Coffee recipes to lift your spirits and indulge 2020/21's appetite for home-comforts!
We've already given you four delicious coffee recipes involving snacks, breakfast muffins, espresso syrup and dessert in Part 1 . So here are four more! Because more is more, especially during a pandemic!
Feast your eyes on chocolate and coffee snacks, a Chocolate Espresso Layer Cake and THE BEST Espresso Martini and Chocolate Tart in the world!
If a caffeine free version is needed, then all of these coffee recipes can be made with our delicious Peruvian Decaffeinated Coffee (which is decaffeinated using the natural sparkling water method, no chemicals involved).
Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans
PHOTO: Gina Mills
These are a classic! Coffee and chocolate are the BEST of friends when it comes to delicious taste combinations. We’ve all heard of chocolate covered coffee beans, but I have to say I’d never actually tried them before (I know, shock horror!).
So here we go!
INGREDIENTS
90g approx. Dark (60-70% cocoa) chocolate *
Whole Coffee Beans (I used our 3 Star Great Taste award winning Classic Blend) **
Cocoa powder
* Enough to cover the coffee beans 2-4 times, depending on how thick a chocolate layer you’re wanting. I did 2 layers and probably only used 50/60g of the 90g. But you could just keep on layering them up.
** How many to use is obviously dependent on how many you want to do, I used a small handful of these, but feel free to use more.
METHOD
Melt the chocolate in a bowl, over a saucepan of boiling water on the stove. Once melted set aside to cool. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
Drop the whole coffee beans into the cooled melted chocolate, covering them completely. Remove each one and set on the baking tray, making sure you spread them out. Then pop into the fridge to set. Now can you see why I only did a small handful?
Once they have set, pick them off the baking tray and drop them into the cooled, melted chocolate again, to cover them for a second time. Again take them out and spread them out on the baking tray. Then return to the fridge to set. You can repeat this as many times as you like. It’ll make the chocolate layer around the coffee bean nice and thick if you do it a lot. I only coated mine twice and I have to say the balance of coffee bean to chocolate was pretty good!
Once the last layer of chocolate has set, gently roll each chocolate covered bean in your hands to make them more rounded and slightly sticky. Then roll in cocoa powder lightly to cover. Do this with each one. Then return to the fridge to set again (15mins approx).
Eat them!
Espresso Marble Cake
Photo: Gina Mills
Buttery vanilla and chocolate espresso sponge, finished off with a scrumptious chocolate espresso streusel.
This is a hybrid based on two recipes I found, the BBC's Espresso Marble Cake and the Broma Bakery's Espresso Marble Cake , but you could easily make one or the other if you prefer.
The reason I made the sponge from the BBC's recipe and not the Broma Bakery's was totally for ease, as the measurements were in grams and not cups like the Broma Bakery's. I used the Broma Bakery's recipe for this amazing chocolate espresso streusel on top of the cake!
I did make a couple of amendments to the BBC's marble sponge recipe, due to personal taste. I like strong flavours so I upped the coffee and chocolate content.
INGREDIENTS FOR THE MARBLE SPONGE
175g butter
175g caster sugar
3 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
Half a tsp vanilla extract
225g self-raising flour
pinch salt
2 tbsp milk
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 double shot of cooled espresso (I used our 3 Star Great Taste award winning Classic Blend)
INGREDIENTS FOR THE STREUSEL
30g plain flour
50g granulated sugar
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp espresso ground coffee
pinch of salt
2.5 tbsp unsalted butter, cold
1 tbsp cacao nibs
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease and line a 900g/2lb loaf tin or 20cm/8in round tin. Use cake liners if you can as you won't want to turn the cake out upside down due to the crumbly streusel on top of it.
Cream the butter and sugar with an electric whisk in a large mixing bowl until very pale and fluffy. Add the beaten egg, a little at a time, whisking well after each addition. Then whisk in the vanilla extract.
Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl, then fold it gently into the butter and egg mixture.
Divide the cake batter into two equal portions (about 350g each).
Add the milk to one portion of the mixture, stirring in gently until well combined.
Mix the cocoa powder and the coffee together in a mug to form a smooth paste. Stir this paste into the other portion of the cake batter until thoroughly combined.
Spoon large blobs of each cake mixture into the prepared tin, alternating the flavours to give a marble effect. Put in the oven and bake for 30 minutes - you will need to take out briefly at the end of 30 mins to add the streusel.
To make the streusel, put the flour, sugar, cocoa, espresso grounds and salt in a small bowl. Add in the butter and use your fingers to rub it until pea-size crumbs have formed. It’ll seem a little dry at first but will come together as you continue to work it. Stir in the nibs. Set aside
After 30 minutes in the oven, take the cake out and put the crumbly streusel all over the top (make sure it completely covers the top of the cake. You may have some streusel left over). Bake for a further 20-30 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift out (with the liner) onto a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.
Chocolate Espresso Layer Cake
Original recipe by Lakeland UK, adapted by Gina Mills
PHOTO: Gina Mills
This recipe is perfect for Spring/Summer. It's a slightly adapted version of Lakeland UK's Chocolate Espresso Layer cake (thanks Lakeland!), whereby the icing has been made more chocolatey.
