Not so Espresso Chocolate Cake with Hot Kahlua Syrup

Have you ever noticed that the older you get, the faster time goes? I swear, when I was little time seemed to pass so slooooowly. Now, I'm shocked when I realize that, oh, it's the end of March already!

I had a friend message me recently and tell me that I needed to update my blog because she's been stalking it and needs a new recipe to drool over. Unfortunately, she had a baby on Monday and I don't think she will be able to get on my blog and see this cake any time soon. Either way, I made this cake on Monday so this one is dedicated to baby Jameson who was born healthy and is lucky to have such an incredible mommy!

This cake is the Cake Slice Bakers top voted cake for March. I made the cake a bit late so I was able to read the comments from other bakers in our Facebook group before I made it. The recipe calls for 3 Tablespoons of espresso powder. Some feedback from the group indicated that the espresso was the dominant flavor in the cake and was overwhelming. I decided that instead of espresso, I would just brew half a cup of strong coffee and call it good. I also increased the ONE Tablespoon of cocoa powder to two. Duh! One isn't enough! 

After baking, the hot cake is soaked in a hot kahlua syrup that is sweetened with honey. The syrup was a great flavor addition to the cake and made the crumb more moist. I made a chocolate ganache to go on top but for some reason it didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. I don't think I heated the cream enough. Oh well. It still tasted good! 

I'm quite happy with the way the cake turned out (besides the look). I took it with me to my internship for our weekly PACT meeting and no one complained so I guess it was pretty good. 

In other news, I'm still plugging away at school. I absolutely love the program I'm in. It feels so...right. Like I'm exactly where I'm meant to be. My internship in the homeless clinic at the VA hospital is so fulfilling. I love working with the Veterans. I have met some characters for sure! My supervisor is so knowledgeable and is teaching me so much. I also found out I get to shadow for a day next week in the Polytrauma Rehab clinic. I'm crazy excited about that since working with that population is my ultimate goal. 

The Hubble is scheduled for an evasive driving course. Needless to say, he will no longer be driving the kids and me anywhere when he gets back. He's giddy about the experience though. He has so much fun with these trainings. It's neat to witness and be a part of his career and journey. I'm glad I have the opportunity to be on my own journey and career path as well. 

My India trip is just 45 days away!!! To say that I'm excited is an understatement. I'm so grateful for the opportunities I've been awarded lately. I look around sometimes and am in awe that this is my life. If you are interested in donating and helping me fund this experience, you can do so at my Go Fund Me site. 

And finally, the Cake Slice Bakers has decided to open the group for new members for a mid-year opportunity. If you are interested in joining us, just let me know and I will link you up with the right person. Until then, make this cake and enjoy every bite!! And don't forget to check out all the other Cake Slice Bakers' cakes at the end of this post!

Not so Espresso Chocolate Cake with Hot Kahlua Syrup

Adapted from Great Cakes by Carole Walters

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee
• 2 1/4 cup sifted cake flour
• 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 Tablespoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Hot Kahlua Syrup:

• 2/3 cup Kahlua
• 1/3 cup water
• 3 Tablespoons honey

Chocolate Ganache:

• 3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Position rack in lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Spray a bundt pan with baking spray (or butter and dust with flour, tapping out excess flour).
2. To make the cake: Brew the coffee and set aside to cool.
3. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into a medium mixing bowl. Whisk to fully combine.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium high speed until smooth and light in color, about 6 to 8 minutes.
5. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, at 1-minute intervals, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
6. Blend in the vanilla and sour cream, mixture may look somewhat curdled at this point.
7. Reduce mixer to low speed. Add dry ingredients, alternating with the coffee, dividing the dry ingredients into 3 parts and the coffee in 2 parts, starting and ending with the flour. Mix until just incorporated after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix for 10 seconds longer.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
9. Center the pan on the rack and bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry and the cake begins to come away from the sides of the pan.
10. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 10 to 15 minutes while you make the syrup.
11. To make the syrup: In a small saucepan combine the Kahlua, water, and honey. Bring to a slow boil and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
12. Pierce cake with a wooden skewer and slowly pour the hot syrup over the top of the hot cake. Let stand in the pan for at least 1 hour to allow the cake to absorb all the syrup, then invert onto a rack and remove the pan.
13. To make the ganache: place the finely chopped chocolate and the butter into a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, over medium-low heat, bring the cream just to a boil. Immediately pour the hot cream over the chocolate and butter and allow to stand for 60 seconds. Whisk the mixture until smooth and well combined. Pour over the cake allowing the ganache to spill over the edges of the cake. Let stand to cool and set.
14. Slice and enjoy!

