Coffeeopolis

Recipe: Purple Haze

By Matter of Taste co-owner Dawn Tran:

1/2 tsp dried lavender flowers

1/4 vanilla bean

3/4 cup 10 per cent cream

1-1/2 cups dark chocolate sauce

Pinch each: salt, ground cinnamon

1 long strand lemon zest

3/4 cup 2 per cent milk

1 drop each: blue, red food colouring

1 shot hot brewed espresso

In small saucepan, combine lavender, vanilla and cream. Gently heat over medium 3 minutes.

Let stand 1 hour. Strain, discarding solids.

Whisk lavender-infused cream into chocolate sauce. Transfer to airtight container. (Makes about 2 cups. Reserve extra for other uses.)

To 4-ounce clear glass, add 1 tablespoon reserved chocolate sauce. Sprinkle with salt and cinnamon. Add zest.

In steaming pitcher, combine milk and food colouring. Steam. Pour into prepared glass. (You will likely have extra.)

When milk settles, add espresso. Stir well before drinking.

Makes 1.

(via The Toronto Star)

Add comment April 28th, 2007

Recipe: Northern Star

By Matter of Taste barista Kimberly Staveley:

Matter of Taste barista Kimberly Staveley was inspired by anise-flavoured Sambuca for this espresso con panna (espresso with cream). She uses whole anise, cardamom and ginger from Spice of India (262 King St. E., Kitchener). You could substitute a pinch each of ground cardamom and ground ginger.

1 tsp anise seeds

2 cardamom seeds

Tiny piece dried whole ginger

250 mL carton whipping cream (1 cup)

2 oz vanilla syrup

1 tsp finely grated bittersweet chocolate

1 shot hot brewed espresso

3-inch cinnamon stick

In mortar and pestle, grind anise, cardamom and ginger into powder. Reserve large pinch.

In chilled bowl, whip cream using electric mixer. Stir in remaining anise mixture and syrup. (Alternately place cream, anise mixture and syrup in cream whipper. Process as per equipment instructions.) You will have extra.

To demitasse (2- to 3-ounce cup), add 1 tablespoon infused whipping cream. Add reserved pinch anise mixture. Sprinkle with chocolate. Pour espresso over. Serve with cinnamon stick. Stir well before drinking.

Makes 1.

(via The Toronto Star)

Add comment April 27th, 2007

Recipes - espresso fundamentals

In a world of complex espresso drinks promoted by Starbucks (gingerbread latte, etc), it’s important to remember the fundamentals of espresso drinks, those oft-overlooked beverages that offer some of the best coffee drinking experiences around. Here’s a nice overview of several that I found over at Munak’s blog:

Listed below are some of the other wonderful beverages that can be made with the help of your espresso/cappuccino machine. One basic rule applies… if you’re making a hot drink you should use a warmed cup or glass. Either warmed on top of the machine or under warm water so that the beverage remains hot.

Basic Espresso - A small 1 to 1 1/2 oz. shot of pressure brewed Italian coffee. A cup of espresso requires between 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 grams of ground espresso coffee and should only be brewed into a preheated cup. Espresso is used as the coffee base in many of our favorite coffee drinks. Properly brewed, an espresso will feature a layer of rich crema on the surface.

Espresso Ristretto - Use the same preparation method as a basic espresso except dispense only 1 oz. (or less) water through the espresso grounds with an extraction time of 18 to 20 seconds. Ideally, the grind is adjusted slightly finer; however the slow extraction can be accomplished by tamping or pressing the coffee with extra pressure. This process yields an intense espresso flavor.

Espresso Lungo - A single serving of espresso, “pulled long” to yield a larger serving. Dispense 2 to 3 oz. of water through the espresso grounds with a longer extraction time of 25 to 40 seconds.

Espresso Con Panna - A single espresso topped with a dollop of whipped cream.

Espresso Macchiato - A shot of espresso stained or “marked,” with a large dollop of frothed milk.

Espresso Romano - A shot of espresso served with a fresh lemon peel twist. Italians do not claim this, but it is often served in the United States. Purists, however, believe the lemon interfers with the subtle flavors of the espresso.

Espresso Lachino (Wet Cappuccino) - Espresso topped with approx. 50/50 foamed milk and steamed milk.

Basic Cappuccino - A 6 oz. cappuccino is: 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk, and 1/3 frothed milk. To layer the milk and espresso, it is necessary to allow the freshly frothed milk a few moments to rest and thus separate (foam on top and milk on the bottom). Brew the espresso into a 3 oz. stainless steel pitcher (ceramic or glass will absorb too much heat from the espresso). Pour the steamed milk into the bottom third of the cup. Pour the espresso slowly into the steamed milk. Spoon frothed milk on top to fill the cup. Done in this order, the espresso should settle between the milk and the foam. Properly frothed milk should be approximately 150º F to 170º F. The temperature is a matter of personal preference and may be slightly hotter or cooler. The frothed milk from the top of the steaming pitcher is spooned on top to “cap” the cappuccino and retain the heat.

