2 cups French vanilla yogurt (low-fat or nonfat is fine)
1 to 2 tablespoons protein powder or other nutritional powder (optional)
1 teaspoon chocolate syrup (optional)
1 drop vanilla extract

1. Twenty to thirty minutes before you plan to mix your smoothie, put the coffee in a shallow pan and place it in the freezer, stirring once or twice after 15 minutes. It should become slushy-icy. Thinly slice the banana onto a plate and put that in the freezer as well, to chill. While you’re waiting, chill the 2 or 3 glasses you plan to serve this in.

2. When you’re ready to proceed, combine the chilled coffee, banana, and sugar to taste in a blender. Blend just until smooth.

3. Add the yogurt and any of the remaining ingredients you wish to use. Blend again, briefly, just until smooth. Taste, adding a little more sugar if needed. Transfer to the chilled glasses and serve.

Makes 2 to 3 servings

Find more delicious coffee recipes here in our Coffee Lovers’ Recipe Collection.

Coffee recipes: Coffee in everything!

Coffee recipes? Absolutely. You’d be surprised by how versatile coffee is when it comes to cooking. There are literally dozens of beverages and dessert recipes that include coffee. And don’t forget to think about companion coffees for your main dishes as well.

Here are just some of the coffee recipes featured on our Coffee Lover’s Recipe Collection pages:

Thick Coffee Banana Smoothie
Iced Mocha
Coffee Time Blueberry Pie
Walnut Coffee Cookies
Maple Pecan Bars
World’s Best Coffee Fudge Brownies
Old Fashioned French Vanilla Coffee Ice Cream
Coffee Granita

If you would like to see the full list of great coffee recipes, be sure to check out the Coffee Lover’s Recipe Collection pages at Coffee and Tea Warehouse.