Salted chocolate and coffee cookies

Ingredients:

50g caster sugar 

170g demerara sugar

125g salted butter (softened)

1 egg

60ml Change Coffee Roasters Rwandan espresso 

200g plain flour

75g cocoa powder

1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt, plus extra for sprinkling

170g chocolate chunks (mix white, dark or milk)

Method:

Whisk the sugars and butter together in a bowl until light and fluffy.

Add the egg and coffee and continue to whisk until combined.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt and add this to the bowl. Fold this in until everything is incorporated.

Fold in the chocolate chunks. Chill the dough for around an hour.

While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line two large baking trays with baking paper.

Take the mixture from the fridge and roll into 14 balls. Place on the prepared trays, leaving space between them to allow for spreading. Sprinkle a little extra salt over each cookie, pressing the flakes down gently.

Bake the cookies for 12 minutes, then remove the trays from the oven and tap each one firmly on a work surface to flatten the cookies. Try to leave to cool before eating!

Ingredients:

175g unsalted butter, cut into cubes

175g white chocolate chunks

2 eggs and 1 egg yolk

275g brown sugar (try mixing light brown and muscavado)

1 tsp vanilla extract

One shot (30ml) espresso or 45ml strong coffee made with Change Coffee Roasters Burundi

200g plain flour

½ tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

45g walnuts or pecans, optional

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

Lightly grease and line a brownie tin (approx 23cm square tin).

Start by browning the butter. Melt in a pan over a medium heat and then cook gently for a few minutes, swirling it around. When it’s done it will start to smell like biscuits and turn light golden brown in colour.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a couple of minutes. Add 75g of the white chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted, then allow to cool until just warm.

Using an electric whisk, whisk the eggs and yolk with the sugar until thick, pale and doubled in volume. Fold the cooled chocolate mixture into the whisked eggs, along with the vanilla and coffee.

Sieve over the flour, baking powder and salt and fold until just combined. Take care not to overmix.

Stir in the remaining chocolate and nuts, if using.

Pour into the tin and bake for 25 minutes.

They should be set on top, but still have a slight wobble in the centre. I found 25 minute cooking time gave very squidgy blondies so if you prefer yours cakey leave in the oven a few more minutes.

Leave in the tin to cool completely, before slicing.

Ingredients:

Cake

240g plain flour

60g cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

120ml mild tasting oil (such as vegetable)

55g unsalted butter, melted

250g sugar (try combining granulated and light brown sugar)

2 eggs

180g sour cream

120ml milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

235ml hot coffee extra strong or with an extra shot of espresso, such as Change Coffee Roasters Banka

Chocolate Coffee Syrup

6 tbsp (90 ml) water

6 tbsp (75 g) sugar

60 ml brewed coffee such as Change Coffee Roasters Banka

20 g cocoa powder

½ tsp vanilla extract

Coffee Buttercream

45 ml espresso or strong coffee made with Change Coffee Roasters Banka

2 tbsp (30 ml) double cream

285g unsalted butter, room temperature

½ tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp salt

600 -720g icing sugar

Method: 

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Lightly grease and line 2 x 8 inch (20cm) cake tins. This is a wet mixture so if using springform tins make sure they are tight fitting or they will leak.

In a large bowl mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarb and salt until well combined.

In another large bowl add the oil, melted butter, sugar, eggs, sour cream, milk and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth and well combined.

Sift the dry ingredients into the wet, slowly adding the coffee as you mix. Whisk each addition until just combined before adding the next.

Evenly pour the chocolate coffee cake batter into each of the prepared cake pans. Each of the pans will have about (675 g) of cake batter.

Bake the cakes for about 33 - 38 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pan for 15 minutes then carefully remove the cakes from the pan to cool completely at room temperature for another 30 - 60 minutes.

While the cakes cool, make the chocolate coffee syrup. Whisk together water, brewed coffee, sugar, sifted cocoa powder, and vanilla extract in a small pan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium - high heat for 4 - 5 minutes. Once the mixture has thickened enough to coat a spoon and reduced to about ½ cup, remove from heat to cool slightly.

Evenly cut the top crust off each cake layer if desired. This will help the coffee syrup soak into the cake but is not necessary.

Once the coffee syrup has cooled to warm, brush about 2 -3 tablespoons over the tops of the cooled cakes. Place the cake layers in the fridge for 1 - 2 hours before icing.

While the cake layers chill, make the coffee buttercream. Cream the softened butter for about 1-2 minutes, on low speed, until smooth. Mix in the vanilla extract, salt, espresso and double cream. Cream the mixture on low speed until well combined. Mix in the sifted icing sugar 60 g at a time, beating each addition of powdered sugar until incorporated. Once all the sugar has been added, beat the buttercream on medium -  high for 30 - 60 seconds or until light and fluffy.

Assemble the cake:

You can ice the cake however you like but follow these instructions to get a smooth clean finish - Smear a small amount of buttercream onto the serving plate or cake stand. Place the first cake layer on top. Apply a layer of buttercream to the first layer of cake and evenly smooth down, preferably using an offset pallet knife. Add the second layer of cake and apply another layer of buttercream to the top, smoothing it out to the edges. Add buttercream to the sides and evenly smooth, ideally with a scraper. This is called the crumb coat.

Place the cake in the fridge to set for about 20 - 30 minutes.

Apply the rest of the buttercream to the cake. Smooth the sides, again ideally with a scraper. Top the cake with any leftover buttercream and smooth or create swirls as desired. Drizzle the chocolate coffee syrup on top and you’re ready to serve.

Due to the cream this cake is best stored in the fridge. As it’s very moist it should last for several days without drying out, as long as it is wrapped up or in an airtight container. The cake tastes best at room temperature though, so bring the cake to room temperature before enjoying. 

Ingredients:

 290ml double cream

290ml full fat milk

115g caster or granulated sugar

3 egg yolks

One shot (30ml) espresso or strong coffee made with Change Coffee Roasters Timor-Leste

Coffee syrup (see above cake recipe) 

Method: 

You’ll need an ice cream machine for this recipe. Put the canister from the machine into the freezer a day before you want to make the ice cream. 

The next day, pour the cream and milk into a medium heavy-based pan, then add half the sugar. 

Heat the mixture over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until it almost boils – you’ll see a few bubbles at the edge. Allow to cool slightly.

Put the egg yolks into a bowl with the rest of the sugar and beat with an electric hand beater for about 2 minutes until the mixture has thickened, is paler in colour and falls in thick ribbons when you lift the beaters. Scoop out about half of the cream mixture and beat into the egg yolks to slacken them. Reheat the cream until it just comes to the boil, take off the heat and stir in the egg yolk mixture and coffee.

Return the pan to a low heat and cook, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon, for several minutes, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Watch that it doesn’t boil – as soon as you see any boiling, it should be thick enough, so take the pan off the heat so the mixture doesn’t curdle.

Allow the custard to cool and then put in the fridge for 3-4 hours but preferably overnight.

Get the ice cream machine running, then slowly pour in the cold custard. Leave it to churn for around 30 minutes (depending on your machine). When it is ready, spoon into a plastic container, layering with coffee syrup, and freeze for a minimum of 3 hours. Remove from the freezer 15 minutes before serving.

This coffee ice cream goes really well with strawberries or strawberry sauce, especially when using the Timor-Leste coffee which has notes of strawberry in it. Or eat it with the Coffee blondie recipe above.

You can vary this ice cream recipe for any flavour, substituting the coffee and coffee syrup with any flavour or additions you want.