Holiday Recipes: Candied Espresso Walnuts

Ingredients

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons finely ground espresso coffee beans
• 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 1 large egg white
• 4 cups walnut halves (about 12 ounces)

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Whisk sugar and next 4 ingredients in small bowl. Whisk egg white in large bowl until frothy. Add walnuts; toss to coat. Sprinkle walnuts with espresso mixture and toss to coat. Spread coated walnuts on prepared sheet in single layer.
• Bake 5 minutes. Slide spatula under walnuts to loosen from baking sheet and stir, rearranging in single layer. Bake until walnuts are dry to touch, about 5 minutes longer. Loosen walnuts from sheet again; cool on sheet

 

Coffee Crunch Bars

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups (firmly packed) dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Whisk first 3 ingredients in medium bowl to blend.
• Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in another medium bowl until blended, about 2 minutes. Add espresso powder and almond extract; beat 1 minute. Stir in flour mixture in 3 additions, mixing until just absorbed after each addition. Stir in chocolate chips and almonds (dough will be thick).
• Turn dough out onto ungreased rimmed baking sheet. Using hands, press dough into 12-inch square. Pierce all over with fork at 1-inch intervals.
• Bake until edges are lightly browned and beginning to crisp, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool on sheet 1 minute. Cut into 48 bars. Immediately transfer to rack; cool (bars will crisp as they cool). 
  

Original recipe from Bon Appetit. Can be made and saved for up to 5 days. Store in an air tight container.

 

Spiced Coffee Cupcakes

Ingredients

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup brewed coffee

1-1/2 teaspoons instant coffee granules

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup prepared white frosting

24 chocolate-covered coffee beans

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 cups in standard-size muffin pan with cupcake liners. In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, allspice, cinnamon and salt.

2. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl about 2 minutes or until light colored and smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, add flour mixture, alternating with brewed coffee. Divide batter among prepared liners, 1/3 cup in each.

3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes or until firm to the touch. Let cupcakes cool in pan on rack for 5 minutes. Remove from pan to rack and cool completely.

4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine instant coffee, vanilla and 1 teaspoon warm water. Stir until coffee is dissolved. Stir in white frosting until blended and no dark streaks remain. Spread 1 heaping tablespoon over each cupcake. Decorate tops with coffee beans.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
• Dash salt
• 1/3 cup hot water
• 4 cups (1 qt.) milk
• 2 to 2-1/2 teaspoons instant coffee.
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Stir together sugar, cocoa, instant coffee and salt in medium saucepan; stir in water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil and stir 2 minutes. Add milk; stirring constantly, heat to serving temperature. Do Not Boil.
2 Remove from heat; add vanilla. Beat with rotary beater or whisk until foamy. Serve topped with marshmallows or whipped cream, if desired. Five 8-oz. servings.

Photograph from Gourmet.com

 

 

 

Fall Recipe: Mocha Cookies

• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

• In a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water melt the unsweetened chocolate, 1 1/2 cups of the chocolate chips, and the butter, stirring until the mixture is smooth, and remove the bowl from the heat. In a small bowl stir together the flour, the baking powder, and the salt. In a bowl beat the eggs with the sugar until the mixture is thick and pale and beat in the espresso powder and the vanilla. Fold the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, fold in the flour mixture, and stir in the remaining 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips. Let the batter stand for 15 minutes. Drop the batter by heaping tablespoons onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper and bake the cookies in the middle of a preheated 350° F. oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are puffed and shiny and cracked on top. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets, transfer them to racks, and let them cool completely. Makes about 36 cookies.

With melted chocolate in the dough, a ton of chocolate chips, and a spot of espresso powder to play up the bittersweet nature of chocolate, this recipe could be the only one a chocolate lover ever needs. Original recipe & photograph from Gourmet.com

 

Fall Recipe: Irish Coffee Caramel Mousse

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
• 2 cups chilled whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons Irish whiskey
• 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
• 1/4 cup Baileys Original Irish Cream

Preparation

• Stir sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup turns deep amber color, brushing down sides of pan with pastry brush dipped into water and swirling pan occasionally. Add 1/2 cup cream and 2 tablespoons butter (mixture will bubble vigorously) and stir until caramel melts. Continue boiling 2 minutes. Spoon 2 tablespoons caramel into small saucepan and set aside at room temperature. Stir whiskey into remaining caramel in saucepan. Pour into bowl.
• Stir 2 tablespoons water and espresso powder in another small saucepan until espresso dissolves. Sprinkle gelatin over. Let stand 10 minutes to soften. Stir gelatin mixture over low heat until melted. Stir gelatin mixture into caramel in bowl. Place bowl over large bowl filled with ice and water. Let stand until caramel mixture is cool but not set, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
• Using electric mixer, beat 1 1/2 cups cream in medium bowl to soft peaks. Fold 2 cups whipped cream into caramel mixture in bowl. Divide caramel mousse among 6 balloon-shaped wineglasses. Add Baileys to remaining whipped cream and continue beating until stiff. Spoon mixture into pastry bag fitted with star tip. Pipe atop mousse.