An InLinkz Link-up

Pumpkin Spice Latte

My good friend Emily and I have Wednesday morning coffee dates. We ship our older kids off to school then get together, pre-showers and makeup, to let the younger kids play while we sip on coffee.

The last few weeks Emily has gone to Starbucks and grabbed us my beloved Pumpkin Spice Latte for our dates. But I'm sure that is getting a bit pricey for her.

This week Emily had a doctor's appointment today so I took it upon myself (since I desperately missed my Wednesday latte) to find a cheaper alternative that was just as tasty as the expensive original. 

I began with this recipe, but found it entirely too milky. I love the strong coffee taste that I get in that paper cup I cherish. As a comparison, I turned to one of my favorite blogs of all time because I knew Monica had a pumpkin spice latte recipe as well. 

When I read Monica's recipe I was immediately thrilled with the use of turbinado sugar instead of granulated. I considered switching the sugars in the first recipe I made but left it as stated. I also loved the use of a full cup of coffee with a splash of milk. However, Monica calls for half and half in her latte but I enjoy fat free milk in mine so I made the change and whipped up the latte. It was amazing! 

I loved the strong espresso flavor in this latte. I did feel as though a more pronounced pumpkin flavor wouldn't hurt so I made yet another cuppa with more pumpkin. That, to me, was perfection! When making yours, start with the lesser amount of pumpkin, taste, and add more if needed. You can always add but you can never take away. 

This recipe was so incredibly simple that I didn't take any pictures of the process. You pour your milk, coffee, sugar, pumpkin, and pumpkin pie spice into a small saucepan and heat it until almost boiling over medium high heat. Remove it from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour the mixture into a blender (or use a whisk) and beat until frothy. 

A word of warning! Apparently when you pour a steaming hot mixture into a blender, the pressure from the steam forces the lid off the blender. Maybe leave the mixture in the blender to cool a bit before capping and turning it on?? Oops.

Pour into a mug, serve, and enjoy!! 

PS. If you are enjoying this tasty beverage with a friend, make sure you double the recipe below, it only makes on mug full. 

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Adapted from Lick the Bowl Good

Makes 1 serving 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup double strength brewed coffee
• 1/3 cup milk or half and half (I used fat free milk)
• 2-3 Tablespoons pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 2 Tablespoons turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw)
• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice plus more for garnish
• 1/4 teaspooon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Heat coffee, milk, pumpkin, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice in a small saucepan over medium high heat, stirring occasionally until simmering, almost to a boil.
2. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
3. Place mixture into a blender and blend until frothy (or whisk until frothy).
4. Pour into a mug, top with extra pumpkin pie spice if desired.
5. Serve and enjoy!

WBB Cheesecake Challenge: Coffee Cookie Dough Fudge Cheesecake

First off, I want to thank you all for your kind words and thoughts about my niece. She's doing much better and is home.

She had a really bad staff infection which resulted in surgery. They had to remove about 4 inches of flesh from her arm. It's pretty gross. I would add a picture, but this being a food blog...that might not be sanitary...or hunger inducing.

The infection got worse before it got better and she had to be given a wound vac. She has it attached to her at all times and will have to go to wound specialists to get her dressings changed.

She may have to have physical therapy to get her arm back up and running...but that's a ways off. The wound has to heal first.

As far as the other stuff goes...we put a deposit on a house and are just waiting to finalize the lease. That's a load off my mind for sure!!

The Hubble did not get his promotion, but it was early anyway...and a long shot. Next year should definitely be his year. So no worries there.

And for Baby N...we are hoping he or she cooperates at the ultrasound appointment tomorrow. If you are interested in casting your guess/vote for whether Baby N will be a boy or a girl, I wrote about it and put up a poll on my other blog. You can make that jump here.

Other than that, we are just waiting to move. We need to get packing...but you know I have to keep baking/cooking while all of this crazy stuff happens!!

As it happens, one of my very favorite ladies ever, Julie over at Willow Bird Baking, is hosting a cheesecake challenge!!

Now, if you know anything about me...you know I can't pass up a good challenge. Remember these homemake croissants???

Yup, that was a WBB challenge too!

So when Julie challenged her readers to make one of her amazingly splendid cheesecakes, of course I jumped at the chance!

I chose to make her most famous cheesecake of all. Coffee Cookie Dough Cheesecake.

