Coffee Brownies

These brownies are not for you if caffine keeps you awake, unless you enjoy them after lunch....

Ingredients
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbs coffee granules
1/8 tsp baking soda
1 tbs Kahlua
1 tbs vanilla
Method
Preheat oven to 350F. In a saucepan, melt chocolate and butter together. Remove from heat and stir in coffee granules, egg and extra egg yolk. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, sugar and baking soda. Add dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture. Stir in vanilla and Kailua. Pour batter into a 8x8 baking pan, and bake for 20 - 25 minutes. Let brownies cool and cut into squares. These brownies are so delicious that maybe the ingredients should be doubled! Can add toffee bits, chopped up chocolate bars, walnuts or pecans. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Coffee Art at Caffe Artigiano

After a busy morning of shopping with my teenage daughters, a 'pick me up' and a short respite from the sales is in order. We usually drop by Caffe Artigiano in our neighborhood where we know we can savour an intensely creamy caffine experience, almost a replica of what we would enjoy on a sunny street in Rome.

Barbecue Sauce

Try this sauce with chicken, steak or seafood. The coffee surprizingly adds a rich flavour to the sauce.
Ingredients:
1 chili, cored, seeded and minced
1 small jalapeno chili, cored, seeded and minced
1 med. yellow onion, minced
1 red bell pepper, minced
2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 tbsp fresh garlic, minced (optional)
1 tsp fresh black pepper
10.5 oz beef bouillon
1/2 c balsamico
1/2 c molasses or maple syrup
6 oz freshly brewed strong coffee
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp dijon mustard
salt
Method:
Mix chilis, onion , pepper, ginger, garlic and ground pepper in saucepan.
Stir in bouillon. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 mins.
Add balsamico, molasses, and coffee.
Return to boil and then simmer until mixture is a thick consistency.
Add maple syrup and whisk in mustard.
Season to taste.

Rich Coffee Custard

This is my mother's recipe which I think she got from her mother... As children growing up in Europe, we used to be given rich milk puddings to build up our strength or to make us feel better if we were sick. This is a more grown up version.
Ingredients
2 cups milk
1 cup whipping cream
3 whole eggs and 3 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup strong coffee
2 tsp. instant coffee granules
Method
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix milk & cream in a large bowl. Strain whole eggs and yolks into mixture thro' a strainer. Stir in sugar, coffee, and instant coffee. Butter 6 ramekins and arrange in large baking dish. Pour hot water (not boiling) around ramekins til halfway up sides. Bake custard 50-60 mins. A knife inserted will come out clean (middle will be slightly runny). Leave ramekins in water for few more mins. May serve warm or cold, garnished with whipped cream and chocolate covered coffee beans.

Coffee Baked Alaska

This indulgent dessert is a caffine take on the classic...
1 quart coffee ice cream
1 x 9" sponge cake layer
5 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
2/3 cup sugar
Stir ice cream to soften. Line a 1 1/2 quart bowl with plastic wrap. Spoon ice cream into bowl. Invert ice cream onto cake and freeze until firm. Make meringue by beating egg whites with vanilla and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gently add sugar and beat until the peaks are stiff. Transfer the cake and ice cream to a baking sheet. Remove plastic wrap. Ice with meringue and seal edges to baking sheet. Bake at 500 degrees for a few minutes until golden. Serve right away!!

Mocha Biscotti

MOCHA BISCOTTI

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups whole blanched almonds; 1 1/3 cups whole hazelnuts; 6 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped; 3 cups all purpose flour; 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa; 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder; 1/4 tsp. salt; 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened; 1 cup sugar; 3 large eggs plus 1 large egg white; 1 1/2 tbsp. light corn syrup; 1 tbsp. instant coffee granules; 1 1/4 tsp. vanilla; 1 1/4 tsp. almond extract
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets. Toast nuts until fragrant and pale brown. Do not burn. Coarsely chop nuts. Set aside. Stir together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. In a seperate bowl, beat until fluffy, the butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time and beat in syrup, coffee powder, vanilla and almond extract. Beat until coffee dissolves. Gradually mix in dry ingredients. Stir in nuts and chocolate. Divide dough into 2 long logs (1 1/2"wide x 15" long). Bake in oven for 35 mins. Cool on wire rack. When cool, cut logs crosswise, on a diagonal, into 1/2" inch thick slices. Lay slices on sheet and bake for another 16-20 mins. Transfer to racks to cool. Can dip one end of biscotti into melted chocolate if feeling decadent! Store for up to 3 weeks. Freeze up to 3 months. Delicious with a steaming cup of Cafe Luca coffee!!

Coffee Guide

Americano - long and black

Caffe Latte - coffee with milk; a breakfast drink in Italy

Caffe Macchiato - strong coffee with a little milk

Cappucino - usually a morning drink in Italy; named after the Cappucin monks who wore brown and cream colored robes

Corretto - coffee with a splash of liqueur; savoured after meals

Doppio - long and black aka Americano

Espresso - extremely strong coffee served in tiny cups throughout the day

Latte Macchiato - hot milk flavoured with a small amount of coffee; children's drink

Ristretto - very concentrated; flavour is stronger than espresso