Let chill at least 3 hours. Can be made 1 day ahead. Original recipe& picture from Bon Appetit.

 

Stracciatella Tortoni Cake with Espresso Fudge Sauce

For crust

• 2/3 cup finely ground amaretti (Italian almond macaroons; about 17; use a food processor)
• 1/4 sliced almonds with skin, toasted, cooled, and finely ground (in processor)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For tortoni filling

• 3 large egg whites, at room temperature 30 minutes
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 1/4 cups chilled heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons Disaronno Amaretto or other almond-flavored liqueur
• 3 1/2 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (no more than 60% cacao if marked), shaved with a vegetable peeler
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds with skin, toasted and cooled

For sauce

• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 3 tablespoons packed dark brown suga
• 2 tablespoons instant-espresso powder
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 1/2 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (no more than 60% cacao if marked), finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• Equipment:

  a small offset spatula

Make crust:

• Butter a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan and line bottom and short sides with a strip of parchment paper, leaving 4 inches of overhang on each end.
• Stir together ground cookies, ground almonds, and butter, then firmly press over bottom of pan. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.

Make tortoni filling:

• Beat egg whites with sugar, cream of tartar, and 1/8 tsp salt in a large metal bowl set over a large saucepan of simmering water using a handheld mixer at medium-high speed until whites hold soft peaks and an instant-read thermometer registers 170°F, about 7 minutes.
• Remove bowl from pan and continue to beat meringue until it just holds stiff peaks, about 2 minutes.
• Beat cream with Amaretto in another bowl at medium speed using cleaned beaters until it just holds stiff peaks. Fold in half of meringue gently but thoroughly. Fold in remaining meringue along with chocolate. Spoon over crust, smoothing top with offset spatula. Sprinkle with almonds. Freeze, uncovered, until firm, about 3 hours.

Make sauce:

• Bring cream, corn syrup, brown sugar, espresso powder, cocoa, 1/8 tsp salt, and half of chopped chocolate to a boil in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until chocolate is melted. Reduce heat and cook at a slow boil, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and remaining chocolate until smooth. Cool to warm.

To serve:

• Dip bottom of loaf pan in 1 inch warm water in a roasting pan 10 seconds, then lift tortoni out of pan using parchment paper. Transfer to a platter. Peel paper from tortoni.
• Let stand 5 minutes to soften slightly. Cut into 6 triangular wedges. Thin sauce with additional cream if necessary and serve with tortoni.

Tortoni can be frozen up to 3 days (wrap in plastic wrap after 3 hours). Sauce can be made 1 week ahead and chilled, covered. Reheat before using. Original recipe from Gourmet.com.

 

Mocha Cake with Malted Semifreddo

For Cake

• 4 teaspoons instant-espresso powder or instant-coffee granules
• 3 tablespoons hot water
• 8 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
• 6 large eggs, separated
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

For semifreddo

• 3 large eggs at room temperature for 30 minutes
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2/3 cup chilled heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup malted milk powder

• Garnish:

  unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder and chocolate curls

• Special equipment:

  an 8 1/2- by 4 1/2-inch metal loaf pan

Make cake:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Oil a 15- by 10- by 1-inch baking pan and line bottom lengthwise with a large piece of wax paper, allowing a 2-inch overhang on each end.
• Stir together espresso powder and hot water in a heavy saucepan until coffee is dissolved. Add chocolate and melt over low heat, stirring, until smooth. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
• Beat together yolks, 1/3 cup sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer at moderately high speed until thick and pale, 5 to 7 minutes. Beat in melted chocolate.
• Beat whites with remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt in another large bowl with cleaned beaters until they just hold soft peaks. Gradually add remaining 1/3 cup sugar and beat until whites just hold stiff peaks. Stir one third of whites into chocolate mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.
• Spread batter evenly in baking pan and bake in middle of oven until puffed and top is dry to the touch and springs back when gently pressed, 12 to 14 minutes. Cover cake with 2 layers of dampened paper towels and let stand in pan on a rack 3 minutes, then remove towels and cool completely. Loosen edges with a sharp knife.
• Sift cocoa powder evenly over top of cake and overlap 2 layers of wax paper lengthwise over cake. Invert a baking sheet over cake, then invert cake onto it, gently peeling off wax paper now on top.
• Lightly oil loaf pan and line with 2 (24-inch-long) crisscrossed sheets of plastic wrap, letting excess hang over all sides. Using outside of loaf pan as a stencil, cut a rectangle from cake to line bottom of pan. Cut another rectangle for top of cake. Cut 2 pieces of cake to line long sides of pan, then 2 more for short sides. Fit all cake pieces (except top piece) into pan, cocoa sides against pan, pressing gently to help adhere. Wrap top piece of cake in plastic wrap and cover cake in pan with plastic-wrap overhang, then freeze cake while making semifreddo.