Doesn't that sound utterly delicious?? Well I'm here to tell you...it is!

You begin with an Oreo cookie crust filled with a chocolate ganache, top that with a coffee cheesecake filling, followed by a sweet topping. Then carefully layer on a chocolate chip cookie dough disk the size of the whole cheesecake. And for the final touches, add more ganache to the top!

Woah!!!

Can we say intense, people???

Now, I'm not a cheesecake person. The only other cheesecake I've ever loved and continued to fantasize about is this goat cheese cheesecake with pineapple vanilla compote.

Believe me when I tell you that this cheesecake is well worth the effort and time to make!

The layers compliment each other well. I enjoyed my slice with a cup of coffee (of course!).

The only bad thing about this cake is that it was gone faster than I could take a picture of the inside! So if you want to see the delectable layers, check out Julie's original post about this cheesecake.

And just one more thing before I let you drool over this cake.

I made the mistake of weighing this cake when it was done....

This cake....

Yeah.....

It weighs.....

7 pounds!!!!!

Now I know for sure you are ready to eat some! Here's how it went for me:

First up! Ingredients: Flour, sugar, salt, brown sugar, sour cream, heavy cream, light molasses, instant coffee granules, vanilla, eggs, butter, chocolate chips, Oreo cookies, and of course...cream cheese!

Start by finely processing your cookies into crumbs.

And while the food processor is whirring around...go ahead and grab a glass of milk because I KNOW you are snacking on the extra cookies.

To the cookie crumbs, add some melted butter and salt. Stir it all up until the cookie crumbs are moist, then press the mixture into a buttered springform pan.

In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream until hot. Then pour it over some chocolate. Let it sit for a few minutes then whisk away until the whole mixture is smooth.

Pour about 2 cups of that melted chocolate ganache into the crust. Reserve the rest for decorating the cake once it's done. Throw the ganache filled crust into the freezer about 30 minutes until it is set.

Now cream together the cream cheese and sugar until well blended. Then add the flour.

In a small bowl, dissolve the coffee granules into the vanilla and molasses.

And dump it into your cream cheese mixture...mix it all up.

Then beat in the eggs, one at a time.

Pour that mixture over the ganache in the pan. Place the pan in a water bath and put it all in the oven.

Once that part is cooked, remove it from the oven and put it on a cooling rack. Then prepare the topping by whisking together some sugar, sour cream and vanilla.

Pour that topping over the hot cheescake and put it back in the oven. Once that is done, stick the whole thing in the fridge for about 3 hours.

To make the cookie dough...cream together the butter and brown sugar.

Add the flour and vanilla.

Stir in the chocolate chips. (This is an eggless cookie dough so go ahead and take a taste...you know you want to).

Line a 9 inch round cake pan with parchment paper. Carefully spread the cookie dough evenly in the pan. Place it in the freezer for about 30 minutes.

When everything is done, place the cookie dough layer (face down) onto the cheesecake.

Decorate with the remaining ganache, serve and enjoy!!!

And let's just forget about the fact that this thing weighs 7 pounds. Maybe we can call it a 7 pounds in heaven cheesecake???

Coffee Cookie Dough Fudge Cheesecake

Retrieved from Willow Bird Baking

Printer Friendly Version

Ingredients:

For the crust

• 32 chocolate sandwich cookies, finely processed into crumbs
• 5 1/3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• Small pinch of salt

For the ganache

• 1½ cups heavy cream
• 20 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

For the filling

• 3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoons instant coffee granules
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1½ teaspoons mild-flavored (light) molasses
• 3 large eggs

For the topping

• 1½ cups sour cream
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the cookie dough layer

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract\
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 4 to 6 tablespoons water (I used 4)

Directions:

For the crust 

1. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. 
2. Combine the chocolate cookie crumbs, melted butter and salt in a small bowl. Toss with a fork to moisten all of the crumbs. 
3. Press into a thin layer covering the bottom and sides of the springform pan (at least 3 inches up the sides). I did this using a smooth glass to press crumbs into place.

For the ganache

1. Bring the cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan. 
2. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. 
3. Once the cream reaches a simmer, pour the cream over the chocolate and let stand 1-2 minutes. 
4. Whisk in small circles until a smooth ganache has formed. 
5. Pour 1.5-2 cups of the ganache over the bottom of the crust. 
6. Freeze until the ganache layer is firm, about 30 minutes. 
7. Reserve the remaining ganache; cover and let stand at room temperature for later decorating. 

