Author: Heidi Lee (Page 24 of 96)

Never a dull moment when it comes to cooking with coffee around here! As always, pick up or order your coffee from our sponsors at Village Coffee Roastery—tell them the cheeseburger mob sent you (aka Into the Soup)!! Want fries with that??  : )

Smoky Coffee-Rubbed Cheeseburgers

Serves 8

Coffee rub:

• 1-1/2 teaspoons freshly ground coffee
• 1 teaspoon packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Burgers:

• 1/2 pound ground chuck
• 1/2 pound ground sirloin
• 4 slices smoked provolone or smoked Gouda cheese (~4 ounces)
• 4 hearty hamburger buns
• Onion and tomato slices
• Your favorite BBQ sauce

1. For coffee rub: Mix all ingredients in small bowl. Set aside.
2. For burgers: Gently mix chuck and sirloin in large bowl. Form meat into 4 patties, each 3 1/2 to 4” in diameter and 1/3 to 1/2” thick. Using thumb, make slight indentation in center of each burger.
3. Prepare indoor or outdoor grill (medium-high heat). Sprinkle 1 teaspoon coffee rub on top side of each burger. Place burgers, rub side down, on grill rack. Grill until slightly charred, about 4 minutes; turn. Top each with 1 cheese slice. Cover and cook until cheese melts, about 1 minute longer. Place burgers on buns, topping with onion and tomato slices and your favorite BBQ sauce.

Note: Add more flavor to your burger by lightly toasting the buns.

Ready to think outside the candy box this Valentine’s Day? You’ve stumbled upon the right recipe! Chocolate comfort food to the max!! (Note: This recipe has been tested by yours truly… but I did not share!)

Chocolate Chunk Bread Puddings for Two

Makes 2 servings

• 1 3/4 cups cubed Hawaiian sweet bread (1/2” cubes)
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon Kahlúa (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 ounce semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• Whipped cream (homemade or purchased) for serving

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 5 minutes or until toasted. Remove bread from oven; decrease oven temperature to 325°.
2. Combine milk, sugar, cocoa powder, Kahlua, vanilla and egg in a medium bowl; mix well with a whisk. Add bread, tossing gently to coat. Cover and chill 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
3. Divide half of bread mixture evenly between 2 (6 oz) ramekins or custard cups coated with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with half of chopped chocolate. Divide remaining bread mixture between ramekins; top with remaining chocolate.
4. Place ramekins in an 8-inch square baking pan; add hot water to pan to a depth of 1”. Bake at 325° for 35 minutes or until set. Serve each pudding warm with lashings of whipped cream.

OK, we knew the name of this dessert alone would turn on our coffee loving fans!  Make sure to pick up or order your coffee from our wonderful sponsors at Village Coffee Roastery and don’t forget to tell them we sent you!! 

Mochaccino Cupcakes

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Cupcakes:

• 6 Tbsp Unsalted butter, softened                     
• 1  whole Egg                                       
• 1 Egg yolk                                             
• 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp All-purpose flour                          
• 1/2 cup Cocoa powder                                   
• 1/2 tsp Baking soda                                      
• 1/2 tsp Baking powder                                   
• 1/4 tsp Salt                                                     
• 1/2 cup Milk                                                  
• 1/4 cup Strong brewed coffee, cooled            
• 1 cup Granulated sugar                         
• 1 tsp Vanilla                                                
• 1/2 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips                       

Coffee Buttercream:

• 1/3 cup Unsalted butter, softened                       
• 4 cups Powdered sugar                         
• 3 Tbsp Strong brewed coffee, cooled             
• 1 tsp Vanilla  

Creme filled rolled wafer cookies (pirouettes)–for decoration                                            

1. Line muffin cups with paper liners (brown liners are best). Preheat oven to 350 deg F.

2. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Combine milk and coffee in a small bowl.

3. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and egg yolk, mixing well. Beat in vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and milk mixture, just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

4. Spoon batter into muffin cups. Smooth surface of cupcakes.

5. Bake about 18 minutes or until tops spring back when touched. Cool 5 minutes in pan and then remove to rack to cool completely.

6. To prepare buttercream, beat butter until fluffy. Add 1 cup powdered sugar, mixing well. Add coffee and vanilla. Gradually beat in remaining 3 cups powdered sugar. Add more coffee if necessary.

7. Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes. Decorate as desired.

I’d go with the Costa Rica blend from Village Coffee Roastery!!

Costa Rica

The flavor of Costa Rica is sweetly smooth, full bodied and pleasantly acidic. The coffee is noted for its nutty undertones, clean aftertaste and balance.

*Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens.

We served this as a brunch item when I worked as a line cook in Northern Michigan.  It’s kind of messy to prepare, but wickedly popular.  I decided to easy-it-up with canned cherry pie filling, but feel free  to create your own with fresh or frozen berries.  Happy Tuesday!

• 1 Can Cherry Pie Filling

• 1  t. Almond Extract

• 1 Loaf Brioche or Thick French Bread (Day Old Preferred)

• 6 -8 Eggs

• 1/2 Cup Whole Milk

• 2-3 T. Butter

• Fresh Nutmeg

• Powdered Sugar

Pour pie filling into a bowl and add the almond extract. Stir to incorporate and set aside.  Slice the bread into 1 inch slices.

In a large glass bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk and grate a little fresh nutmeg into it. Set a large, non-stick pan over medium heat and melt the butter, a little bit at time for each batch. Dip 4 pieces of bread in the egg mixture, turning it over and coating it well. Place bread in the pan and let cook for about 1 minute.   Spoon some of the cherry filling onto the tops of the bread and top with other piece of bread, cooked side up.

The other way to do this is to make a sandwich with the cherry filling and dip the entire thing in the egg mixture, then cook in the butter over medium high heat until golden brown. Place on a sheet pan and put into a 325 degree oven to firm up.

It’s way messy, but turns out beautifully! Cut in half on the bias, sprinkle with a little powdered sugar, add a bowl of fruit and a steaming cup of coffee ~ breakfast is served.

Continuing with our Asian Acccents, this week we present Coconut Rice.  It ain’t as easy as throwing some white rice into a steamer and pushing a button; however, it’s well worth the extra efforts in order to capture the bursts of flavor which blow out your buds, tingle your toes and captivate your cranium.  Yes, it’s that good!!!

Ingredients

• 2 Cups basmati rice, rinsed 3 times
• 5 T. Clarified butter
• 1 medium coconut, peeled and cubed into 1 inch (reserve liquid)
• 15 cashews, roughly chopped
• 1 medium onion, brunoise (very small dice)
• 3 1/2 Cups water
• 1 cinnamon stick (1 inch)
• 1 cardamom pod, crushed
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 pinch turmeric
• Salt to taste

Directions

Wash basmatic rice, drain and keep aside.  Meanwhile remove meat from the coconut (come on, haul yourself down to your local asian market – you can do it) and cut into 1 inch cubes.  Add 3 cups water to it and grind it thoroughly.  (You can do this in a food processor or blender).

In a deep skillet, heat butter on low.  Then add cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric, cloves, and cashew nuts.  Fry until cashews are pale brown.

Add finely chopped onion and the rice after onions have browned slightly.  Stir for 5 minutes.  Add salt and coconut milk which was extracted above, and raise the heat to high.

When the liquid starts boiling, lower heat, cover with a lid and simmer.  Sitr accasionally and simmer until all liquid is absorbed.  Serve with just about anything.  Goes well with light curries, chicken and fish….and pork and beef.   Yea, you get it!