Okay. We know that coffee dehydrates you. And it can overhype you. And you may not particularly like the taste. Especially after a long day, it can get bitter. But there are other ways to get your caffeine hit… And many of them are real sweeties, too!
Coffee Syrup is one way to get a semi-concentrated caffeine hit
without the bittnerness coffee sometimes delivers…
And I mean literally, ‘sweeties’! To clarify, the following suggestions are apart and outside of the usual daily realm. They’re intended as options you could consider after the rush of caffeinated sodas and energy drinks ceases to amaze or amuse you…
Expand your horizons…
The source story for this post lists 8 culinary coffee applications that cover both sweet and savoury situations. If you are curious about Coffee Marinade for BBQ mains, or a Coffee Glaze for dishes such as baked Salmon, you can get the lowdown on them there.
I’m going to concentrate on a few select, more personal and up-close ways you can embrace coffee without just sluicing another cup…
Survey says…
This all grew out of a chance encounter by Telegraph food writer Sylvana Franco with a Nespresso poll of British coffee drinkers. She was surprised to find that some 68 percent of UK adults asked now seek out more interesting ways to consume their ‘daily dose of caffeine’.
“As expected, it’s younger consumers who are driving the current trend for coffee experimentation,” Franco reveals. “Nearly 60 per cent of Gen Z [report] recreating viral or unusual coffee recipes they’ve seen online.”
Here we go…
Coffee Sugar
That’s right: Regular white table sugar flavoured with coffee.
“This aromatic sugar is a brilliant way to add a caffeinated edge to your breakfast or dessert,” Franco enthuses.
“Whizz together 4 tbsp golden caster (fine granulated) sugar, 1 tbsp instant coffee granules and ½ tsp ground cinnamon or cardamom until you have a fine, fragrant dust. Use it to macerate sliced straw-berries, stir into Greek yogurt or sprinkle over pancakes, buttered toast or your morning grapefruit. It’s also a spectacular way to frost the rim of an espresso martini glass.”
My take: Sounds good… I don’t know about the martini app, though! Something like Coffee Sugar begs experimentation in just about every culinary arena…
Instant Coffee Cookies
“It goes without saying that coffee is good in cakes and bakes. My favourite approach? Using instant coffee granules to make a batch of moreish cookies.”
“Beat together 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla extract and 2 tsp instant coffee then set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk 120 g room-temperature butter, 100g soft brown sugar and 50 g caster sugar; once blended, beat in the egg mix (don’t worry if the coffee hasn’t fully dissolved). Using a wooden spoon, stir in 175g of plain flour, 50g porridge oats, ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda and a large pinch of salt. Finally, mix in 150g roughly chopped chocolate (any type).” This is a doughy dough Franco suggests rolling up onto a log, refrigerating and cutting into discs. Bake at 375 F for 12 to 14 minutes, until just set. “Leave to cool and set further for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.”
My take: These sound wonderful to me! The ingredients scream ‘swavoury’ to me. If you take your coffee with milk or cram, they would be ideal for dipping in a cold glass of the white stuff!
Coffee Syrup
Not a new thing, per sae, but you may find many more ways to use it than just as a dessert topping!
“By simmering 150 ml very strong black coffee with 150g caster sugar, a splash of vanilla and a pinch of salt, you create a silky elixir that keeps for weeks.”
“Or, if you really do prefer coffee to drink, use the syrup to sweeten lattes, cocktails and even spark-ling water for a refreshing coffee soda. You can easily customize the flavour by simmering a cinna-mon stick, a few cardamom pods or even a strip of orange zest in the mix.”
My take: Other flavour additions might include: Common options might include vanilla, caramel, hazelnut, peppermint, and seasonal favorites such as pumpkin spice. These are all fave flavours that fancy-coffee folks such as Starbuck’s routinely offer for their fancy friends… I would consider using this syrup over pancakes or waffles – an especially-appropriate combo for breakfasts!
My paramount take
I’ll bet there’s a lot more to this ‘alt-coffee’ thing than Franco covers in her contribution.
Let’s all get our thinking caps on and come up with some more… And be sure to share your discoveries with the rest of us!
~ Maggie J.