coffee

Kona Coffee Molten Cake

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Kona Coffee Molten Cake! Gerald and I spend some time on the tropical island of Kauai. While there we sip on freshly brewed coffee uniquely grown in the Hawaiian Islands. The taste is so richly smooth and delicious, I had to blend its flavor with dark chocolate. Each recipe is one serving, unless you share a bite. “Friends are the spice God adds to the cake of life!”

KONA COFFEE MOLTEN CAKE

Ingredients:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons Dutch chocolate powder 

1/4 teaspoon baking powder 

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon Kona brewed coffee*

1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter**

Instructions:

Mix dry ingredients together in medium bowl. Add milk, oil, and coffee to the dry ingredients. Stir until smooth. 

Pour batter into a tall microwave-safe mug. Make sure there is room at the top for the cake to rise. Drop the tablespoon of peanut butter in the center of the batter. Do not blend in. Bake in microwave on high for 1 minute. If it is not done, cook in additional 10-second intervals until done. Remove from microwave. BE CAREFUL. Enjoy the warm molten cake topped with a dollop of whipped cream. 

*Any strong brewed coffee may be used. If you omit the coffee, substitute 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract. 

**The creamy peanut butter may be omitted or substituted with a hazelnut spread or marshmallow creme. 

No-Bake Granola Cookies

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Uplifting Aromas: No-Bake Granola Cookies! I’m learning something new everyday. Honestly, I had no idea granola came with a boost of coffee flavor. That makes sense because when I checked the ingredient list on the package, sure enough….coffee was actually there. I sampled a taste before making the cookies and realized this could be a match made in heaven, especially when paired with chocolate and peanut butter. A little more research revealed not only does iced coffee come in this popular combination, but also milkshakes and ice cream. Perhaps I need to explore these other foods that offer a mind-boggling caffeine jolt. Now we’re talking. 

NO-BAKE GRANOLA COOKIES

Ingredients:

1/2 cup peanut butter, creamy

1/2 cup Tupelo honey

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 cups coffee booster granola, slightly crushed in a mini chopper

1/4 cup quick oats

1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions:

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine creamy peanut butter, Tupelo honey, and brown sugar. Microwave on High setting for 30 seconds. Stir completely and microwave on High 60 seconds longer. Stir again and set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine coffee booster granola and quick oats. Pour warm peanut butter mixture over top. Mix well. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Place mini chocolate chips in a shallow dish. Using a cookie scoop, portion dough into rounded cookies. Firmly press mini chocolate chips into the top. Place each cookie, chocolate chip side up, onto the waxed paper. Repeat until all dough is formed into bite-sized cookies. Chill slightly to set. Store in a sealed container. 

Irish Cream Espresso Martini

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Uplifting Aromas: Irish Cream Espresso Martini! Coffee is one of those aromas that has a way of lifting my mood, even if I’m already feeling pretty upbeat. Recently, while discovering a new coffee shop on a weekend getaway, I perused the café shelves until it was time to place my order. Then I saw it…a homemade coffee-scented candle, referred to as Java Nut. It seemed to radiate with the appealing fragrance of roasted coffee beans, generating the hypnotic response of an impulse-buy. What a powerful aroma. I immediately bought two candles, along with a double shot espresso. I guess you could say I have a love affair with coffee. Now I can “light” my coffee and drink it, too. 

IRISH CREAM ESPRESSO MARTINI 

Ingredients:

2 ounces Irish Whiskey 

2 ounces Irish Cream Liqueur 

2 ounces prepared cold espresso 

1 ounce coffee liqueur 

1 ounce vodka

Instructions:

In a martini shaker, combine Irish Whiskey, Irish Cream Liqueur, cold espresso, coffee liqueur, and vodka. Add ice cubes. Shake well until chilled. Strain cocktail into two martini glasses. Garnish with a dusting of nutmeg. Serve immediately. 

Mandel Bread

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Graze or Gobble: Mandel Bread! There’s a reason family recipes are handed down through the generations. It’s usually because they are steeped in tradition and rich in memories. Mandel Bread is also known as Jewish Biscotti. When my friend, Lorrie, presented me with this homemade gift of love, I knew before the very first bite that it was something extraordinarily delicious. The twice-baked crunchy sweet texture, with a hint of almond, is perfect for dipping into a shot of espresso.  The chocolate, flavorings, and another ingredient keep it from turning dry. Bet you can guess what that is. It’s worth every bite. 

