Cafe Latte Lamingtons with Strawberry

Lamingtons are a sponge cake (or, more traditionally, butter cake) in the shape of a cube, coated in a layer of traditionally chocolate icing then desiccated coconut. They are sometimes served as two halves with a layer of cream and/or strawberry jam between, and are commonly found in Australasian outlets such as cafes, lunch bars, bakeries, and supermarkets. This quick dessert recipe is a true Aussie classic. Preparation time 15 minutes, serves 6.

INGREDIENTS:
300ml thickened cream
1 tbs coffee liqueur (such as Tia Maria)
1 tbs icing sugar
6 Woolworths Chocolate Lamingtons, halved horizontally
115g (1/3 cup) strawberry jam
Dark chocolate curls, to serve

PREPARATION:
Place the cream, liqueur and icing sugar in a medium bowl. Use an electric beater to beat until firm peaks form. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cream mixture.

Spread the cut side of the lamington bases with the jam. Spoon or pipe the cream mixture over the jam. Top with the remaining lamington. Divide among serving plates. Top with the reserved cream mixture and chocolate curls to serve.

Espresso Cherry Trifle

If you really want to impress a dinner party, use this recipe with a good Brazilian yellow bourbon coffee! However, "regular" espresso will work just as well. Marsala is a fortified Italian wine available from liquor stores. You could use dry sherry, Tia Maria liqueur, Kahlua liqueur or brandy instead. Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons marsala
2 tablespoons caster sugar
1/2 cup strong espresso coffee, cooled slightly
4 mini jam sponge rolls, cut into 5mm-thick slices
50g good-quality dark chocolate, grated
1/2 cup thick vanilla custard
425g can black pitted
cherries, drained

PREAARATION:
Combine marsala, sugar and coffee in a jug. Stir until sugar dissolves.
Divide the sponge slices between four 400ml-capacity whisky glasses. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the coffee mixture. Drizzle remaining coffee mixture over the sponge slices.

Top with half the chocolate, and all the custard and cherries. Drizzle with the reserved coffee mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining chocolate and serve.

Iced Espresso

For espresso lovers, here is a quick dessert to enjoy. This is also known as Affogato, a more luxuriant version we have covered here. As a variation to this coffee dessert, pour 1 tablespoon coffee liqueur over ice-cream in glass. Top with espresso. Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup ground espresso coffee beans
2 cups boiling water
white sugar, to taste
2 litres vanilla ice-cream

PREPARATION:
Place coffee in a plunger. Pour over boiling water. Stir and stand for 3 minutes. Plunge coffee and transfer to a heatproof jug. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Place chilled coffee and 8 scoops ice-cream in a blender. Blend until smooth and frothy. Spoon 1 small scoop remaining ice-cream into each serving glass. Pour over blended espresso. Serve.

Espresso Cheesecake Brownies

These brownies are absolutely delicious. Each creamy, espresso-spiked, chocolaty, brownie bite gets better and better as consumption continues! You can't freeze them, because of the sour cream topping. So when you make them, your only option really is to eat them. Its a pretty simple decision. This cheesecake makes makes about 16 servings.

INGREDIENTS:

For the brownie batter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 ounces coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

For the cheesecake batter

1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 tablespoon boiling water
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

For the topping

1 1/4 cups sour cream
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

PREPARATION:

Preheat the oven to 350. To prepare the brownie batter, in a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.

In a microwave safe bowl, add butter and chocolate - heat at 50% power just until the butter has melted and the chocolate has softened. Stir the mixture and if any lumps of chocolate remain, reheat briefly, stopping every 30 seconds or so to stir.

Whisk sugar into the chocolate mixture. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined after each. Whisk in vanilla. Add dry ingredients and stir just until combined - set aside.

Next, prepare the cheesecake batter. In a small bowl, stir together espresso powder and boiling water - set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until completely smooth. Add sugar and beat until well combined, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla and espresso mixture. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined after each. Mix in the sour cream. Add flour and stir until combined.

Stir brownie batter and pour three quarters of it into a 9" baking pan coated with nonstick spray. Pour cheesecake batter on top of the brownie batter. Drop dollops of the remaining brownie batter on top and gently swirl the dark batter into the cheesecake batter, making sure not to push the knife down into the bottom brownie layer.

