Spiced Americano

I apologize for my temporary absence. I have hit that point in my semester when projects, conferences, and grading are coming on strong, leaving me little time to bake, and even less time to write about it. I have some great posts lined up: "Good Cookies," Lemon Tart with Sour Cream Glaze, Lemon-Almond Biscotti. But to give you an idea of busy my life has been, a few evenings ago I revisited the pleasure of Duncan Hines Triple Decadence Brownie Mix--that was as "from scratch" as I could get. They were brilliant. I've always loved the perfect saltiness of boxed brownies. For these, I'll even eat the edges; they're that good.

But the recipe I'm posting today is simple but rejuvenating, and could save you a few dollars at the coffee shop. This Spiced Americano is sweet, but with a nice heat from cinnamon, allspice, and ginger. And it's easy: make a quick simple syrup, make some espresso, boil some water, mix and serve. You can certainly add whipped cream with a dusting of cinnamon for a nice presentation, but usually I just want a slightly more sophisticated version of my morning caffeine jolt. The syrup even makes enough for a few more drinks--just keep it in a jar in the fridge or make extra to give it as a gift to a friend who has an even busier week than you do. 

Spiced Americano

(adapted from Everyday Italian)

For the simple syrup:

1/2 cup water

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 tsp. allspice

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring often, and reduce heat to low. Add the spices and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the sugar is completely dissolved. (Keep in mind, the spices will not dissolve and the liquid may look slightly grainy, but it should look mostly clear.) Allow to cool.

For the coffee drink:

1 cup brewed espresso (or very strong brewed coffee)

1 cup boiling water

Spiced Simple Syrup

To a small coffee cup, add 1/4 cup espresso, 1/4 cup boiling water, and 1 T of the simple syrup, and mix well. Add more espresso or water to taste. The simple syrup is very sweet. If you are using a regular to large-sized mug, double all of the amounts, though you may wish to cut back slightly on the simple syrup.

I hope your work goes well and the craziness passes. Meanwhile, though, add some sparkle to your coffee.

Raspberry-Ginger Tart

Last February, Ellie and I shared a wonderful tart at Bottletree. It was a small raspberry-ginger tartlet, the perfect deep pinky-red for Valentine's Day. This tart, however, did not resemble any Valentine's dessert we'd ever tasted. Instead of being simply sweet, it left behind a strong heat, a gingery punch that stopped you in your tracks. I was left wondering if Bottletree had outdone itself in its metaphorical rendition of "love at first sight/bite." Sure, this post is starting to sound cheesy, but hey, it's almost Valentine's Day--when better to wear red and pink (ironically or not) and to write rhyming love poems about your first love, your only true love, your cat . . . whatever. 

Anyway, when her birthday rolled around and she asked for a fruit pie for dessert, I fudged a little and created this tart. We'd talked about the Bottletree tart for the last year and could never decide if the ginger was in the crust, the filling, or both, or if the filling was jam or a homemade conserve, and I still can't remember if there was a little pastry heart in the center. I'm kinda thinking there was, famous as this town can be for irony. But I consulted a few recipes and came up with this dessert. It's not exactly like the tart we had last year: I used a crumb crust made out of gingersnaps instead of short pastry or shortbread, and the punch of ginger was not as strong, though I will say that the day after the birthday party, the leftover tart had quite a kick. Let it sit a day, I learned. I also added some orange to the jam, which Dan loved and I am on the fence about. 

Note: To press tart dough or crust into the tart pan, use your hand to lightly press it down, then a flat-bottomed measuring cup to push it into the corners and create an even edge. (See below.)

Raspberry-Ginger Tart

Crust:

6-7 oz. gingersnap cookies (about 3o cookies)

2 T granulated sugar

4 T room temperature butter

Filling:

1 cup of raspberry preserves, seeded or seedless

1/4 tsp. orange zest (opt.)

1 T fresh squeezed orange juice (you can also use lemon juice and no zest) 

1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. sugar (to taste)

Topping: (optional)

1/8 cup sliced toasted almonds

To make the crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Pulse the gingersnaps and sugar in a food processor until finely ground. If any large pieces remain after pulsing, break them up with your fingers. Otherwise, they will prevent the crust from combining smoothly. Add the room temperature butter and pulse until everything is combined.

Dump the crust mixture into a 9-inch nonstick tart pan with a removable bottom, sprayed lightly with cooking spray. (Place this pan on a baking sheet to make it easier to lift in and out of the oven.) Press it down lightly with your fingers. Once it is distributed over the bottom of the pan, use a flat-bottomed measuring cup to smooth it out and press it into the edges. This way, you won't end up with thick crust in the corners of the pan.

Bake the crust for 12 minutes at 350 F. You should be able to smell the gingersnaps and the crust should be a few shades darker. Allow the crust to cool before pouring in the filling.

