Coffee Coffeecake Cake

Lest you think I've gone mad, the title of this came about after I witnessed a long discussion of what you'd expect to get if you were offered "coffee cake."

A large number of people said, "Well, duh, it's a crumb cake. You eat it with coffee, like at breakfast." Or like the olden days on sitcoms when people just randomly stopped by for coffee.

Another segment of folks said they'd expect a coffee-flavoured cake, with walnuts, and a coffee-flavoured icing as well.

See what happened there? The folks who spell flavor as flavour have a coffee cake that uses the word coffee in the same way we would use chocolate if we were talking about chocolate cake.

The folks who spell flavour as flavor probably also verbally pronounce coffee cake as one run-on word. Coffeecake. Not coffee ... cake.

On the other hand, I grew up thinking that this was coffee cake. Ah yes, my mother was the master at confusing me. I grew up with Andy Griffin (Griffith) and I thought there was such a word as dopefeine that rhymed with caffeine (dope fiend).

So after this long online discussion about what was or wasn't coffee cake, I decided that I wanted to bake a cake. Some kind of cake. Perhaps coffee flavored. I started pawing through cookbooks, although really I should have just made this coffeecake and called it a day.

I started with older cookbooks and couldn't find either a coffee cake OR a crumb cake. Finally I found a recipe for what was called a coffee cake, but it was really a sweet yeasted bread and not a cake at all.

Harrumph. 

So, I cobbled together some notes and ideas and walnuts and coffee and went into the kitchen to grind some soft white wheat berries to make flour to make a cake. Because, well, why not?

This coffeecake is moist and a little crumbly at the same time. It's sweet, but the sweetness is offset a bit by the coffee. It's got crunchy bits from the caramelized sugar and little chewy nubs of walnut. This would be great with coffee. Or a glass of milk. Or maybe just with a fork, for dessert.

If you don't have a grain mill (I have a Mockmill) to grind your own wheat, then just use whatever flour you like and hope to heck that it works. Hah! But seriously, it ought to be just fine with either store-bought white wheat or with all purpose flour. If you use the darker whole wheat flour, you'll probably need just a little bit more moisture - a tablespoon or so should suffice.

Coffee Coffeecake Cake

For the topping:
1/2 cup flour (I used whole wheat. Use what you have)
4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
Pinch of salt

For the cake:
3/4 cup sugar
6 3/4 ounces (about 1 1/4 cups) white wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup half-and-half (or milk is fine)
1/4 cup strong brewed coffee
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons butter, melted

To make the topping:
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix (fingertips work well) until the mixture looks like wet sand and comes together in clumps. Set aside until needed.

To make the cake:
Spray a 9-inch square baking pan with baking spray and heat the oven to 375 degrees. You can also line it with a reusable parchment, which is what I did. (I reviewed it here. You can buy it here.)

Combine the sugar, flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl and stir or whisk to combine. You can use your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, if you like.

Combine the half-and-half, milk, egg, and vanilla extract in another container. (You can combine them all in the measuring cup. Start with the half-and-half, then add the coffee, then add the egg and vanilla.) Beat lightly with a fork to break up the egg.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well.

Pour the mix into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Sprinkle the topping randomly over the batter.

Bake at 375 degrees until the cake is set and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan and allowing it to complete cooling before serving. You can also leave the cake in the pan and serve from the pan.

Yum

Mardi Gras King Cake Coffee Whole-Egg Ice Cream

I love making ice cream. I love eating ice cream. I love the richness of custard-based ice creams.

However, I'm not fond of separating eggs. It's not that I hate to do it, but it annoys me that it leaves me with the other half of the egg that I need to find a use for. So, I thought, why not make ice cream that uses the whole egg?

I mean, why not?

There's actually a pretty good reason why not.

The problem is that whites and yolks cook at slightly different temperatures, and it's pretty hard to regulate temperatures precisely on a normal stove. So if you leave the egg whites in, there's a greater chance you'll get curdled egg bits.

There are probably other reasons, but that's the one I'm addressing here. The magic way to use the whole darned egg.

You see, I just got a new gadget: the Precise Heat Mixing Bowl that works as an attachment to a KitchenAid mixer. It also which also functions as a stand-alone cooker. Note: not a freebie. I paid actual money for this. It cooks things to ... you guessed it - precise temperatures.

I experimented with it a bit with other recipes, boiled some water, and then decided to give whole-egg ice cream a whirl. I mean, why not? What's the worst thing that could happen?

