Ever Ready: Espresso to Go

Tuesday, July 21, 2020

Espresso to Go

Espresso is a concentrated form of coffee served in small, strong shots and is the base for many coffee drinks. It's origin is Italy.

If you're not familiar with espresso powder (or instant espresso), it's actually super concentrated coffee granules that quickly dissolve in liquid. So it's not just ground coffee beans: a common misconception.

Many bakers keep espresso powder in stock as seriously as they do most spices. It amps up the rich, chocolate flavor of many desserts including cakes, brownies and cookies. You can use just a little (less than a teaspoon) to draw out the natural flavors of chocolate desserts or you can go heavier (more than a teaspoon) to achieve a coffee or mocha flavor. You can also whisk granules (about 1 tsp.) into vinaigrettes, meat marinades, stews, chili and favorite brownie batters. Stir until crystals are dissolved for a subtle boost.

You should not substitute brewed espresso for instant espresso powder in baking unless recipe calls for it as the added liquid will affect the recipe.

Anything with chocolate and espresso flavor gets my vote. So when I spied these new chips at the store from Nestles I knew what my next cookie recipe world be.

It was recommended on package to use equal parts of espresso and semi-sweet chips so I followed that suggestion. The cookie recipe on back of this wrapper was different than my standard Nestle chocolate chip so I used my old stand-by recipe and one I have memorized...
2-1/4 cups flour, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 2 large eggs 3/4 cup white sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 sticks of butter, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 cups chips and 1 cup chopped walnuts. Chill dough and bake at 375 for 10-11 minutes.
Postscript: Using half espresso and half semi-sweet chips in this cookis recipe were a winning combination for me.

In case you are wondering the coffee cup reads I shall eat chocolate drink coffee and sing silly songs

Looking for some creative ways to use espresso powder? Try some of these previously posted tried and true recipes from Ever Ready.

Classic Chocolate Mousse
https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2014/12/celebrate-jane-austin-with-decadent.html