To make the filling:

Scrape the jam into a small saucepan over low heat and add the rest of the ingredients: orange zest and juice, fresh and ground ginger. Stir often. Taste the filling when it has heated--if it needs some sweetness, add some granulated sugar (some jams and oranges are more tart than others). Once the filling is steaming but not bubbling, turn the heat off. Continue to stir often as you allow the mixture to cool. Once it has cooled slightly, pour it into the cooled crust. Smooth it out with a rubber spatula until it is even, then place the tart in the refrigerator to chill until set. (Keep the tart on the baking sheet to avoid breaking the tart by accidentally pressing up on the removable bottom before it has chilled.) Sprinkle the top with almonds when it has cooled slightly, if desired. It is better served the next day--the ginger flavor develops more.

Note: I cannot decide on the best method for this dessert. You can also bake the tart in a 375 F oven instead of heating up the jam and then chilling the tart. If you choose this method, still prebake the tart crust (placing the tart pan on a baking sheet for the duration of both baking processes) and let it cool. Meanwhile, mix the jam in a small bowl with the fresh and ground ginger and orange. Spread this in the cooled tart crust and bake for 10-12 minutes. Allow the tart to cool on the baking sheet completely before trying to remove it from the pan. It will also hold together better if you chill it for 8 hours after baking and cooling. Try to remove the bottom of the tart pan by wedging a thin spatula between the tart and the bottom, keeping the tart close to the platter so you can simply slide it off without breaking it. 

Fudgy Mocha-Toffee Brownies (Mochaccino Brownies for short)

I did not receive an espresso machine for my wedding. I'm not entirely sure I even registered for one, though I think I remember that somewhere in the midst of the All-Clad, Henckels, Le Creuset, and KitchenAid talk, Dan and I decided that we could wait on that one. He probably used the line I grew to love during the wedding days: "Where are we gonna put that?" I imagine it was, in the end, a matter of counter space.

I still crave espresso drinks at home, usually in the late afternoon, while I'm sitting comfortably at my desk (the desk that stylishly solved the problem of "where to put" my computer and cookbooks). I bought a small stovetop espresso maker that actually works pretty well, and trust me, I put it to good use. I've mastered the Caramel Macchiato and the Americano, but mochas still elude me. I can never achieve the smooth, deep blend of dark chocolate, milk, and espresso that is my weakness at Port City Java. (I think they call it a Mochaccino.) Anyway, when I think I just can't stand it anymore and I'm ready to drive 12 hours to Wilmington just to get one, I make these brownies. I found the recipe in Cooking Light over a year ago, and they've become quick favorites. Don't be put off by the "light" in the description--one taste of these luscious brownies and you'd swear I was lying even if I showed you the recipe. Dark chocolate, a double shot of espresso, and the salty crunch of toffee on top--these are just as great for breakfast as they are late at night when you want the soothing warmth of coffee without the jolt of caffeine. 

A few things to note about these brownies: They are incredibly fudgy and gooey. This is wonderful for eating, not so great for cutting. It is difficult to slice them evenly and cleanly, as the knife tends to drag raggedly through even the coolest of brownies. Wipe off the knife after each cut, and try to drag the knife in a line in one smooth motion, rather than sawing up and down. A sharp knife is also a great option, but be careful not to scrape the bottom of your nonstick pan.

Also, the batter will be thick. Very thick. The first time I made them I was convinced something had gone terribly wrong. The final batter was the texture and thickness of a good exfoliating body scrub or face wash. Remember the St. Ives Apricot Scrub? While it's not the most appetizing analogy, if you've got that texture (but in chocolate) then you're on the right track. You literally have to scoop the batter into the pan and then pat it down with a spatula sprayed with cooking spray, coaxing it into the edges of the pan. It will not go gently, I promise you. It's like stretching pizza dough only to have it shrink back to size when your back is turned. Just be patient--in both cases--the final product is so worth it.

Mochaccino Brownies

(adapted from Cooking Light, September 2007)

Cooking spray

2 T instant coffee granules

1/4 cup hot water

1/4 cup (4 T) unsalted butter

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cups sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa (I use a blend of regular and Dutch-Processed)

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1/4 cup toffee chips (not the milk chocolate-covered ones)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2. Coat the bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

3. Combine coffee granules with 1/4 cup hot water (really hot tap water is fine). Stir until the granules dissolve. (You can do this right in a measuring cup to save on dirty dishes.)

4. Combine butter (cut into chunks) and chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute or until butter melts; stir until smooth. 

5. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine the flour, sugar, unsweetened cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine coffee mixture, butter mixture, vanilla extract, and eggs in a medium bowl, whisking until smooth. Add the coffee mixture to the flour mixture and fold until just combined, being sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to incorporate all of the flour. The batter will be very thick.

6. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan, pushing it into the corners. Sprinkle with the toffee chips. 

7. Bake at 350 F for 22-24 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.

Enjoy this sweet coffee fix!