espresso

Java Chip Cookies

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Sweet Celebrations: Java Chip Cookies! Anyone will tell you the aroma of coffee triggers good feelings. If you don’t believe me, check out the neighborhood coffee shops and you’ll find a local place where people hang out. It’s not just the free Wi-Fi either. Coffee is one of the most popular beverages around, especially now with intense flavorings topped with a mound of whipped cream. Transform the blend of coffee and sugar into a cookie, charged with caffeine, and you’ll be as popular as the Pied Piper. People will follow you anywhere!

JAVA CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

3 tablespoons espresso instant coffee

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

3 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup toffee bits

1/4 cup chocolate covered espresso beans, roughly chopped

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. In a food processor beat butter, sugar, brown sugar, espresso instant coffee, and vanilla extract until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, until blended. Combine flour, baking soda, and sea salt in a separate bowl. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture until it forms a dough. Fold in toffee bits, chopped espresso beans, and mini chocolate chips. Chill dough slightly. Using a melon ball scoop, drop cookie dough onto a baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes. Do not burn. Remove from oven. Let cool for 2 minutes. Dredge java chip cookies in sugar, if desired, before transferring them to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough. Yield: 3 dozen, large cookies.

Java White Chocolate Mocha Cookies

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Splurge-Worthy Goodness: Java White Chocolate Mocha Cookies! Get ready for a cookie that combines three incredible cravings: chocolate, coffee, and cream. It’s the perfect mid-morning break, lunchtime nibble, mealtime morsel, or late night snack. There’s something about the slightly bitter taste of coffee that complements the sugary sweetness of chocolate. The creaminess of white chocolate is similar to adding a splash of milk to your morning cuppa joe. Unlock all the flavors in a single bite. Take things slow; pamper yourself. Savor the sweetness and focus on the texture. Isn’t it time to spotlight the things that make you happy?

JAVA WHITE CHOCOLATE MOCHA COOKIES

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon instant espresso powder

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

18-ounce box chocolate cake mix

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

3/4 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1/3 cup sugar, for rolling

1/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, stir together espresso powder and vanilla extract until dissolved. In a large bowl, combine chocolate cake mix, espresso mixture, vegetable oil, and eggs until a soft dough forms. Fold in white chocolate chips and mini chocolate chips. On ungreased baking sheets, drop dough by rounded teaspoons, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake 9 minutes, or until tops appear dry. In a small bowl, whisk together sugar and espresso powder. Set aside. Remove cookies from oven; cool 1 minute. Roll cookies in espresso sugar and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

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.

Devil’s Food Cake Mix Brownies

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Uplifting Aromas: Devil’s Food Cake Mix Brownies! Most of us began a love affair with chocolate long before we were ever old enough to date. First there was the anticipation of climbing onto the kitchen counter to grab the coveted candy bar in a chubby little fist, out of sight from mother’s watchful eye. Then came the rich aroma of seduction as it was being unwrapped layer by layer. The lure of delicious expectation became a natural mood enhancer, which required quick-thinking. Never mind that baby sister was starting to fuss and attract attention, wanting her fair share. Long before she began a full-blown wail of rebellion, the entire chocolate bar was stuffed in brother’s mouth, chewed up like a dog treat, and swallowed with greedy satisfaction. Until…….. mother leapt into the room as graceful as a gazelle and gasped! She quickly deducted from the melted goo around his mouth that he had just consumed her entire supply of chocolate-flavored laxative guaranteed to work effectively on a constipated child. What can I say? My brother ate the whole thing and I never did get a single bite. Thankfully so, Chocolate is still my friend today.

DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE MIX BROWNIES

Ingredients:

15-ounce box Devil’s Food Cake Mix

1/2 cup olive oil

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons espresso powder

1 cup semi-sweet miniature chocolate chips, divided

Vanilla Ice Cream, for serving

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray an 8”x8” baking pan with nonstick oil. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine cake mix, olive oil, lightly beaten eggs, vanilla extract, and espresso powder. Stir until smooth. Fold in 3/4 cup of miniature chocolate chips. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips on top. Bake 25 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow brownies to cool completely before cutting. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Zucchini Brownies

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Table Food: Zucchini Brownies! There’s only one reason you ever need to mention the title of this dessert, and that is to avoid a food allergy to zucchini. Honestly, most people will raise their nose and never give it a chance if they know it’s in there. You cannot taste it. To prove it, I served this sweet treat to adults as well as kids. I heard comments like, “That fudge is super amazing!” These brownies are truly rich and fudgy, not to mention packed with healthy nutrients. Go for it.