For the filling

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F and position a rack in the middle of the oven. 
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed until well blended. 
3. Beat in the flour. 
4. In a small bowl, combine the coffee granules, vanilla and molasses, stirring until the coffee dissolves. 
5. Add to the cream cheese mixture and beat until well incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. 
6. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between each addition.
7. Pour the filling over the cold ganache in the crust. 
8. Enclose the bottom of the springform pan in tightly wrapped foil and place it in a baking dish. Fill the baking dish with hot water about halfway up the cheesecake pan, careful not to let the moisture touch the cheesecake. 
9. Bake until the top is lightly browned, puffed and cracked at the edges, and the center moves only very slightly when the pan is lightly shaken, about 1 hour. 
10. Transfer to a wire cooling rack. Cool 15 minutes while preparing the topping (maintaining the oven temperature.) 

For the topping

1. Whisk together the sour cream, sugar and vanilla in a small bowl. 
2. Pour the topping over the hot cheesecake, spreading to cover the filling completely. 
3. Bake until the topping is set, about 10-15 minutes. 
4. Return to the cooling rack and let cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. 
5. Transfer to the refrigerator and let cool at least 3 hours, until completely chilled and set.

For the cookie dough layer

1. Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl. 
2. Stir in the flour, salt, vanilla and chips. 
3. Add the water, one tablespoon at a time, until you have reached a cookie dough consistency. 
4. Line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper. 
5. Spoon the cookie dough into the pan and flatten to an even layer. Freeze the cookie dough layer until ready to use (at least 30 minutes). 

Final assembly

1. Wrap a warm towel around the outside of the springform pan to help loosen the crust from the sides. 
2. Carefully remove the springform. Transfer the cake to a serving platter. 
3. Turn cookie dough out of cake pan and place layer on top of cheesecake, pressing it gently into place. 
4. Place the reserved ganache in a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip and use to garnish the top of the cake as desired. 
5. Chill until the ganache is completely firm, at least 6 hours.
6. Slice, serve and enjoy!!

Coffee Heath Bar Crunch Cake

I know most of you know this already...but I love coffee!

I've talked about it when I made the chocolate teacakes with Earl Grey Icing and Monica talked about my obsession with her guest post of coffee chocolate chip muffins. (By the way, I made these muffins last weekend and they were amazingly delicious!!)

I love coffee so much that my mother even bought me a Keurig for Christmas (score!!).

So you can probably imagine how broken hearted I am by the fact that this baby doesn't really care for coffee.

When I was pregnant with Little Butt, I tried so hard to stop drinking coffee, but couldn't. This baby?? I don't crave it at all.

Sadly, I had to dust off my Keurig the other day.

So you're probably wondering what I'm doing posting about a coffee Heath Bar crunch cake.

Well, one: this was last month's Cake Slice Bakers cake of choice for February (yes, I realize it's March and that I'm late. What of it??)

Two: since I can't enjoy my beloved coffee in it's liquid form, I can enjoy the taste in baked goods.

And three: The Hubble's favorite candy bar of all time is toffee and chocolate.

I sent The Hubble to the store to grab some Heath bars for me to chop up at first. He brought home Skor bars. Since I procrastinated so long, he ended up eating all 5 of the bars he brought home for me to bake with.

Therefore, I moved to chips! LOL!

What's neat about this recipe is that you can tailor it to your families tastes. If you don't like coffee...leave it out. If you like coffee but have small kids, use decaf espresso (that's what I did)! There are different ways you can prepare this cake.

Any way you make it, prepare yourself for a treat. The brown sugar and butter in the fluffy, moist cake provide the perfect compliment to the buttery taste of the toffee topping.

What I especially loved about this cake was the texture. The contrast of the chewy cake with the crunchy toffee bits was heaven in my mouth.

This cake is definitely a winner and sure to liven up any brunch, lunch, dinner or midnight snack (hopefully you used decaf for that one!).

So let's hop in the kitchen and get to baking!

Ingredients: unbleached all purpose flour, granulated sugar (there's no granulated sugar in this recipe. I don't know why it's in this picture. It must be habit to pull it out), light brown sugar, baking powder, salt, vanilla extract, egg, egg yolk, milk, Heath toffee chips, butter and espresso powder.

In a medium bowl, toss in the Heath chips, 2 Tablespoons of the brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons of flour and 1 Tablespoon softened butter. Mix together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles large crumbs. Kind of like a streusel topping. Put that bad boy in the refrigerator until ready to use.

