It’s National Coffee Day! Perk Up Your Celebration with These Java-Inspired Desserts
In honor of National Coffee Day, why not take your coffee and use it to make one of these desserts? From cappuccino and espresso to desserts made with Greek or Turkish coffee, these recipes are sure to sweeten any day.
Greek Coffee “Frappé” Granita
(Photo by Jenny Zarins)
This take on a frappé combines the smooth texture of sweet condensed milk with robust textured iced coffee crystals. Serve it up as an easy dessert for your favorite coffee lover.
Cappuccino Nut Cheesecake Bars
(Photo by Quarry Books, 2015)
If you love coffee, then these delicate cheesecake bars are for you. For a stronger coffee flavor, Kahlúa can be substituted for the Baileys or Frangelico in the recipe.
(Photo by Race Point Publishing, 2015)
If you like your espresso and coffee light and sweet, you’ll love the way this gelato tastes. Italian Espresso gelato is a great dessert to serve at the end of a meal. Or, you can try adding a small scoop to your morning coffee for an indulgent way to start the day. Italian Espresso gelato also makes a great frappé when blended with milk—the perfect afternoon pick-me-up.
Turkish Coffee Brownies
(Photo by Quentin Bacon)
This dessert has a caffeine kick that’ll keep your party guests awake so they can enjoy every last bit of the delicious food you prepared. The cardamom gives these brownies an exotic taste that you likely haven’t experienced in other desserts.
(Photo by Adriana Gallo for Edible Rhody)
This moist, almost blondie-like cake is flavored with fresh coffee, cinnamon and chocolate. Don’t cheat yourself by using a cheap cup of Joe—fresh, locally roasted coffee will give these squares better flavor.
Dark Chocolate Mocha Truffles
(Photo by Race Point Publishing, 2015)
Mix some cream with instant coffee, vanilla extract and bittersweet chocolate to create a rich mocha-flavored ganache. Each truffle is then enveloped in even more chocolate, drizzled with white chocolate, and finished off with a coffee bean. Fancy.
(Photo by Susan Filson/stickygooeycreamychewy.com for Edible Sarasota)
Translated as “cooked cream” in Italian, panna cotta is a simple and versatile dessert. It’s also perfect for dinner parties because it can be made a day or two ahead and kept in the fridge until ready to serve. To make the coffee lover’s version, top it off with an easy-to-make espresso gelee.
(Photo by Ron Wallace for Edible Ojai and Ventura County)
“One of the greatest things about coffee cake is that its name gives tacit permission to eat cake first thing in the morning,” says Claud Mann, chef and instructor for the Orfalea Foundation’s School Food Initiative in Santa Barbara and former publisher of Edible Ojai & Ventura County. This recipe is made with chopped apples and buttermilk, which ensures the cake is moist.