ZUCCHINI BROWNIES

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter

2 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 eggs

1/3 cup flour

1 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon espresso powder

2 cups zucchini, peeled and grated

Powdered Sugar, for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 9”x9” baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. In a large bowl, mix the melted butter, sugar, sea salt, and vanilla extract. Beat in the eggs, one at a time for one minute each, until the mixture is light and creamy. Gently stir in the flour, cocoa powder, and espresso powder until just blended together. Fold in the grated zucchini. Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan. Bake 45-50 minutes. Brownies are done when center is set and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out with tiny crumbs attached. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Lift out of pan and cut into squares. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Dalgona Espresso Shots

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Table Food: Dalgona Espresso Shots! If it’s one thing I learned during our time of self-isolation, it was how to make each day something special to look forward to. So every afternoon, in the middle of our day, I’d stop what I was doing and pad off to the kitchen for a delightful diversion. Thanks to my virtual friends, Jyothi* and Judy**, I became a connoisseur of the “Coffee Break”. Both women perfected the art of Dalgona Coffee, a form of whipped coffee that requires only a few simple ingredients: instant coffee, sugar, and milk. (Feel free to click on their links at the bottom of the page.) I became quite lazy about whipping the topping into a mountain of fluff by allowing the milk frother on my espresso machine to become the workhorse. At the press of a button, it became thick, frothy, and ready to pour. Although the aroma would waft throughout the house announcing my arrival, I’d still carry the espresso shots into my husband’s office and proclaim with a smile, “Time for coffee.”

DALGONA ESPRESSO SHOTS

Ingredients:

4 teaspoons sugar

4 teaspoons instant Mexican espresso coffee

4 teaspoons cold water

Light cream, for serving

Dark chocolate espresso beans, crushed, for garnish

Instructions:

Using a milk frother, combine sugar, instant espresso coffee, and cold water. Press the setting for a cold beverage. Let the machine run through two cycles to thicken the whipped coffee. Fill two espresso shot glasses 3/4 full with light cream. Carefully spoon the whipped espresso topping over the cream. Garnish with a sprinkling of crushed chocolate-covered espresso beans. Serve immediately.

*Follow the link to Jyothi

http://thefriendlyepicurean.com/2020/04/13

**Follow the link to Judy

http://cookingwithauntjuju.com/2020/04/22

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.

Irish Cream Espresso Martini

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Irish Cream Espresso Martini! Head out for “Date Night” that begins with Happy Hour Specials and you’ll notice one of the most popular crafted cocktails these days. It continues to bring raves from bartenders as well as patrons. It’s called the Espresso Martini, which is simply an iced coffee concoction created for adults. It is a sipping cocktail made with alcohol, espresso, and coffee liqueur, with a cream liqueur option. Shaken, not stirred. Recently I overheard a customer tell the bartender she wanted the martini shaken 27 times before he poured it into the classic v-shaped martini glass. By the serious expression on her face, I’m sure she was counting. For this at-home version, I chilled the ingredients overnight to make crafting a breeze.

IRISH CREAM ESPRESSO MARTINI

Ingredients:

1 ounce vodka

1 ounce coffee liqueur

2 ounces Irish Cream liqueur

2 ounces Irish Whiskey

2 ounces prepared cold espresso

Instructions:

In a 16-ounce cocktail shaker, combine vodka, coffee liqueur, Irish Cream liqueur, Irish Whiskey, and prepared espresso. Add approximately six ice cubes. Tighten lid and shake until well combined and chilled. Strain crafted cocktail into two martini glasses. Serve immediately.

L’Olivo Ristorante in Naples, Florida

Dining Outside the Home: L’Olivo Ristorante in Naples, Florida! Located in the heart of Fifth Avenue is an authentic Italian restaurant where Happy Hour, Three-Course Specials, and Featured Entrees make it a memorable place. Although there is a main menu, sometimes it’s a good idea to go with the flow, especially when the chef suggests preset combinations. The portions were reasonable in order to keep a steady pace from one specialty to another. The Bruschetta Prosciutto with shaved parmesan cheese was an easy start, allowing time for sipping on an Aperol Spritzer. The oven-baked Lasagna with bolognese sauce and melted mozzarella cheese was hearty, down to the very last dredge of crusty bread across the marinara. As a finale, there’s always room for dessert when it’s Tiramisu. The espresso-soaked ladyfingers are like eating air. Grazie!