Usually I make ice cream in warmer weather, but some recipes just NEED to be made in cold weather. Like this Mardi Gras Coffee Ice Cream. The idea was prompted by the receipt (free, this time) of some Mardi Gras King Cake flavored ice cream.

And then I was staring at that mixer thingie and wondering if it would actually work.

Turns out, it did.

If you don't have the magic mixing bowl, I suggest using just the yolks and cooking you mix on the stovetop as you would for any custard-based ice cream. Like this Butterscotch Ice Cream. Or this Salted Butter Pecan Brittle Ice Cream.

If you do have the mixing bowl attachment thingie, or you're thinking about getting one, this is a recipe you might want to save. Oh - and if you're thinking about buying it, keep in mind that this is an accessory that is not universal. There are different models for the tilt-head and bowl-lift mixers.

Mardi Gras King Cake Coffee Whole-Egg Ice Cream

1 cup milk (plus more as needed)
1/4 cup Mardi Gras King Cake flavor ground coffee
2 cups heavy cream
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar

Combine the milk with the coffee grounds and let it steep for at least a few hours, or overnight in the refrigerator. The longer it steeps, the stronger the coffee flavor will be.

Strain the grounds out of the milk with a small strainer, then strain again through a coffee filter or paper towel to get out the sediment. Discard the grounds and sediment. The coffee grounds will have absorbed some of the milk, so add more milk to the coffee-flavored milk
so you have 1 cup.

Combine all of the ingredients in the Precise Heat Mixing Bowl. Whisk well to make sure the egg is completely broken up, then continue stirring to make sure the sugar is dissolved.

Set the heat on the bowl to 165 degrees and put the cover on. Let it come up to temperature, stirring occasionally.

When the bowl attains the 165 temperature, remove the cover, attach the bowl to the stand mixer and attach the whisk to the stand mixer. Turn the mixer to low.

Set the heat on the bowl to 170 degrees and the timer to 5 minutes. If you like, you can drape a kitchen towel over the stand mixer and bowl to help retain the heat.

You'll see that the temperature will begin to drop. That's because it's measuring the temperature of the bowl, and the mixture in the center is likely to be cooler. You're also introducing cooler air as you mix. Don't fret, the temperature will begin to rise. When it reaches 170 degrees, the timer will start counting down.

When the time is up, remove the bowl from the stand mixer. The mixture will be thin, but it will thicken as it cools.

Refrigerate the mixture until it's fully chilled, then churn in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

I received samples of coffee from Community Coffee Company, but was not required to use it in a recipe. However, after my neighbor told me multiple times how much she liked it, I figured I'd do something creative with it. The flavor isn't super-strong to the point where you're wouldn't want to drink it every day. It's got a hint of cinnamon and vanilla that's very pleasant.

And to repeat ... no, I didn't get the bowl for free, and I was not paid, coerced or cajoled into publishing a recipe. I think I'll be doing even more recipes for it, since there aren't tons of them available, and so far I'm having a whole lot of fun with it.

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Affogato alla Donna

Why yes, that is a purple coffeemaker.

Some recipes seem so simple, they shouldn't even be recipes. That's how I felt when I heard about affogato. It's a classic Italian dessert that's pretty much just ice cream with a shot of espresso poured over it.

I was skeptical, but I figured I'd give it a try. I went with strong brewed coffee rather than espresso, because I have a coffeemaker and not an espresso maker, and I used more than just a shot or two since coffee is weaker than espresso.

I have to say that although affogato sounds insanely simple, it's also insanely good. The hot coffee cools to a lovely warm temperature as the ice cream melts and forms a decadent creamy coffee-flavored moat around the still-cold but softened ice cream.

It's not just coffee and ice cream any more than pastry is just flour and butter. It's a whole other thing. It's decadent.

If you haven't tried it yet, I suggest you do.

But of course, I had to guild the lily a little and take it to a whole different level of yum. Because that's what I do.

Affogato alla Donna

2 medium scoops butterscotch ice cream*
4 ounces strong brewed coffee (I used Green Mountain Coffee Dark Magic)
Chocolate syrup, as needed

Put the ice cream in a bowl or other serving vessel. I used heat-proof mugs.

Pour coffee over the top. Add a drizzle of chocolate sauce.

Serve, quickly. You can't let this sit around too long after making it, or the ice cream will melt too much and you'll have a drink instead of a dessert.

If you're serving to more than one or two people, I suggest serving the ice cream (topped with chocolate sauce) separate from the coffee, then pour the coffee at the table for each guest.