Place into the oven and bake until the cheesecake layer is beige in the center and lightly browned around the edges, about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove and place pan on a wire rack to cool completely. Place cooled pan into the refrigerator and chill at least 2 hours.

Finally, prepare the topping. In a small saucepan, add sour cream and confectioners' sugar - warm over very low heat, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and pour evenly over the cold cheesecake layer.

Place the pan back into the refrigerator and chill until the topping is thoroughly cold, at least 1 hour before serving.

Coffee Cupcakes with Mocha Ganache and Mascarpone Cream

I came across this delicious coffee-inspired recipe at LaBelle Cuisine. It creates a cupcake dessert that looks like an little espresso drink! You can substitute 6 tbsp natural unsweetened cocoa powder & 1/4 tsp baking soda for 6 tbsp dutch-process cocoa powder. This recipe makes 30 cupcakes, however you could halve the quantities to make fewer and bake in espresso cups as we have done here to make a stunning dessert!

INGREDIENTS:

Chocolate coffee cupcakes
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup water
6 tablespoons dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 cup instant coffee powder
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs

Mocha ganache
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup coffee beans, crushed
8 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped

Mascarpone cream
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

PREPARATION:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 30 standard muffin cups with paper liner. Combine the milk, cocoa, coffee and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, constantly whisking, until the cocoa and coffee have dissolved. Let cool and pour into a liquid measure.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of a mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk mixture in three batches, ending with the liquid.

Fill each muffin cup halfway with the batter. Bake 18 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, to make mocha ganache, combine the heavy cream and coffee beans in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat, cover and let infuse for 10 minutes.

Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan and bring back to a boil. Put the chocolate in a medium bowl and pour the hot cream over it, stirring slowly, until the ganache is smooth. Spoon enough ganache over each cupcake to fill the liners to the rim.

To make mascarpone cream, using a whisk or in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks. Add the mascarpone and confectioners’ sugar and whisk until smooth. Spoon the mascarpone cream into a pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip and pipe the cream on top of the ganache in a circle.

Cognac and Hazelnut Affogato

The name Affogato means “drowned in coffee” - referring to the ice cream. This elegantly quick recipe simply involves taking a scoop of ice cream and pouring over some espresso; this recipe adds Cognac and Hazelnuts, but Caramel sauce or Chocolate sauce are also popular additions. This is a superb recipe for a very simple yet classy dessert.

INGREDIENTS:

120ml Cognac

1 litre vanilla ice-cream

50 grams (1/3 cup) roastd hazelnuts, peeled and halved.

1 tbsp finely ground coffee beans

6x 50 ml shots of freshly brewed espresso

PREPARATION:

Scoop ice-cream into small bowls or glasses. Pour Cognac over and sprinkle with combined hazelnuts and coffee. Serve immediately with shots of espresso to the side to pour over.

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Chococcino Cake

If you love coffee cake as much as chocolate cake, why not combine the two? This recipe merges moist chocolate sponge layers with a creamy mocha filling. We don't seem to do cakes very often here at Easy Desserts - but when its just grease a pan, whisk the ingredients and bake for 20 mins, you know we will give it a go!



INGREDIENTS:

200g soft, butter, plus extra for greasing
1 tsp baking powder
85g good-quality cocoa powder
140g self-raising flour
200g golden caster sugar (for the sponge)
4 eggs
2 tbsp milk



2 x 250g tubs mascarpone
85g golden caster sugar (for the filling)
4 tbsp very strong coffee
50g dark chocolate , for grating

PREPARATION:


Heat oven to 180C. Grease and base-line 2 x 20cm non-stick round sandwich tins with baking parchment, then lightly grease the parchment. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl, then tip in all the other sponge ingredients. Using an electric whisk, beat everything together until smooth. Divide the mix between the cake tins, then bake for 20-25 mins until cooked and golden. When cool enough to handle, remove the cakes from the tins, then leave to cool completely on a rack.

Make strong coffee by dissolving 4 tbsp of instant coffee in 4 tbsp of boiling water. For the filling, beat the mascarpone and sugar together, then beat in the coffee. Use half the mix to sandwich the cakes and spread the other half over the top, swirling with the back of a spoon to make pointy curls. Finely grate the chocolate over the top, then serve.





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Fast Tiramisu Tartlets

Tiramisu is an Italian treat that means 'pick me up', so no prizes for guessing you need coffee to make this simple sensational recipe. These tartlets do not require refrigeration - you can serve them immediately.

INGREDIENTS:

4 tablespoons of mascarpone

1 tablespoon of sifted icing sugar

4 amaretti biscuits

2 shots of strong black coffee

small pastry shells

PREPARATION:

Put 4 tablespoons of mascarpone in a medium mixing bowl, add 1 tablespoon of sifted icing sugar and stir to combine. Crumble 4 amaretti biscuits into a small bowl and drizzle with 2 shots of strong black coffee. Leave to stand for a couple of minutes then add to the mascarpone mixture with 2 tablespoons of finely grated dark chocolate. Stir until just combined, to make a marbled cream. Spoon the mixture into small pastry shells and sprinkle with a little extra grated or drinking chocolate.

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White Chocolate Tiramisu Trifle

Great trifles dont need to be difficult. This recipe is little more than melting the white chocolate, mixing it with mascarpone, letting it cool, then layering it with the sponge and pears. Delicious.

INGREDIENTS:
1 410g canned pears in syrup, drained
7 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
1/3 cup pear brandy
1/4 cup water
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 8 ounce container mascarpone cheese
1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
3 3-ounce packages soft sponge fingers

PREPARATION:
Combine white chocolate, pear brandy, and 1/4 cup water in a metal bowl set over simmering water. Stir until smooth (mixture will be very liquidy). Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; discard bean. Transfer white chocolate mixture to large bowl; gradually add mascarpone, whisking until mixture is smooth. Cool mascarpone mixture until barely lukewarm.

Beat 1 cup cream in medium bowl until peaks form. Fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture in 4 additions. Cover and chill white chocolate mousse until set, about 3 hours. Mousse can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.

Cut pear halves lengthwise into slices. Arrange sponge fingers in single layer in bottom of trifle dish. Spread 1/3 of white chocolate mousse over sponge, making layer slightly thicker around outer edges of dish to allow mousse to be more visible. Top this layer with pear slices. Repeat layering of sponge, mousse, and pears 2 more times. Can be made 1 day ahead.

White chocolate curls can be made by putting a block of white chocolate in the microwave for 5 seconds at a time until soft enough to peel into unbroken curls using a vegetable peeler. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate curls.

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Mocha Truffles

This truffle recipe has a subtle mocha flavour. It's very good and you will feel guilty after just eating two of them, so you know they're good truffles! These quantities will make around 30 - 40 truffles.

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 lb. dark chocolate
1/2 lb. milk chocolate
3 cups whipping cream
3 tablespoons espresso powder
1/4 cup Kahlúa

About 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (to coat hands for rolling)
3 lb. dark chocolate (for dipping)

PREPARATION:
Chop the dark and milk chocolate into small pieces and melt in a double boiler of hot water. Do not boil the water — melt the chocolate slowly. Take your time to avoid overheating the chocolate. Stir the chocolate occasionally to help with melting.

While the chocolate is melting, heat the cream over medium heat, stirring frequently until the cream boils. Add the espresso powder and mix thoroughly. Let the cream mixture cool just a bit from boiling before adding it to the thoroughly melted chocolate. Keep stirring until the cream has disappeared into the chocolate. Wipe the bottom of the double boiler with a towel to remove water and pour ganache into a bowl to cool.

Once the ganache is cool, spoon into a plastic bag (preferably with sharp corners), snip one corner off, and pipe the filling into small mounds. Coat your palms with cocoa powder and roll mounds until round. Melt the 3 lbs of dark chocolate slowly. You can dip the rolled centers by hand or using dipping tools. Dip the truffle centers in chocolate and then quickly transfer them to a cookie sheet lines with wax paper.

Decorate with melted white or milk chocolate.


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