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Lovers of the drink know how delicious that
liquid dream can be. But delights abound in using coffee as an ingredient in
food preparation too.
While commonly used in desserts -- and we'll look at a couple -- the uses of
coffee aren't limited to sweets. Barbecue sauces and glazes for meat, chili and
even pot roasts benefit from a dash of the ground bean.
In any recipe, freshness is essential, so either buy freshly ground or grind
your own and use right away. And if the recipe calls for brewed coffee, make it
just before preparing the dish with good filtered water. And remember, most
recipes call for coffee two or three times as strong as you'd want to drink.
Here are only a few of the many possibilities...
coffee meatloaf sauce
Australian Meatloaf is becoming increasingly popular outside kangaroo
country.
For the sauce add a tablespoon of instant coffee to a quarter cup of water and
half-cup of ketchup with a quarter cup of a favorite dry red and equal amount of
Worcestershire sauce. Two tablespoons of vinegar, an ounce of margarine and two
tablespoons of lemon juice with some brown sugar complete the mixture.
After the meat has cooked for 30 minutes, add the sauce and bake 45 minutes more
at 375F (190C).
espresso brownies
To make brownies surpassing even Alice B. Toklas', try this one.
Heat a cup of sugar, a quarter teaspoon of salt, and a stick and a half of
butter in a sauce pan. Add a teaspoon of vanilla and four ounces of chopped,
semi-sweet chocolate and stir until well melted. Now add a tablespoon of your
favorite finely ground dark-roast. For an interesting variation substitute with
two teaspoons of espresso granules.
Stir until everything is well mixed, then transfer to a mixing bowl and let cool
for a few minutes.
While still warm, fold in three eggs, a cup of flour and pour the result into a
baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes and set out to cool. Yum!
black russian cake
Select a favorite dark chocolate cake mix and add a cup of vegetable oil, a
package of instant chocolate pudding, four eggs, and a half cup of crème de
cacao. Now add a cup of your favorite Russian coffee. (1 oz vodka, 1/2 oz Kahlua,
5 oz hot black coffee.)
Beat until smooth and pour into a tube pan, then bake 45 minutes at 350F (177C).
Da!
more is better
The possibilities are endless. Muffins, cookies, breads and all manner of
candy -- not to mention those well known ice creams -- are enhanced by the
addition of coffee.
Even cocktails get a boost from the ancient bean. Besides the famous Kahlua,
there are a wide variety of liqueurs that can be used to enhance a pie.
There's even a recipe for coffee syrup. Mix a cup of sugar with a cup of double
strength Colombian. Boil in a saucepan, stirring constantly to keep the sugar
dissolved. Lower the heat and simmer for three minutes, stirring often. Then
cool. Try it! Ummmmm!
Bon cafétite!
[To share your favorite coffee recipes, send an email to
CoffeeLover@Rich-Fragrant-Coffee.com]
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