Cooking With Gourmet Coffee

Sweet coffee, candy and nut clusters, covered in chocolate. Not a recipe for the novice candy maker. You won’t regret the effort, though. These crunchy nutty treats are better than cookies.
Ingredients:

* 4 egg whites
* 2 1/2 cups brown sugar
* 1 cup chopped nuts
* 1/4 cup corn syrup
* 1/2 cup strong coffee
* 4 lbs chocolate, chopped
* 1/4 tsp salt

Preparation:
Butter a 2-quart saucepan. Combine sugar, corn syrup, salt and coffee. Cook on high heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a boil. Stir constantly. Cook to hard ball stage without stirring. Remove from heat. In a large chilled bowl, beat egg whites to stiff peaks stage. Pour the hot syrup into the egg whites (slowly!) while beating at high speed. Once the syrup is added, continue beating until you get soft peaks. Add nuts and beat for another 5 minutes. Let cool down, then cover and put in the freezer. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate. Line several cookie sheets with waxed paper. Remove the other bowl from the freezer. Spoon out a teaspoon of the cold mixture and drop in the melted chocolate. Scoop out and place on the waxed paper. Repeat. When the mixture is used up, you can store the remaining chocolate for another use. Let the candies cool and harden, then store in the refrigerator.

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Freshly ground coffee adds a depth to the spice rub and brings out the flavor of the meat. Be sure to keep the rub recipe handy. The spice rub would also be great on steaks and chicken.

Coffee rub:

• 1 tablespoon freshly ground San Francisco Bay Tanzania Peaberry Coffee
• 2 teaspoons (packed) golden brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Burgers:

• 8 slices applewood-smoked bacon
• 1 pound ground chuck (preferably grass-fed)
• 1 pound ground sirloin (preferably grass-fed)
• 8 slices smoked provolone, smoked caciocavallo, or smoked Gouda cheese (about 8 ounces)
• 8 potato-bread hamburger

Buns:

• 8 slices red onion
• 8 slices tomato
• Texas Barbecue Sauce

For coffee rub:
Mix all ingredients in small bowl. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

For burgers:
Cook bacon in large skillet until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Break in half. Gently mix chuck and sirloin in large bowl. Form meat into 8 patties, each 3 1/2 to 4 inches in diameter and 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick. Using thumb, make slight indentation in center of each burger. DO AHEAD: Burgers and bacon can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover separately and chill.

Prepare barbecue (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.

Place 2 bacon slice halves atop each burger. Cook 3 minutes.

Top each with 1 cheese slice. Cover and cook until cheese melts, about 1 minute longer. Place burgers atop bottom halves of buns. Top with onion slices and tomato slices. Spoon dollop of Texas Barbecue Sauce over. Cover with bun tops and serve, passing additional sauce alongside.

What to drink:
Beer is a natural pairing for a burger. Keep the southern theme going by pouring a Texas brew. We like the caramel sweetness and mild hoppy flavor of Shiner Bock ($8 per six-pack).

N o one thinks twice about coffee as a drink, but add coffee to a food recipe, and suddenly the dish is considered exotic. The truth is, coffee’s roasted quality, bitterness, and acidity make it a perfect complement to sweet, bold, earthy, or nutty ingredients, ultimately yielding a taste combination that is surprisingly complex. After all, what would Tiramisu be without espresso? Mocha exemplifies the almost intuitive marriage of coffee and chocolate. And perhaps you’ve noticed more savory meat dishes that now list coffee as an ingredient on menus? They’re all capitalizing on coffee’s tenderizing qualities as well as robust flavor. In short, these 14 sweet and savory dishes showcase coffee’s culinary versatility.

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 2 cups sugar
• 15 tablespoons (2 sticks minus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoons ground Kenya AA Coffee coffee beans
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup pecan pieces
• 1 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips (6 ounces)
• 6 tablespoons freshly brewed Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
• 30 thin strips crystallized ginger

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 13×9x2-inch metal pan with nonstick spray. Combine sugar, butter, cocoa, ground coffee, and salt in large metal bowl. Place bowl over saucepan of simmering water and whisk until butter melts and ingredients are blended (texture will be grainy). Remove bowl from over water; cool mixture to lukewarm if necessary. Whisk in eggs and vanilla. Sift flour over and fold in. Mix in pecans.

Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake brownies until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool brownies in pan.

Place chocolate chips in small bowl. Bring brewed coffee to simmer in small saucepan; pour over chips and stir until melted and smooth. Let ganache stand until cool and beginning to thicken, about 1 hour; spread evenly over brownies. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; let stand at room temperature.) Cut brownies into 15 squares. Top each with 2 ginger strips.

1 c. fine graham cracker crumbs
1/2 c. ground pecans
1/4 c. melted butter
3 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar
4 lg. eggs
2 tbsp. strong brewed coffee
Sweetened whipped cream and pecan halves for garnish
Pecan Sauce (recipe follows)

In bowl, combine cracker crumbs, ground pecans, and melted butter; stir until well mixed and press into bottom and part way up the sides of buttered 9 inch spring-form pan. Place in freezer while preparing filling. In large bowl, beat together cream cheese and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, blending after each addition. Beat in coffee and pour mixture in prepared crust.

Bake at 350 degrees until set in the middle, about 50 to 60 minutes. Turn off oven and leave door open to let cheesecake partially cool. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack. Refrigerate until time to decorate. Remove side of pan and place cake on serving platter. Garnish with whipped cream and pecan halves. Refrigerate. Serve with warm Pecan Sauce.

PECAN SAUCE:

1/2 c. unsalted butter
1 c. heavy cream
1 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 c. strong brewed coffee
2 tbsp. bourbon
1 c. pecan halves

In medium, heavy saucepan, melt butter. Add cream, brown sugar, coffee, and whiskey. Bring slowly to a boil and simmer five minutes. Remove from heat and stir in pecan halves. Serve warm.

Prep Time: :5

Cook Time: :30

Ingredients:

• 6 lamb shoulder chops
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon (about) olive oil
• 4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
• 1/3 cup strong coffee
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon mace
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
• 3/4 teaspoon lemon juice

Preparation: