Celebrate National Coffee Day

September 29th 

DID YOU KNOW?

•  Coffee is the second most consumed beverage after water. Its popularity is attributed to its unique flavor and the energy boost it provides. Whether it’s a morning pick-me-up or a midday treat, coffee has become an integral part of many people’s daily routines.
• The majority of the world’s coffee is grown in a region known as the “Coffee Belt.” This area spans from approximately 25 degrees north to 30 degrees south of the equator and is characterized by its ideal climate and conditions for coffee cultivation.
• Arbuckles Coffee Won The West 

Up until the close of the Civil War, coffee was sold green. It had to be roasted on a wood stove or in a skillet over a campfire before it could be ground and brewed. One burned bean ruined it all; there was no consistency. In 1865 John Arbuckle and his brother Charles, partners in a Pittsburgh grocery business, changed all this by patenting a process for roasting and coating coffee beans with an egg and sugar glaze to seal in the flavor and aroma. 

Marketed under the name Arbuckles' Ariosa Coffee, in patented airtight, one pound packages, the new coffee was an instant success with the chuck wagon cooks in the west, faced with the task of keeping cowboys supplied with plenty of hot coffee out on the range.

The Longest Traveling Coffee Bag  

Many years ago, this bag of coffee pictured below went on a long long journey. It was a gift that started out in Belize, landed in Minnesota, and then the bag was forwarded south to Texas, where I was staying. It was a "first " trying coffee from Belize. A cup of this wonderful coffee just begged to be served with a slice of Texas Pecan Streusel Coffee Cake. https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2012/02/pecan-coconut-streusel-coffee-cake.html 

What a great gift for one who loves their coffee. 

Coffee lovers, I have you covered with this recipe below. 

Mocha Cupcakes with Espresso Spiked Buttercream Frosting
Cook's notes: These cupcakes are coffee and espresso-infused, with a subtle chocolate flavor, and topped with an espresso-spiked buttercream frosting. Even if you aren't a coffee lover, there's lots to love about these cupcakes, especially the buttercream frosting. The recipe is low maintenance in terms of preparation. I used my hand mixer and had these cupcakes in the oven less than 30 minutes after I got started. The texture is incredibly soft and tender, with not even a hint of dryness. And the flavor will make you think of a Cafe Mocha. Optional decorating-Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans shown in the photo.
The recipe was adapted from My Baking Addiction, and it makes 12 regular-size cupcakes.

Ingredients:
Cupcakes:

• ½ cup brewed coffee at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• ½ cup milk
• 2 tablespoons Kahlua
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 large egg at room temperature

Espresso Buttercream Frosting:

• 3 tablespoons butter at room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 1 tablespoon Kahlua
• 2 tablespoons milk

Cupcake Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard-size muffin tin with paper liners.
• Whisk the espresso powder into the brewed coffee in a measuring cup until completely dissolved. Add the milk, Kahlua and vanilla extract; set aside.
• Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
• With an electric mixer, on medium, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions of the coffee mixture, mixing each until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, give the batter a final stir to ensure everything is incorporated.
• Fill each muffin cup about two-thirds full with batter. Bake for 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting the cupcakes.

Frosting Directions:

• In a small bowl, whisk the espresso powder into the vanilla and Kahlua until dissolved. Beat in powdered sugar, adding in only enough milk to attain the right frosting consistency.