recipes

In a small saucepan, pour in the cold water and mix with the gelatin. Allow to stand 5 minutes, then add the espresso and cinnamon. Warm gelatin over heat until dissolved. Remove from heat, add vanilla, and stir lightly. Remove whipped cream from refrigerator and stir into ricotta cheese along with the espresso mixture, sugar, and chocolate. Mixture should be thoroughly combined. Spread this into the pie pan, patting it down to set it; cover and chill overnight or at least 4 hours. To serve, remove pie from refrigerator and allow to warm slightly; this pie tastes best cool, not cold. Drizzle each slice with your favorite chocolate sauce.

Chilled Coffee Gelatin Dessert with Cream Topping

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin

1/4 cup cold water

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 cups double-strength coffee

For the topping:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Ground Ceylon cinnamon

Stir the gelatin into the cold water, and let it sit for 5 minutes to
soften. Stir the sugar and salt into the hot coffee until the sugar is
completely dissolved. Add the softened gelatin, and mix well until the
gelatin is completely dissolved. Divide between six small dessert bowls or
coffee cups, cover, and chill for several hours or overnight.
To serve, whip the heavy cream with the vanilla and sugar to soft peaks, and
spoon over each jelly. Sprinkle a little ground cinnamon on top, and serve.

From the cookbook The Gift of Southern Cooking

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Rocky Mocha Road Brownies

Brownie Ingredients:

3/4 C Flour

1/2 tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 Egg

1 C. Sugar

2 oz. Baking Chocolate

1/2 C. Butter

1/4 C. double-strength coffee

1/2 C. Pecans, broken into pieces

For the topping:

1 C. Miniature Marshmallows

1/2 C. chopped Pecans

1/2 C. butterscotch chips

1/2 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix dry ingredients and set aside. Beat eggs in bowl for 1 minute. Add sugar and continue beating for another 1 minute. Melt Baking Chocolate and Butter over double boiler, or microwave to melt. Let chocolate mixture cool slightly, then add powdered coffee to mixture. Add chocolate/butter/coffee mixture to egg and sugar mixture in bowl. Add flour mixture and broken pecans to bowl, stirring. Pour mixture into greased 8" square pan. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes, or until barely done. Insert wooden toothpick in center to test - if toothpick comes out clean, the brownies are done.

Do not turn off oven! Immediately sprinkle all topping ingredients over top of brownies as soon as you remove them from oven. Return to oven for 3 minutes, or until chocolate chips are soft. Tip: have all topping ingredients mixed together in a bowl before removing brownies from oven to enable you to add to brownies quickly before the brownies cool. Cut with knife dipped in hot water. Makes 16 brownies.

From the kitchen of The Beanery

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Mexican Coffee

1 Qt. whole milk

1 Tsp cinnamon

1 Tsp vanilla extract

2/3 C instant coca mix

2 Cups strong coffee

6 Cups boiling water

whipped cream

Combine the first three ingredients in a large saucepan over medium heat. Do not allow to boil. Stir in instant cocoa mix.

Stir coffee into cocoa mixture. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream, and , if desired, garnish with cinnamon sticks. Makes three quarts.

For an after dinner drink, spike with Kahlua

Traditional Mexican recipe

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Mocha Cappuccino Smoothie

This idea for an after-dinner dessert drink comes from "More Cooking Secrets of the CIA (Chronicle, $14.95), the companion cookbook to the public television series "Cooking Secrets of the CIA" (Culinary Institute of America)

2 Cups cold brewed espresso or double-strength coffee

1 Pint chocolate ice cream (for more chocolatey flavor, use chocolate ice cream)

6 Cups Ice

1 1/2 Cups milk

Whipped cream as needed

Ground cinnamon as needed

In a blender, blend espresso, ice cream, ice and milk until smooth. Divide among 6 stemmed glasses. Top each with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Serve with a straw.

Per serving: 160 calories (percent of calories from fat, 56), 4 grams protein, 14 grams carbohydrates, 10 grams fat, 70 milligrams cholesterol, 50 milligrams sodium.

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Espresso Martini

2 Ounces Vodka

1 ounce espresso (regular or decaf)

1/2 ounce Kahlua

Ice

In a martini shaker, add vodka, espresso and Kahlua and fill with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass.

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Millenium Mochaccino

1 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate

1/4 cup sugar

4 ounces hot, fresh espresso or strong coffee

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 cup water

2 cups milk

whipped cream, for garnish

2 or 3 cinnamon sticks, for garnish and stirring

1. Combine the chocolate, sugar, espresso, cinnamon, and water in a medium-size saucepan over low heat.

2. Stir constantly until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

3. Increase heat gradually to just boiling. Then decrease the heat to medium and simmer, stirring constantly, for 4 minutes.

4. Stir in the milk, and heat thoroughly over medium heat. (Do not allow to boil.)

5. Whip the mixture with a wire whisk until foamy.

6. Pour into mugs, top with whipped cream, and place a cinnamon stick in each mug.

SERVES 2 TO 3

From "I Love Coffee!" by Susan Zimmer