Or, let your guests pour the coffee onto the ice cream themselves if you have small pitchers that would hold the individual servings of coffee.

Coffee, ice cream, and a little chocolate syrup sounds insanely simple, I know. But it's crazy good.

If you want to gild the lily even further, you could top this with a dollop of whipped cream and maybe a sprinkle of cocoa or chocolate shavings on the whipped cream.

But really, it doesn't need any extra flourishes. It's perfect without any garnish at all.

*Needless to say, you can use vanilla ice cream, or chocolate, or caramel, or pretty much any ice cream flavor you have that you think will pair well with the coffee.

Keurig has provided me with supplies for coffee making at no cost to me.

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Have a Cashewmilk Cocktail!

My first experience with nut milks was Silk's almond milk, so when I found out they were looking for bloggers to sample their Cashewmilk, I was pretty darned excited. I love cashews even more than I love almonds. I couldn't wait to try it. The first one I tried was the original Cashewmilk, but there's also an unsweetened version.

And let's be perfectly honest. I figured it would be amazing for cocktails. So I made one.

If you pay attention while you're drinking, it definitely tastes like cashew, but not as strong as something like cashew butter. Obviously. In coffee, it adds a little flavor without hitting you in your face.

And I'm thinking it would be pretty good in butternut squash soup. I haven't had time to try that yet, but it's on the agenda.

Silk Cashewmilk is just now rolling out to stores, so you might need to look around a little bit to find it near you, but Silk has plenty of ways you can hunt them down for more information, like the Silk newsletter, the Silk Facebook page, and for more specifically about Silk Cashewmilk, there's a Pinterest board.

According to the Silk people, Silk Cashewmilk is lower in calories than your typical skim milk, and has more calcium than regular dairy milk. Not being a lab, I can't verify that for you, but that's what they say. All I know is that it seems creamier than regular milk, it has a pleasantly nutty flavor, and it makes a really great mug of hot cocoa.

Curious about that cocktail?

Cashew, Coffee, and Rum (oh my!)

1 ounce rum
1/2 ounce maple syrup
1/4 ounce cold-brewed coffee concentrate
4 ounces Silk Cashewmilk

Combine all the ingredients in a glass. Stir and serve.

Or, if you prefer, you can serve this over ice.

And remember, always garnish appropriately.

This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.

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Coffee Cocktail with Maple

I don't know why I didn't think about adding coffee to a cocktail before. I mean, gee, I've made my own coffee liqueur. So why not just add coffee?

Sheesh.

So when the nice folks at Illy said, "Hey, would you like some coffee for you AND TO GIVE AWAY?" I jumped up and down (figuratively) and said heck yeah. For one thing, it's getting close to the holidays, so it's a good time to give stuff away.

And for another, Illy coffee is pretty great stuff.

My first experience with it was at a cooking demo/class I went to. It had absolutely nothing to do with coffee, but we got to eat the food that was prepared, and with dessert we were offered coffee. I've had good coffee and pretty good coffee and mediocre coffee. When someone serves me coffee, I generally don't think twice about it. It's coffee, let's talk about dessert.

But when I tasted the coffee, I had to ask what brand it was. It was different, somehow, and I really liked it. And it was Illy.

So there you go.

Lately I've been overly fond of making coffee using a cold-brew system that makes a concentrated coffee that you add to hot water. Depending on how strong you want your coffee, you add more or less of the concentrate. And the resulting coffee isn't as harsh or bitter as regular brewed coffee. So it can make fair coffee taste good. And good coffee is ... well, really good.

But the really cool thing (hehe, cool) about the cold-brew system is that if you want to add coffee flavor to a cake or if you want to make a cocktail, you have strong coffee that's not hot. And, just like making a cup of coffee, you can adjust the coffee flavor to the strength you like.

But of course, for this cocktail, let's just assume that I used strong-brewed coffee. Because then you don't have to run out and get a cold-brew system just to make a cocktail.

But you really should go out and get a can of Illy.

Coffee-Maple Cocktail

Recipe adapted from illy

1 oz dark rum

1 oz dark amber maple syrup

3 oz illy India Monoarabica (brewed coffee)

1 oz milk

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake, then strain and serve.

Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg, or a little dollop of whipped cream, if desired.

More about illy and cocktails:

Illy has come up with a whole new approach to coffee mixology, pairing flavor characteristics of different single origin beans with spirits and ingredients that naturally blend well together. There’s actual science behind it (seriously), by way of illy’s Sensory Lab, which studies this kind of thing, at the company’s Italy HQ.