MANDEL BREAD (Lorrie’s Recipe)

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract 

1 teaspoon rum extract

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

3 1/2 cups flour

1 cup mini chocolate chips

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Cinnamon Sugar, for dusting 

Instructions:

Beat eggs for 10 minutes, using a stand mixer. Gradually add sugar. Slowly add vegetable oil, vanilla extract, almond extract, and rum extract. Mix to incorporate. Sift together baking powder, sea salt, and flour. Add flour mixture to egg mixture. Allow dough to “rest” in the refrigerator for one hour. Remove from refrigerator and add chopped walnuts. Divide batter in half; putting one half back in the refrigerator for second batch. Divide the first batch into three loaves. Arrange parallel on a slightly oiled baking sheet. Sprinkle top with cinnamon sugar. Bake in a 350° preheated oven on the middle rack for 20 minutes, then move baking sheet to the top rack for 10 minutes to brown. Remove from oven and immediately cut into slices. Turn on sides and put back in oven on the top shelf to dry for another 8-10 minutes. Remove, turn on the other side and repeat. For the refrigerated second batch, add the chocolate chips to the remaining dough and repeat baking process. 

Latte Mocha Brownies

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Graze or Gobble: Latte Mocha Brownies! Ahhhh, coffee and chocolate. It’s a marriage made in heaven. If you think about it, coffee and chocolate are practically related. Don’t believe me? Check out the flavor notes on a bag of coffee beans sometime. You may be surprised to discover that a medium-dark roasted coffee bean, grown in South America, Columbia or Brazil, has a caramelized note that resembles the same sugar in chocolate. If you pay close attention, you may detect the nutty flavor of hazelnut or almond. Nodding your head? Now you have proof those flavors find us craving more….in beverages, candy, and desserts. 

LATTE MOCHA BROWNIES 

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup brown sugar 

1 egg, room temperature 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 1/2 teaspoons espresso powder

1 1/2 teaspoons water

1 cup flour

2/3 cup chocolate chips 

1/3 cup chocolate chips, for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray an 8”x8” pan with nonstick oil. Set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together melted butter and brown sugar. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and instant espresso powder dissolved in water. Whisk vigorously until smooth. Add flour, beating until smooth and creamy. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips on top. Bake for 20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool. Cut into squares. 

Cold Brew Iced Coffee

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food With Soul: Cold Brew Iced Latte! Ever wonder why coffee tastes so much better at the local coffeehouse than at home? Know how you can duplicate that incredible brew at home, especially if it’s iced? Well, for starters, go back to that coffeehouse and buy a pound of the brand they use. If you don’t own a coffee grinder, no worries, they will coarsely grind it as a complimentary favor to you. (Plus it gives you, yet another, reason to buy a to-go beverage to sip on while you wait.) I discovered I’m crazy about a Colombian brand with medium notes of milk chocolate and orange grown in. When I was preparing for Hurricane Ian, I made a batch of cold brew to have on hand in case the power went out. I told you earlier….. coffee makes me happy.

COLD BREW ICED LATTE

Ingredients:

1 cup whole coffee beans

4 cups filtered water

Light Cream, to taste

Ice

Instructions:

Freshly grind the coffee beans on the coarse setting. Place the grounds in a quart-size jar or French press. Pour the water over the beans to saturate all the coffee grounds. As needed, use a spoon to gently stir the grounds, allowing them to be completely wet. Cover the cold brew and refrigerate it for 24 hours. Place a fine-mesh sieve over a large measuring bowl. Pour the coffee to completely strain it. Discard coffee grounds. To serve, fill a glass with ice. Add cold brew, desired sweetener, natural flavoring, or light cream to taste. Store cold brew in the refrigerator.

Double-Shot Espresso Whip

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Stir. Spread. Flip. Repeat: Double-Shot Espresso Whip! Are you tired of the calorie-laden coffee drinks that leave you sluggish from a sugar high instead of energized for your next project? Perhaps it’s time to fall in love with an espresso machine that delivers rich flavor along with a frothy texture thick enough to handle a whipped cream crown. You’ll never find anything better than this. But it’ll cost you in time and money, initially. The challenge lies in finding the right espresso machine for you. The rewards are totally worth it.

DOUBLE-SHOT ESPRESSO WHIP

Ingredients:

2 double shots espresso toast coffee

Whipped cream

Pinch cinnamon

Ingredients:

Fill two demitasse cups with double shots of freshly brewed espresso. Top with swirls of whipped cream. Sprinkle cinnamon powder over all. Serve immediately.