In another medium mixing bowl, whisk in the rest of the flour, the salt, baking powder and espresso powder. Mix well.

In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream together the butter and remaining brown sugar until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

Turn the mixer to low and toss in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Scrape sides of bowl as necessary.

Now it's time to do that oh so loved alternating thing. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition and keep the mixer on low. Alternating with the flour and milk mixture, dump in 1/3 of the flour mixture...

Then half the milk. Alternate with the rest of the flour and milk, ending with the flour mixture.

Evenly spread the batter into a greased 9 inch springform pan.

Grab that toffee topping out of the fridge and evenly sprinkle it over the top of the batter in the pan.

Bake the cake in a preheated 350 degree F oven until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 55-60 minutes.

When the cake is done baking, cool on a wire rack in the pan for 5 minutes. Release the sides of the pan and use a spatula to transfer the cake from the bottom of the springform pan to the cooling rack. Cool completely.

Serve and enjoy!!

Linked to: Family Friendly Fridays and






Coffee Heath Bar Crunch Cake
Retrieved from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman

Printer Friendly Version

Ingredients:

For the Streusel

• 1 cup Heath bar toffee chips
• 2 Tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon butter, softened

For the Cake

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon instant espresso powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk

Directions:

For the Streusel

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch round springform pan.
2. Combine Heath chip, brown sugar, flour and butter in medium mixing bowl. Work mixture with fingers until it resembles large crumbs.
3. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the Cake

1. Combine the flour, espresso powder, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl. 
2. Cream together the butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium high speed until fluff, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
3. With the mixer on low, add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla.
4. With the mixer on low speed, add 1/3 of the flour mixture, 1/2 of the milk; scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Repeat, alternating flour and milk, ending with flour.
5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer with a spatula.
6. Evenly distribute the streusel
7. Bake the cake in the preheated oven until it is golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes. 
8. Let the cake cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Release the sides of the pan and use a large spatula to slide the cake from the pan bottom to the wire rack. Cool completely.
9. Cut into wedges and serve!
10. Enjoy!!!

Daring Bakers February 2011: Panna Cotta & Florentine Cookies

Okay, okay. Y'all can officially call me a slacker.

I cannot believe I haven't shared a new recipe since the Daring Cooks recipe.

I feel like I am in a time warp lately.

I wish I could tell you that I have been crazy busy...I mean, I have been pretty busy...but not crazy busy.

What has really happened is that I got wrapped up in a new book.

I know. What kind of excuse is that??? Well...it's my excuse.

See...I'm a reader.

Like...a crazy, insane, voracious reader.

So when I find a new book (in this case actually 2) that I really enjoy, that's about all I do.

So. I read Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer (Oh. Em. Gee. Amazing!) and now I'm reading Temple of the Winds by Terry Goodkind (the fourth book in the Sword of Truth Series).

Also, I just keep losing time.

Seriously. Can someone please tell me where February went?? I can't seem to find it!

I know I've mentioned this elsewhere, but I don't think I've mentioned it here...but I'm also a bit knocked up.

So I'm going to blame the sapping of time and what used to be an adequate thinking device (i.e. my no longer existent brain) on the baby. I'm 15 weeks now and I'm hoping it won't get much worse than this.

We are also looking at moving again! We will be heading down to the Austin area late next month.

So....I kind of have some stuff going on...but then it feels like I don't.

Anyway. Enough about me. Let's talk food!

In a perfect world. Well, my perfect world. I would be Italian.

I would be able to drink wine with breakfast (not that I don't already but at least people wouldn't look at me strange).

I could eat pasta and bread all day long (oh wait, I do that too, but at least I wouldn't be lectured about my carb intake).

And I would drink coffee like it is the elixir of life (crap! I do this already as well).

See. Since I already do these things I should at least be an honorary Italian.

I love the culture, the language, the beauty of the people and most of all...the food.

So when the Daring Bakers challenge was announced for February (yes I'm late in posting this) I was more than thrilled!


The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies.

I knew I wanted to incorporate coffee into my recipe. So I waited for the perfect opportunity to make this delicious dessert.

That opportunity presented itself when a friend invited us to a delicious spaghetti dinner. Perfecto! (is that Italian or Spanish...or maybe neither?? Hey. I said I wanted to be Italian, not that I spoke the language!)

This dessert was cool, creamy, sweet, full of coffee flavor and perfectly accompanied by a crunchy, chocolatey florentine cookie. My florentine cookies aren't the roundest or prettiest cookies, but they were still good!