Here’s a post from illy’s US Master Barista explaining the research and a graphic depicting how spirits like tequila, Bourbon and rum naturally pair with beans from the likes of Costa Rica, Guatemala and Ethiopia, and ingredients like chocolate and cardamom. Kind of Barista-Meets-Mixologist-Meets-DIY.

And over on my giveaway post, I have some mixology charts for making your own coffee cocktails. A little of this, a little of that, and you're like a barista mixologist ninja.

Giveaway is over

I was provided with coffee to make my cocktail (whole bean medium roast, whole bean Monoarabica from Brasil and whole bean Monoarabica from Guatemala.) The sponsor is also providing coffee for the giveaway.

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Coffee Ice Cream #IceCreamWeek

Welcome to Ice Cream Week 2014! This year the event is hosted by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Susan of The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen.

We have teamed up with 25 amazing bloggers to bring you ice cream treats all week long. I hope you have as much fun as we did. Break out those stretchy pants and celebrate Ice Cream Week with us.

Our sponsors for the event have provided us with some great prizes.

A huge thanks to Cake Boss, Anolon, Microplane, WÜSTHOF, Page Street Publishing and Quarry Spoon. 

Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Susan of The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen have tossed in a bonus prize of a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker because they think everyone should own one!

Later, a GIVEAWAY. First, some ice cream!

No doubt about it, I like coffee. I like it hot and I like iced coffee. So why not coffee ice cream?

How strong the coffee flavor is in this ice cream depends on how strong your coffee is, but no matter how strong the coffee is, it will be tempered by the milk, cream, and sugar you're adding.

I thought this was pretty terrific plain, but a drizzle of chocolate is a great idea as well. I wouldn't turn down whipped cream, either. This ice cream also works well in a root beer float.

Or how about a frozen ice cream pie? Or a milkshake? Maybe blended with some banana and chocolate.

So many options. Might as well make another batch.

Coffee Ice Cream

2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold or room temperature strong coffee, espresso, or cold-brew concentrate*
2 tablespoons corn starch
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Combine the cream, sugar and salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Meanwhile, combine the coffee and cornstarch. That coffee needs to be no warmer than room temperature, or the cornstarch will go all lumpy and you'll be sad.

When the cream is starting to simmer, whisk in (or stir happily) the coffee/cornstarch mixture.

Continue cooking, stirring continuously, until the mixture comes to a boil and it thickens. It should come to a boil and thicken pretty much simultaneously.

Let it cook for a couple moments, then turn off the heat.

Add the milk and vanilla, stirring as you add them. The cold milk will help hasten the cooling of the hot mixture.

Transfer to a storage container, cover, and refrigerate until chilled.

Churn in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Transfer to a storage container and freeze.

This is particularly good with a drizzle of chocolate sauce. Or plain.

*Or sad, weak coffee, if you don't want a lot of coffee flavor here. Seriously. The stronger the coffee, the stronger the coffee flavor will be in the ice cream. You could even mix instant with 1/2 cup of water to get your preferred coffee strength. Don't be tempted to do something like cutting back to 2 tablespoons of coffee unless you compensate by adding water. Otherwise the fat ratio will be really wonky.

Make sure you swing by for a scoop from each of today's Ice Cream Week Participants:

• Pink Lemonade Ice Cream Pie by Cravings of a Lunatic

  

  Cookbooks in the giveaway!

• Chocolate Peanut Butter Caramel Ice Cream Pie by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
• Peppermint Fleck Ice Cream by Scoop Adventures
• Raspberry Lemonade Ice Cream Pie by The Redhead Baker
• Coffee Ice Cream by Cookistry
• Salted Caramel Ice Cream by Life Tastes Good
• Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Buster Bars by The Life and Loves of Grumpy’s Honeybunch
• Cherry Cheesecake Ice Cream by Hezzi-d’s Books and Cooks
• “Fried” Ice Cream Pie by Renee’s Kitchen Adventures
• Mint Chip Ice Cream by Crumb
• S’mores Ice Cream Pie by Love and Confections
• How to Make an Ice Cream Pie at Home by Farm Fresh Feasts
• Gluten Free Sandwich Cookie Ice Cream Pie by Gluten Free Crumbley
• Fudge Topped Chocolate Ice Cream Pie by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Salted Caramel Ice Cream Pie by The Spiffy Cookie
• Caramel Coffee Milkshake by Wishes and Dishes
• Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Pie by The Messy Baker
• Majarete (Dominican Corn Pudding) Ice Cream by Mind Over Batter
• Peanut Butter Crunch Ice Cream Cake by The Gunny Sack
• Dirty Girl Scout Ice Cream by Quarter Life (Crisis) Cuisine
• No Churn Low Carb Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream by Yours and Mine are Ours