Make semifreddo:

• Beat together eggs and brown sugar in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water with electric mixer at medium speed until mixture registers 160ºF on an instant-read thermometer, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and chill mixture until cool, about 10 minutes.
• Mix together cream, vanilla, and malted milk powder in a separate bowl at low speed with electric mixer until powder is dissolved, then increase speed to moderately high and beat until it just holds soft peaks. Stir one third of cream into egg mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining cream gently but thoroughly.

Assemble cake:

• Spoon semifreddo into cake-lined pan, spreading evenly and smoothing top, and cover with top piece of cake. Freeze, covered with plastic-wrap overhang, until firm, at least 8 hours.
• Before serving, let cake stand at room temperature 5 minutes. Unwrap plastic and invert cake onto a long platter, using plastic wrap to help pull cake from pan. Sift cocoa evenly over top to garnish, then top with chocolate curls and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Serve immediately.

Assembled cake can be frozen in pan up to 2 days. Serves 4. Original recipe found at Gourmet.com.

 

Fall Recipe: Coffee Flan

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk (1 1/4 cups)
• 3 3/4 cups whole milk
• 5 large eggs
• 4 1/2 teaspoons instant-coffee granules dissolved in 4 teaspoons hot water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cook sugar in a dry small heavy saucepan over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until sugar melts into a deep golden caramel. Immediately pour into a 9-inch round ceramic or glass baking dish or metal cake pan (2 inches deep) and tilt dish to coat bottom (use caution, dish will be hot). Cool until hardened, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Blend remaining ingredients in a blender, in 2 batches if your blender is small, until smooth. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve over caramel in dish, then transfer dish to a 17- by 11-inch roasting pan lined with a kitchen towel. Cover dish loosely with a piece of foil, then pour enough boiling-hot water into roasting pan to reach 1 inch up side of dish. Bake until custard is set but still wobbly in center when gently shaken and a knife inserted in center comes out clean, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Transfer dish to a rack to cool completely, about 40 minutes. Chill flan, covered, until cold, at least 8 hours.
• To unmold flan, run a thin knife around edge of dish to loosen flan. Invert a large platter with a lip over dish. Holding dish and platter securely together, quickly invert and turn out flan onto platter. Caramel will pour out over and around flan.

Condensed milk is the secret ingredient that gives this popular Spanish dessert its silky texture. Serves 6-8. Original recipe found at gourmet.com

 

Fall Recipe: Coffee Toffee Pie

For crust

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies, partially crushed
• 1/2 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), finely chopped (1 1/2 tablespoons)

For filling

• 2 teaspoons instant-coffee granules or powder
• 2 cups 1% milk
• 1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), finely chopped
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons dark rum

For topping

• 1/3 cup well-chilled heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon instant-coffee granules or powder
• 1 teaspoon dark rum

• Garnish:

  bittersweet chocolate shavings (about 1/2 oz, shaved with a vegetable peeler from a bar of chocolate)

• Special equipment:

  a 7-inch springform pan or an 8- to 9-inch pie plate

Make crust:

• Cook sugar in a dry small nonstick skillet over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until sugar is melted into a deep golden caramel, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat, then immediately stir in Rice Krispies and quickly transfer to springform pan, spreading evenly over bottom and smoothing top with back of a small spoon. (If using pie plate, press crust up side of plate slightly.)
• Sprinkle chopped chocolate evenly over warm crust to melt, then spread melted chocolate with back of spoon to cover crust. Cool until chocolate is hardened.

Make filling:

• Dissolve instant coffee in 2 tablespoons milk in a small bowl, then stir in gelatin and let stand.
• Whisk together cornstarch and remaining 1 7/8 cups milk in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring constantly (this will take about 15 minutes; 1% milk curdles easily if heated too quickly). Continue to simmer, stirring, 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat, then add gelatin mixture, chocolate, brown sugar, and rum, whisking until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a metal bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water. Cool filling, whisking constantly (so gelatin doesn’t set unevenly), just to room temperature, 3 to 5 minutes, then pour over crust in pan. Chill, covered, until set, about 3 hours.

Make topping:

• Beat cream with brown sugar using an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks. Dissolve instant coffee in rum and fold into cream.
• Spread evenly over chilled custard, then run a thin sharp knife around edge of “pie” and remove side of pan.

Serves about 6. Original recipe from Gourmet.com