Thanks to Mallory for the wonderful challenge!

Let's step into the kitchen!

To start, we will make the coffee gelee. You will need, coffee, water, vanilla extract, granulated sugar and unflavored, powdered gelatin.

In a small bowl, place 2 Tablespoons of cold water. Then sprinkle the gelatin over the top. Allow to sit about 2 minutes so the gelatin can soften.

In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, bring 1/4 cup hot water and the granulated sugar to a boil. Stir until the sugar dissolves.

In a metal mixing bowl, pour in the water/sugar mixture, vanilla and brewed coffee and mix it up.

To that, add the gelatin mixture. Stir until the gelatine dissolves. Then place in the refrigerator to set.

Now we will make the panna cotta. For this you will need granulated sugar, whipping cream, whole milk, honey, unflavored powdered gelatin and salt.

Place a small bowl or pot into the refrigerator to chill. Remove and pour in the milk. Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the top of the milk. Allow to sit about 5 minutes to soften the gelatin.

Pour the milk into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Heat the milk until it is hot, but not boiling. Then add the cream, honey, vanilla, sugar and salt. Continue to heat, stirring occasionally, until the honey and sugar dissolves and the mixture is hot, but still not boiling. This takes about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.

Pour the mixture into your desired dish. Place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.

After a few hours, when the panna cotta is firm, you can top with the coffee gelee. Then return to refrigerator for the remainder of the chill time.

And finally, we can make the cookies. For this you will need: all purpose flour, quick oats, dark corn syrup, unsalted butter, vanilla extract, milk, granulated sugar, salt, and chocolate.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan or pot.

To the melted butter add the oats, sugar, flour, vanilla, corn syrup, milk, and salt. Mix well.

Drop the batter in Tablespoon fulls onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. They should be about 3 inches apart. Slightly flatten with the back of your spoon.

Bake in a preheated 375 degree F oven for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet.

When the cookies are cool, peel them off the parchment or silpat and place them face down on a cooling rack above wax or parchment paper (so you don't make a mess).

Melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a double broiler.

Spread a Tablespoon of the melted chocolate over the bottom of the cookie, top with a cookie of the same shape and size, creating a sandwich. Allow the chocolate to re-harden.

Serve the cookies with the chilled panna cotta and enjoy!!

We enjoyed ours with some spicy spaghetti, great friends and a game of Taboo!

Cafe e Latte Panna Cotta
Retrieved from The Daring Kitchen

Printer Friendly Version

Coffee Gelee

Ingredients:

• 2 cups good quality brewed coffee
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 2 Tablespoons cold water
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Place granulated sugar and hot water into small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Stir until sugar has dissolved.
2. Sprinkle gelatin over cold water and let sit about 2 minutes to soften.
3. Stir the sugar, hot water, coffee and vanilla together in a metal mixing bowl. Add gelatin mixture and stir until gelatin has dissolved.
4. Place in refrigerator to "set" then layer with panna cotta.

Panna Cotta

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 Tablespoon unflavored powdered gelatin
• 3 cups whipping cream (30+% butter fat)
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
• pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Pour milk into small bowl (refrigerate bowl for a few minutes to chill), sprinkle gelatin over the top, allow to sit about 5 minutes to soften.
2. Pour the milk into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisking occasionally, heat mixture until hot (not boiling), about 5 minutes.
3. Add the cream, honey, sugar and salt. Continue to heat (not to boiling) and stir occasionally until honey and sugar dissolve, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
5. Pour mixture into desired dish, refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight. 
6. Garnish as desired. Serve and enjoy!

Florentine Cookies

Retrieved from The Daring Kitchen via Nestle

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Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups quick oats
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup dark corn syrup
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) dark or milk chocolate

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper.
2. Melt butter in medium saucepan; remove from heat.
3. To the melted butter, add the oats, sugar, flour, corn syrup, milk, vanilla and salt. Mix well.
4. Drop a tablespoon full of batter about 3 inches apart on the lined baking sheet. Flatten slightly with the back of a spoon.
5. Bake in preheated oven about 6-8 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Cool completely on baking sheet. 
7. While cookies are cooling, melt chocolate in the microwave or over a double broiler.
8. Peel cookies from silpat or parchment and place face down on a cooling rack placed over parchment or wax paper (so as not to make a mess).
9. Spread a tablespoon of melted chocolate over the bottom of the cookies, top with a similar size cookie so as to make a sandwich. Allow chocolate to re-harden.
10. Serve and enjoy!