Other Blogs participating later this week:

• My Catholic Kitchen
• Noshing with the Nolands
• Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Mother Would Know

Special Guest for the Week is Lindsay Clendaniel of the blog, Scoop Adventures. We’re very excited to have her join us. Lindsay is the author of Scoop Adventures which is chock full of ice cream goodness.

And now for the GIVEAWAY!!!

More goodies to win!

The Ice Cream Week Giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada. It closes at midnight on 31st. It's ONE WINNER TAKES ALL!

• One Cuisinart Ice Cream Machine in White
• One Cake Boss Mechanical Ice Cream Scoop with Red Silicone grips
• One Cake Boss 4Pc Ice Cream Bowl Set, Icing Pattern
• One Anolon Advanced Bronze 2 Qt Covered Straining Saucepan with Pour Spout
• One Microplane Herb and Salad Chopper
• One Microplane Premium Classic Grater in White
• One WUSTHOF CLASSIC 9-inch Double Serrated Bread Knife
• One Copy of the Cookbook Making Artisan Gelato by Torrance Kopfer
• One Copy of the Cookbook Everything Goes with Ice Cream by Koralee Teichroeb
• One Copy of the Cookbook Vegan Scoop by Wheeler del Torro
• One Copy of the Cookbook The Great Vegan Bean Book by Kathy Hester
• One Copy of the Cookbook Eat More Dessert by Jenny Kellar
• One Copy of the Cookbook The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz
• One Copy of the Cookbook Scoop Adventures by Lindsay Clendaniel

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Black Cocoa Ice Cream

I'm sort of in love with the flavor of black cocoa, sometimes sold as black onyx cocoa. It's got a distinctive flavor that's enhanced in this ice cream by the addition of some coffee.

I used a home-brewed cold-brew coffee concentrate, but if you don't have the means to make your own, it's also available commercially. This isn't the cold-brewed stuff that you drink as-is. This is the concentrated stuff that you add to hot or cold water to make your coffee. A tablespoon or two is enough to make a full cup of coffee.

If you can't find a coffee concentrate, then use espresso or a concentrated 1/4 cup of instant coffee. Or, just leave it out and make chocolate ice cream without the coffee. Add 1/4 extra cup of milk, if you do that.

I bought a Filtron coffee maker a while back, and that's what I used to make the cold-brew concentrate. I remember my parents having an old model made from glass, and I loved watching the coffee drip-drip-drip slowly through the grounds. The one I bought is made from plastic and it's not quite the same as I remember, but it still makes a coffee concentrate that's smoother than a hot-brewed cup.

Black Cocoa Ice Cream

1 3/4 cups heavy cream, divided
1 cup milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup black cocoa
1/4 cup cold-brew coffee concentrate
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Combine 1 cup of heavy cream, along with the milk, sugar, salt, and cocoa in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, stirring as needed, until it reaches a simmer.

Meanwhile, mix the cold-brew coffee concentrate and the cornstarch.

When the cream mixture has come to a simmer, give the coffee-cornstarch mixture a little stir, just to make sure it's well blended.

Whisk the coffee mixture into the cream mixture, and continue heating until it returns to a simmer and you can feel it thickening.

Turn off the heat and add the additional 3/4 cup heavy cream and the vanilla. Stir well. Let the mixture cool, then refrigerate until well chilled.

Churn in your ice cream maker according to the manufacture's instructions.

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Coffee Belgian Waffles

I'm a big fan of coffee, so when I was offered a chance to participate in a blog tour for a cookbook called A Passion for Coffee by Patricia McCausland-Gallo, I knew I'd be interested. Coffee isn't just for drinking - it's great for cooking, too.

After browsing through the book, I decided that waffles would be a great choice. I'd been testing a waffle maker, so that made it even better.

This recipe suggests serving with a caramel coffee sauce along with a scoop of ice cream and some whipped cream, but I decided to have them for breakfast rather than dessert. A little bit of butter was all I needed.

Coffee Belgian Waffles
Adapted from A Passion for Coffee by Patricia McCausland-Gallo

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons instant coffee (divided)
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Put flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 2 tablespoons of the coffee in a medium bowl. Mix to combine.