Classic Italian Cappuccino - It is particularly common in Italy, and more and more in North America, to see a cappuccino made with espresso topped only with frothed milk. This is a classic cappuccino. Top 1-1/2 oz. espresso with 1-1/2 oz. to 2 oz. foam. Very similar to an Espresso Machiatto.

Add comment April 1st, 2007

Recipes: Espresso-braised pot roast

Serves 2, with leftovers

Cooker: 3-quart

Setting and cook time: Low for 8 to 9 hours

Rub all sides of roast with salt and pepper. Place onion in bottom of slow cooker and toss with olive oil. Place meat on top of onion. Add coffee and vinegar. Cover and cook on “low” for 8 to 9 hours, until tender.

Transfer beef to cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, skim fat from braising liquid in crock. Transfer liquid to saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add cornstarch mixture and cook, whisking, until gravy thickens slightly, about 1 minute. Carve beef and serve hot with gravy.

From “Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Recipes for Two” by Beth Hensperger (Harvard Common Press)

Add comment March 28th, 2007

Recipe: Tiramisu

I’ve spent a fair amount of time searching for the ‘perfect’ Tiramisu recipe, and think I may have finally found it. It’s supposedly the same recipe as used by the Olive Garden, and comes courtesy of the Life In Digital Pixels blog. By the way, did you know that ‘tiramisu’ means ‘pick me up’ or ‘cheer me up’ in Italian?

Ingredients:

Instructions:

1. Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water and bring it to a boil over medium/high heat, then reduce heat so that the water is simmering. Whisk egg yolks, milk and sugar together in a medium metal bowl, then place the bowl on top of the saucepan (you can also use a double boiler for this step). Stir the mixture often for ten minutes. After the sugar dissolves the mixture should begin to thicken and turn light yellow. Remove it from the heat to cool.

2. Use an electric mixer to combine mascarpone, cream cheese and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix until mostly creamy, but with a few small chunks remaining.

3. Add egg yolk mixture to the cheese mixture and mix just until well-combined.

4. Combine espresso and Kahlua in a small bowl. Pour this mixture onto a dinner plate. One-by-one touch the bottom of each lady finger in the espresso. The lady finger will quickly soak up the espresso/Kahlua mixture, but you don’t want the entire lady finger soaked — just a dab will do ya. The top half of each lady finger should still be dry. Arrange the soaked lady fingers side-by-side on the bottom of an 8×8-inch serving dish or baking pan.

5. Spoon about half of the cheese mixture over the lady fingers, then add another layer of soaked lady fingers on top of the cheese mixture.

6. Spoon the remaining cheese mixture over the second layer of lady fingers and spread it evenly.

7. Put two teaspoons of cocoa powder in a tight-mesh strainer and gently tap the side of the strainer to add an even dusting of cocoa powder over the top of the dessert.

8. Cover and chill for several hours. To serve, slice the dessert twice across and down creating

9. even portions (the first serving is always the hardest to get out).

Add comment December 11th, 2006

Interesting coffee drink

Here’s a recipe for an interesting coffee drink that I came across the other day (source). Start with a double shot of espresso, add that same amount of hot water. Add the same amount of cold milk. Now, use the steam from your espresso machine to heat it up to the proper drinking temperature (the goal is to heat it, not to make any foam, but take care to not heat it too much). It’s an interesting twist on the traditional latte.

Add comment December 7th, 2006

Recipe: Mocha Trifle

Dunkin Donuts has published some really, really creative recipes using coffee as a key ingredient! They’re all summed up in this press release; I’m splitting them up into separate posts here at Coffeeopolis to make it easier to navigate through them. They’re not simple recipes, but they sound great!

Mocha Trifle

This trifle combines melted dark chocolates with Dunkin’ Donuts espresso and chunks of chocolate cake or brownies.

Melt chocolates together over a double boiler or in microwave. Combine espresso, egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch in stainless bowl and whisk until smooth. Place over double boiler and cook, while constantly whisking, until thickened, fluffy and very warm to the touch. Fold in melted chocolate and remove from heat. Allow to cool to room temperature. Fold in whipped cream.

In a trifle bowl, place a layer or mocha mousse in bottom. Next, drop in a layer of brownies or cake. Follow with another layer of mousse. Next sprinkle a layer of half the broken toffee chocolate bars. Add another layer of mousse, followed by another layer of cake or brownies. Finish with remaining mousse. Place in refrigerator to cool. If desired, add additional whipped cream over top. Sprinkle very top with the other half of the broken toffee chocolate bars. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Serves 6

Add comment December 2nd, 2006