Tag: Coffee

Affogato and chocolate muffins with a coffee sugar

This is another amazing recipe from Delicious Australia, and was said that it was inspired by a three ingredient dessert bread recipe by the revered Matt Preston. He is someone I look up to, aspiring to be as great a food writer as he is, with so many of the greats like the late A.A Gill being the ultimate food writer for me.
This recipe can also be found in the latest issue of delicious Australia. Do yourself a favour, subscribe to their magazine. It’s like Christmas every single month, for me there’s nothing better than being gifted premium food articles and aspirational food writing and of course mouth watering food photography that visually inspires me to recreate those spectacular shots.

I added my own little twist to the recipe with the addition of dark chocolate and coffee liqueur. My sister and her soon to be husband gifted my partner and I a bottle of locally produced Beaver creek coffee liqueur that I cracked open and used in the batter for that extra kick of coffee.

Affogato and chocolate muffins in a coffee sugar:

Ingredients:

300g self-raising flour, sifted

750ml vanilla ice cream, softened

165ml canola/sunflower oil

1 free-range egg, lightly beaten

150g caster sugar

3 teaspoons of instant coffee granules, crushed

2 tablespoons of coffee liqueur

100g dark chocolate, roughly chopped.

Method:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

Sift the self-raising flour in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the softened ice cream, egg and oil till combined. Add this to the flour and fold gently till just incorporated. Add the coffee liqueur and chopped chocolate and gently fold again to combine slightly. Pour into a muffin tray and bake for 20 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean. To make the coffee sugar coating, lightly crush the coffee granules in a pestle and mortar and add to the caster sugar, and taking each muffin and dipping into the sugar mix until coated on the top and/or sides if you will. Serve with your favourite espresso or coffee liqueur.

May 10, 2017
But first coffee…and cake.

Coffee, for most is what carries us through the day, living from cup to cup a day. I am a coffee and cake enthusiast, thus this recipe is the very best of both worlds. The recipe I gave a go, is one of Nigella Lawson’s and quite frankly stirs up a recollection of a memory. I lived in Centurion, Gauteng for almost 8 years and when it was time to leave and come back home to Cape Town, a long lost friend baked these indulgent coffee cupcakes with the lightest crumb and the most fluffy frosting I just could not compare to any other cake I’ve had. This of course was on the last day that I had bid farewell to a few good friends that I have gathered along the early years of studying a law degree.

The baking of the coffee and walnut cake was something of a therapeutic experience. When stressed or life gets a tad overwhelming, I find the best solution is to find the peace I am looking for and that is in my kitchen, my place of refuge.

This time I stuck to the recipe, with the only addition being the coffee and walnut praline. When baking I don’t stray too far from the original recipe. Measurements are definitely there for a reason, I’ve learnt that the hard way from one too many flop bakes.

For the praline I melted 220grams of caster sugar in a non stick pan over a medium to high heat, swirling to fully incorporate. Once caramel brown, take off the heat and pour over coffee beans and chopped walnuts (preferably on a silpat) or on a greased and lined tray, leave to cool completely, then snap and arrange on the cake once the frosting is on. The praline provides height to the aesthetic of the cake and texture to the taste.

These are truly wise words below, from a legend. Can you imagine a world without cake? Let alone a party?
“A Party without cake is just a meeting” – Julia Child.

October 12, 2016