In another bowl, mix the remaining coffee with the eggs, buttermilk, butter, and vanilla.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and mix gently until there's no more dry flour visible.

Cook the waffles according to your waffle maker's instructions.

Serve warm with your desired toppings.

Yum

Almond Espresso Cookies on a Stick

Sometimes my baking is inspired by ingredients. And sometimes it's inspired by gadgets. When I got an adorable pan for making molded flower-shaped cookies with space for adding a stick - well, it got me brainstorming.

M first thought was that they'd be really cute cookies for adorable children with big bows on their heads. But I don't have any children in stock here, with or without bows.

Then I thought they'd be really cute for a spring garden party with a bunch of ladies wearing big floppy garden hats or for a spring baby shower with the flowers decorated in baby pastel colors. But I had no plans for either of those.

Then I stopped thinking about the cute aspect and started thinking about the practical part. A cookie on a stick would be pretty darned good for dunking into hot beverages. Like coffee. So, forget the big bows, floppy hats, or pastels. I went straight for adult flavors - almond and coffee.

As far as the pan, I was really happy that the cookies popped out of the pan. Because that would have been no fun at all.

Almond Espresso Cookies on a Stick

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
1 teaspoon almond bakery emulsion
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Spray the cookie wells with baking spray if you want a little extra insurance that the cookies will release.

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using an electric and mixer, cream the butter and sugar.

Add the espresso powder, almond bakery emulsion, vanilla extract, and salt and beat until well combined.

Add the flour and mix in. If you're using an electric mixer, it might struggle, so you might want to finish mixing by hand.

Press the cookie dough into the wells of the cookie pan. Add the sticks - I used short wooden skewers - and make sure the sticks are covered by the cookie dough.

Bake at 300 degrees until the cookies are set and lightly browned.

Let the cookies cool before you pop the out of the pan - when they're warm they'll be soft, but they'll harden when they cool.

Decorate, if you like. Or serve as is.

I got the cookie pan from Good Cook in a box of assorted goodies, but I wasn't required to write about it.

Yum

Maple Coffee Ice Cream

Obviously, summer isn't here yet. But I know it's coming because I've suddenly been wanting ice cream. When fall turns to winter, I lose my interest in chilly desserts. In summer, I make a whole lot of ice cream and we have it for dessert almost every night.

I decided to make a pretty simple ice cream - egg free, no cooking. I started with the idea of maple, but than added just a tiny bit of instant coffee. I really liked the result.

For a little more depth of flavor, I used brown sugar instead of white.

Since I've got an ice cream machine with a compressor, I tossed this in right after mixing. It took a looooong time to churn - almost a full hour. If you have an ice cream maker that uses a freezer bowl, make sure you let the ice cream base chill thoroughly, or you might have trouble getting it to freeze before your ice cream bowl thaws.

And then you'll hate me.

So, let's talk a second about ingredients. It's pretty obvious I love the Crown Maple Whiskey. I use it a lot. The Blis maple syrup is pretty awesome stuff, but it's pricey. You can use regular maple syrup. And then we come to the instant coffee. To be honest, I have no idea what brand it was. It's a little jar of my emergency coffee, just in case my coffee machine breaks or someone steals all my beans.

There's one little trick to the instant coffee. Make sure it dissolved in cold liquid. If it doesn't heat a little bit of the milk, then add the coffee and stir to dissolve. Then add that to the rest of the mixture.

Maple Coffee Ice Cream

2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Crown Maple Whiskey
2 tablespoons Blis bourbon-barrel aged maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon instant coffee

Combine all the ingredients and stir until the sugar, salt, and coffee* are dissolved and everything is mixed in. Chill well before churning, particularly if you're churning in a machine that has a freezer bowl.

Churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a container and freeze.

*Make sure the instant coffee can dissolve in cold liquid, otherwise heat some milk and dissolve the coffee in that before adding it.

Yum

Dulce de Leche Latte Ice Cream

Did you ever have one of these moments: waiting for someone who's blocking your way in the grocery store, your eyes wander to products you don't normally buy. You start reading names and flavors and descriptions ... Heath toffee ... chocolate ... creamy ... coffee ... mint (nah, that won't go ...) caramel, latte ...

And by the time the way is unblocked, you're ready to grab a whole basket full of that stuff that you've been ogling.

Does that happen to you?

Because it happens to me. Or, more accurately, it just happened the other day. And while I was still drooling over the flavors, I started thinking about what to do with them.

