3 Favorite Recipes Using Coffee (Celebrate National Coffee Day)

It’s National Coffee Day!  Coffee isn’t just for drinking.  It also brings great flavor to some unexpected dishes – seriously – coffee in soup?  YES!

Give these three we love a try:

Gingerbread Spiced Muffins with Spiced Nut Streusel from Southern Living.

I make a batch of these and keep in freezer for a quick on-the-go breakfast for my high-schooler. Pop in the microwave for 20 seconds and you are on your way.

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup chopped crystallized ginger
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup hot brewed coffee
• 1/3 cup unsulphured molasses
• 12 paper baking cups (I use parchment paper squares pushed down into the muffin cups)
• Vegetable cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Process flour and next 5 ingredients in a food processor until finer is finely ground (about 1 minute).

In a large bowl, beat butter at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add sugars, beating till light and fluffy. Beat in applesauce until blended.  Add eggs one at a time beating just until blended after each addition.

Combine hot brewed coffee and molasses in a 2 cup measuring glass (or small bowl).

Add 1/2 of flour mixture to butter mixture, then half of coffee mixture. 1/4 of remaining flour mixture, remainder of coffee mixture then remainder of flour mixture ( you are basically alternating what you are mixing in but starting and ending with flour mixture).  Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition.

Place 12 paper baking cups in a 12 cup muffin pan and coat cups with cooking spray. Spoon batter into cups – filling to almost full. Sprinkle with Spiced Nut Streusel (recipe below).

Bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Remove from pan to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes.  Serve warm.

Spiced Nut Struesel

• 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 cup chopped lightly toasted pecans
• 1 tablespoon melted butter

Stir together sugar and next 3 ingredients.  Add pecans and butter and mix until crumbly.

And now Soup!  This Smoky Black Bean Soup has been adapted from Living Well. (They wanted dry beans and I just didn’t have the time. This version is also half of original size.)

Smoky Black Bean Soup (serves 3 – 4)

• 2 cans black beans rinsed and drained.
• 1 tbl extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion finely chopped (save a little for garnish)
• 1/2 red bell pepper finely chopped
• 1 large stalk celery, chopped
• 1/2 fresh jalapeño seeded and chopped (optional)
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of ground cumin (I’m always heavy handed on the cumin)
• 1 cup brewed coffee
• 1/2 cup chopped cooked ham (optional)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Sour cream and chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium high heat.  Add onion, bell pepper, celery, jalapeño, garlic, and cook – stirring frequently until vegetables are soft and beginning to brown (approx 5 – 8 minutes). Add cumin and cook one minute more.  Then add beans, coffee, ham (if using) and bay leaf. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove bayleaf, stir in salt.

Puree about half the soup in a blender or food processor until fairly smooth.  (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids). return puree to the pot and heat through.

Serve the soup garnished with chopped onion, a dollop of sour cream and cilantro as desired.

Now  how about a little something sweet?

LoveFoodEat shared this easy delicious way to eat a little coffee.  It is so easy.  Have the kids help you make this treat!

Coffee Roasted Almond Chocolate Bark from lovefoodeat

• 300 grams dark chocolate (one bag of dark chocolate chips worked just fine for me)
• 1/2 cup roasted almond, roughly chopped
• 1/2 to 1 tbsp instant coffee powder

Line a chopping board with silver foil.

Finely chop the chocolate and melt it in a double boiler. I used a bowl places on a pot of boiling water to do this.  When the chocolate is fully melted, add the instant coffee powder and stir well.  Add about 1/4 cup of the chopped nuts and mix it.

Pour the chocolate and nut mixture on to the silver foil lined board. Spread it into a layer about 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle remaining nuts on top (I pressed them down into the mixture)

Let it harden (to speed process, put board in refrigerator). Expect it to take 6 – 8 hours to harden at room temperature.

Once hard, break it into small pieces and store in an airtight container.

 Which of these recipes will you try first?

Do you have a favorite way to use coffee in your cooking?