CAKE INGREDIENTS
300ml cooled espresso coffee (I used our award winning Revive Blend)
100g of dark chocolate, 70% cocoa
1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda
100g of unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
3 eggs
100g of pitted Medjool dates, finely chopped
225g of plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
150g light soft brown sugar
CHOCOLATE ICING INGREDIENTS
560g of cream cheese (I used full fat Philadelphia)
50ml of cooled espresso
200g of icing sugar, sieved
50g of cocoa powder, sieved
100g of dark chocolate, 70% cocoa
To decorate - add edible flowers and little Easter eggs.
PHOTO: Gina Mills
METHOD
Start by making the espresso (make enough for the cake and the icing) and then leaving to cool.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Grease 2x 18cm cake tins with softened butter.
In a small saucepan, simmer the espresso and Medjool dates on a low heat for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Place the chocolate into a glass bowl set over a pan of warm water and heat very gently for 3-4 minutes or until the chocolate has melted, making sure that the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder. In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually whisk in the eggs one at a time. Fold in the flour then add the melted chocolate, dates and espresso and stir well to combine.
Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack. I then wrapped the sponges in clingfilm and put them in the fridge to chill.
To make the icing, sieve the icing sugar and cocoa powder together in a large mixing bowl. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in another bowl over a pan of simmering water as before, and set aside to cool.
Add the cream cheese to the icing sugar/cocoa powder and whisk with an electric hand mixer for 1 minute or until the icing is smooth and creamy.
Once mixed, add the cooled melted chocolate and mix again. It's quite important that the chocolate is cooled, as I added half of the chocolate when it hadn't quite cooled yet, and it started hardening up into little chocolate chips as I was mixing it (you can see the little chocolate chips in the icing in the above photo. It was still nice, just like chocolate chip ice-cream!). Once the rest had properly cooled, I then added that too, and it was fine.
Then add the cooled espresso and mix well.
Take the chilled cake sponges out of the fridge, cut each sponge in half horizontally, so that you get 4 layers. Sandwich each layer together with the icing and spread the remainder over the top and sides of the cake using a palette knife to give a smooth finish.
To decorate, add edible flowers and little Easter eggs.
Tip: the cake will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Always let the espresso cool after brewing.
Espresso Martini Chocolate Tart
Rebecca Vallance of Vallance & Sons
PHOTO: Vallance & Sons
For this amazing Espresso Martini Chocolate Tart we went to the local sweet treat and cake baker Rebecca Vallance of Vallance & Sons, Staplehurst Village, as she makes the BEST one around!
This tart is what dreams are made of. I don’t think I can emphasize enough, just how good this tart is. You’ll just have to make it and see for yourself!
PASTRY INGREDIENTS
An 8 inch flan case
230g plain flour
115g butter
80g icing sugar
1 egg
PASTRY METHOD
Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees C.
Rub the flour, sugar and butter to breadcrumbs, then gently work in the egg until it just comes together. Rest the pastry in the fridge for 30mins wrapped in cling film.
Once chilled, roll out and lay into/line an 8-inch flan case with it. Cut off any excess round the side. Refrigerate again, in the flan case for 30mins.
Remove from the fridge and cover with greaseproof paper and then fill with ceramic baking beans before blind baking.
Blind bake the pastry case for 10mins, then remove the beans and the greaseproof paper and put back in the oven to bake for a further 5-10mins until golden. Set aside to cool.
* Or you can always cheat and buy a pre-made sweet pastry case from the shops!
PHOTO: Rebecca Vallance - Vallance & Sons
ESPRESSO MARTINI CHOCOLATE TART FILLING INGREDIENTS
300g dark chocolate (60-70% cocoa)
200g double cream
A double espresso
2 shots coffee liqueur
1 shot vodka
Cocoa powder or icing sugar and a few whole coffee beans to decorate.
ESPRESSO MARTINI CHOCOLATE TART FILLING METHOD
Break the chocolate up in to little bits in a bowl and set aside.
In a saucepan, heat the double cream, espresso, coffee liqueur and vodka to a simmer on the stove.
Slowly pour the heated cream etc., over the chocolate bits in the bowl, and whisk until melted together to form dark chocolate, creamy loveliness.
Pour the chocolate mixture into the baked pastry case and allow to set for 2hrs minimum.
Remove your now set, beautiful Espresso Martini Chocolate Tart from the fridge and dust with cocoa powder or icing sugar, and decorate with coffee beans. Use a warm knife to slice.
Serve with double cream or ice cream and after dinner coffee.
You're welcome!
PHOTO: Rebecca Vallance - Vallance & Sons
Rebecca Vallance has been supplying Staplehurst village with cakes and pastries for 5 years. She set up her business - Vallance & Sons, after her first son was born.
Her experience runs from Sous Chef in a top restaurant in London's Richmond-Upon-Thames, to being the sole Chef for a large chalet in the Alps. After working in various restaurants and cafes around South West London, Rebecca and her husband settled in Kent.
Vallance & Sons, like all of us, has found this year challenging for a small business, but has managed to adapt by providing online ordering and home delivery/collection of cakes and pastries. Also collaborating with other small local businesses and setting up outside markets when possible, has been a great asset.
Follow Vallance & Sons on Facebook and Instagram @vallance_and_sons for some of the best cakes and pastries around!
We, as small businesses, are extremely thankful for our customers shopping local and continuous support!
Tag us on social media if you successfully attempt any of these recipes! We’d love to see them!
In case you missed it, Part 1 of our blog can be found here.
All are coffees are available as whole beans or ground for your coffee brewing method. Check out what coffees we currently have!
Looks yum! 😋