As is typical this time of year, all the sweet flavors made me think of ice cream. If it was winter, I'd be making a Bundt cake or cookies. This time of year, it's all about the cold.

So, I went to the baking aisle and grabbed a bag of Heath toffee bits. Oh, wow, I used to love the ice cream bars with Heath bits when I was a kid. Then I grabbed a can of dulce le leche. In the stores I shop at, that stuff is either with the canned and condensed milk products, or it's in the Mexican food section. Sometimes both.

And then I needed (needed: hah) some heavy cream. And milk. I had the rest of the goods at home. I've been using some of the flavored vodkas - whipped, chocolate whipped, and cake flavor - in ice creams lately. They're a little sweet, but they also seem a little smoother, with less of an alcohol kick.

The alcohol in the vodka keeps the ice cream from freezing totally solid, so when you grab it from the freezer, it's less like a glacier. The more alcohol, the softer the ice cream is, but you can also get carried away to the point where it won't freeze at all.

If you don't happen to have exactly the vodka I used, use whatever you have on hand. Rum would also be nice. Or a nice whiskey. If you think the flavor is a good match, go for it. I'm thinking gin or tequila might not be so good.

Or use some vanilla. Or skip it entirely. The ice cream won't be ruined, it will just be a bit more solid when it comes out of the freezer.

Inspired by Coffee:
Dulce de Leche Latte Ice Cream

1 can (13.4 ounces) dulce de leche
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tablespoon instant coffee*
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons Pinnacle Whipped Vodka
1/2 cup Heath toffee bits

Combine the dulce de leche, whipping cream, milk, coffee, salt, and vodka. Stir until the dulce de leche is completely dissolved into the liquid. You could also do this in a blender, but don't blend it so much that you make whipped cream.

Refrigerate until the mixture is thoroughly chilled. Since I have an ice cream maker with a compressor, I threw caution to the wind and churned it right away.

ALSO! Pay attention to the amount! This was a little more than my ice cream maker wanted to accommodate in one batch, so made it in two batches. Or (hehe) you could choose to set aside some of the un-frozen mixture to use in milkshakes. Or, freeze the extra in ice pop molds (or whatever they're called - those molds that you use for frozen ice cream bars and stuff).

When the mixture is completely chilled, churn into your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. You can mix in the Heath bits as the machine is just about done churning, or mix it in as you're transferring it to a storage container. What I usually do is put a layer of ice cream, then sprinkle the add-ins, then ice cream and add-ins in layers until the container is full. Not even or anything, just plopping it in. Then, I give it one quick mix to make sure it's all fairly evenly distributed. It doesn't matter if there are swirls with more add-ins, as long as each scoop from the container is likely to get a fair share.

After the mixture is transferred to a storage container, freeze until firm.

I thought this was great as-is, but for a more decadent dessert, how about a drizzle of Hershey's chocolate syrup, a dollop of coffee-flavored whipped cream, and some sprinkles of the Heath toffee bits on top? Oh yeah, that's what I'm talkin' about.

Or, how about an iced coffee float? A scoop of ice cream, topped with iced coffee and a swirl of whipped cream on top.

*If your instant coffee needs to be dissolved in hot liquid, you can mix it with a tiny bit of hot water, or heat a tiny bit of milk and mix that with the coffee before blending. The instant coffee I had disolved in the cold liquid, so I didn't need that step.

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#MapleMonday Cocktails

Last Monday, I posted some recipes from Crown Royal for #MapleMonday. One was a lemonade, and the other was an iced tea.

This week, I'm using those recipes as a starting place to create some new cocktails.

First, I revised the iced tea. I thought about using herbal tea or one of the many flavored teas I have - Maple Vanilla or Ginger Peach would have been good.

But I kept thinking about iced coffee.

I mean, really, doesn't that sound good? Iced coffee with maple ... mmmm. and a touch of cinnamon.

After all, I was supposed to twist their recipe, and changing the tea to coffee seemed like a logical twist, right? Well, I thought it was. So I proceeded.

I didn't think the orange garnish they used in the tea would work in the coffee, but I wanted to add just one more flavor to the party, so I added some almond extract to the whipped cream. It was perfect.

Maple Iced Coffee

1 ounce Crown Royal Maple Finished Whisky
Strong brewed coffee*, sweetened to taste, chilled
Almond-flavored whipped cream**
Cinnamon sugar
Cinnamon stick and/or sugar cane swizzle stick, for garnish

Fill a glass with ice. Add the Crown Royal Maple Finished Whisky, then add the coffee. Stir to combine. Add a dollop of whipped cream on top, then sprinkle the whipped cream with the cinnamon sugar.

