Best of Coffee

by Sandra Gluck, Elizabeth Watt (Photographer)

Overview

Robust, fragrant, and surprisingly versatile, coffee is more than simply the world's favorite beverage, it is hearty and distinctive ingredient in its own right, enhancing the flavors of everything from cakes and cookies to candies, ice creams, and sauces.

In The Best of Coffee, Sandra Gluck has selected the perfect blend of over 40 tantalizing recipes to celebrate coffee's delicious variety. Its rich, full-bodied flavor and complex nuances are showcased in traditional Mud Pie, Mocha Brownies, and Hazelnut- Espresso Biscotti, as well as in exciting new twists on classics such as Coconut Custard, Spiced Madeleines, and Mocha Fudge Sauce. Start your day with Mile-High Pecan Sticky Buns or Coffee and Cream Scones, and satisfy your sweet-tooth with favorites like Espresso Caramels, Coffee-Nut Brittle, and Chocolate-Caramel Truffles. And, of course, you'll find over a dozen of the world's hottest (and coolest) drinks, from Viennese Coffee, Cappuccino, and Turkish Coffee to Iced Mocha and Coffee Ice Cream Soda.

With sumptuous full-color photographs and a glossary containing practical information on brewing, roasts, and grinds, The Best of Coffee is a tribute to the world's most celebrated and sophisticated bean.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780002554763
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	08/28/1994
Pages:	96
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 1.50(h) x 9.50(d)

Read an Excerpt

Espresso Souffl?

Serves 6 to 8

Espresso, dark brown sugar, and cocoa give this dish its distinctive flavor. A souffl? is leavened with beaten egg whites. As it bakes,the egg whites expand, causing it to rise and billow. Be sure to serve it as soon as you take it out of the oven, as it quickly deflates.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup freshly brewed espresso
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons unsweetened nonalkalized cocoa powder
1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cream of tar-tar

Coffee Cream Sauce:

1 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons coffee-flavored liqueur (Kahl?a), or bourbon

Instructions:

Prepare the souffl?: Preheat the oven to 375'F. Tie a double thickness of foil around a 1-1/2-quart souffle' dish to form a "collar" that extends 2 to 3 inches above the rim of the dish. Butter the souffl? dish and the foil, and dust with granulated sugar. Set aside. In a heavy medium-size saucepan, combine the espresso, brown sugar, and cocoa. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and boil for 2 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup granulated sugar and the flour until well blended, then add the cream, stirring until smooth. Over a low heat, whisk this mixture into the hot coffee mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes, oruntil thickened slightly. Remove the pan from the heat.

Add butter, stirring until melted and smooth. Let cool for 5 minutes. Graduallyadd the egg yolks, stirring constantly. Stir in the vanilla.

In a medium-size bowl, using an electric mixer set at high, beat the egg whites with the salt and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Stir a quarter of the egg white mixture into the yolk mixture to lighten it. Using a rubber spatula, gently and thoroughly fold in the remaining whites.

Spoon the batter into the prepared dish. Bake in the lower third of the oven for 30 minutes, or until a skewer or toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the outer edge of the souffl? and moist when inserted into the center.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: In a medium-size bowl, using an electric mixer set at medium-high, beat the cream, confectioners' sugar, and liqueur until soft peaks form. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill until ready to use.

Remove the souffl? from the oven, remove the collar, and serve immediately with the chilled sauce.

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Coffee IceCream Profiteroles

Serves 6

These tiny cream puffs, filled with ice cream and topped with a mocha sauce, make an appealing presentation. Although ice cream is the classic filling for this dessert, sweetened whipped cream or pastry cream work just as well.

Ingredients:

Profiteroles

3/4 cup water
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs

Mocha Sauce:

2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/2 cup hot freshly brewed dark roast coffee
1 cup heavy cream
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 cups coffee or vanilla ice cream

Instructions:

Prepare the Profiteroles: Preheat the oven to 400'F. Grease and flour a large baking pan. Set aside.

In a medium-size saucepan, combine the water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the butter is melted, then remove the pan from the beat. Add the flour all at once, stirring until the mixture gathers into a ball. Return the pan to medium-high beat and cook, stirring constantly, for 10 seconds.

Transfer the mixture to a medium-size bowl and let cool for 5 minutes. Using an electric mixer set at medium, beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. After the eggs are incorporated, beat for 1 minute.

Spoon the dough into a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip. Pipe twenty-four 1-inch mounds of pastry onto the prepared baking pan, spacing them about 1/2 inch apart. Dip your finger in water and flatten the peaked tops slightly.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and poke an 1/8-inch hole in the bottom of each puff with a tip of a knife. Return the puffs to the oven and bake for 5 minutes longer, or until dry. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

Prepare the sauce: In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and corn syrup. Cook over medium-low heat, without stirring, for about 5 minutes, or until the sugar turns a light amber. Add the coffee and cook, without stirring, until smooth. Stir in the cream and chocolate. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 3 minutes, or until thickened slightly. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

To serve, cut the profiteroles in half. Spoon a generous 2 tablespoons of ice cream into the bottom half of each puff, then cover the ice cream with the top half of the puff. Place 3 to 4 profiteroles in each serving bowl and spoon the sauce over them. Serve immediately.