Garnish with a cinnamon stick and/or a sugar cane swizzle stick.

Serve

*I used decaf, but regular coffee is fine, as well.

**There are flavored whipped creams available in cans, but I whipped my own cream with a little bit of powered sugar and just a touch of almond extract.

It's Not Lemonade

As much as I like lemonade or plain old orange juice, lately I've become quite fond of orange/pineapple/banana juice - it doesn't seem as acidic as plain orange juice, and the flavor is a little more complex. The first time I bought it, it was in a bottle in the refrigerated juice section, but lately I've been buying the frozen concentrated juice.

If you can't find orange/pineapple/banana, a mix of orange and pineapple juice would make a good substitute.

So, when I got the lemonade recipe from Crown Royal for last week's post, I thought an interesting twist would be to use the orange/pineapple/banana juice instead. To be brutally honest, at first I wasn't quite sure if I'd like the combination of maple and orange, but then I realized that the two play together really well at the breakfast table, if you drink orange juice with your maple-syrup-covered pancakes.

This would be a great drink for a Sunday brunch - something different than the usual Mimosas or Bloody Marys. In a tall glass with a lot of ice, it would be great as a refreshing summer cocktail, too.

Adjust the amount of liquor to taste, and the size of the glass.

The Fruity Maple

1 ounce Crown Royal Maple Finished Whisky
Orange/pineapple/banana juice
Lemon slice, for garnish

Fill a glass with ice. Add the Crown Royal Maple Finished Whisky. Top with the juice to fill the glass. Stir, then garnish with the lemon slice.

Serve.

I received products from Crown Royal for making cocktails. 

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Pasta dinner ... or is it?

This could be ...

Three-Cheese Stuffed Artisan Whole-Grain Manicotti 

with Wild Mushroom Sauce and Parmesan

That's what it looks like, right?

Look at that sprinkle of parmesan cheese ... and the cheesy stuffing ...

And that wild mushroom sauce on the bottom of the bowl looks pretty good, right?

And the mise en place... all ready to assemble.

Yep, that looks like a mighty fine dinner right there. Right? 

And not a lot of mess, there. Two pots, two bowls. 

Looks easy enough.

Well, actually I'd be LYING to you if I said this was for dinner.

Yep. Lying.

Because this post is for the Marx Foods Dinner for Dessert recipe challenge. The point was to make a dessert that looks like an entree. And I had to use a chocolate rigatoni pasta that Marx Foods sent to me.

Chocolate pasta. How crazy is that?

So, let's see. The rule is that it has to look like an entree. But, um ... they didn't say that it had BE a full-size entree.

Do you see where I'm going?

Now you got it?

They're one-bite desserts that look like itty-bitty entrees.

This dessert is really:

Peanut-Butter-Whipped-Cream Stuffed Chocolate Rigatoni
on softened coffee ice cream with grated white chocolate
Recipe © by www.cookistry.com. Do not republish without permission.

Ingredients:
Chocolate rigatoni
Peanut butter whipped cream (recipe below)
Coffee ice cream, softened (recipe here, or use store-bought)
Finely grated white chocolate

Cook the rigatoni in boiling salted water. Rinse in cold water to chill. Cut off the pointed ends if you want it to look like actual manicotti.

Put the whipped cream into a plastic bag, like a sandwich-size zip-top bag. Cut the tip off the bag. (You could also use a piping bag, but a plastic bag works fine.) Pipe the whipped cream into the rigatoni.

Place the ice cream on a spoon or very small plate.

Arrange the rigatoni on top of the ice cream.

Scatter the white chocolate on top.

Serve.

Peanut Butter Whipped Cream
Recipe © by www.cookistry.com. Do not republish without permission.

1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Put the peanut butter, powdered sugar, and cream in a medium bowl. Beat with a whisk or hand-held mixer until you have a thick whipped cream. It won't be as light and airy as regular whipped cream because of the peanut butter, but it will get firm and will hold its shape a lot longer than standard whipped cream.

This makes more than you'll need unless you're making a LOT of these, but I'm sure you'll find other uses for it. It's really good stuff. If you need a hint, check out this recipe.

You could try making less, but it's kind of ridiculous to whip. Trust me, You'll use it. Or eat it with a spoon.

Do you like this recipe? PLEASE go vote for it here.

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