Coffee Jelly 咖啡啫喱

Have you ever tried Coffee (flavored) Jelly?  It’s a popular treat in Asia Countries, especially during the warmer seasons of Spring and Summer.  The very first time I had it was years ago when I traveled to Japan.  By following my video tutorial and recipe, you can easily make it at home now!  Much easier than flaying across the globe, isn’t it?  Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy travelling!



This Coffee Jelly is a light and refreshing treat to prepare for parties and/or everyday enjoyment.  I like my homemade version because I can control the sweetness in my dessert and use the coffee beans that I love.  I usually like my coffee dark, strong, and with low acidity level.  After all these years of drinking coffee in the morning (probably the only way to really wake my mind up), I realized grinding the coffee beans right before brewing yields the best earthy and rich aroma from the beans.  If you’re not doing that yet, I really encourage you to invest in a coffee grinder and grind up the beans right before brewing!  It’s totally worth the time and efforts!



 As always, I don’t like my dessert overly sweet.  Therefore, the sweetness in this Coffee Jelly recipe is only minimal.  If you prefer a sweeter taste, you can add a little bit more sugar to adjust it to your own preference.  Or even add a splash of agave before serving. 



In today’s video tutorial (see the link above), I demonstrated 2 ways of serving this Coffee Jelly treat.  One is in the small individual serving glass, topped with freshly whipped cream, a coffee bean, and a spring of mint for garnish.  It’s gorgeous enough to serve for parties and gatherings, but extremely easy to prepare.  It’s such a delightful dessert that serves the duty of both after meal coffee and dessert at the same time!



The second way to serve this Coffee Jelly is to chill the mixture in a container, cut it up into small cubes, and add a splash of evaporated milk to serve.  I personally prefer the later version because I always love a little creaminess in my coffee.  Notice the pinch of salt that I added in this recipe?  This will help balance the flavor and to offset the acidity in your coffee.  I hope you enjoy today’s recipe and tutorial.  Stay tuned for more fun a delicious recipe next week!





Tools and Ingredients Used:
Horizon Organic Heavy Whipping Cream (Click here for more information)
Organic Vanilla Extract (Click here for more information)
Unflavored Gelatin (Click here for more information)
Pastry Decorating Tip Set (Click here for more information)
Pyrex 2 Quart Measuring Cup (Click here for more information)
Vanilla Bean Paste (Click here for more information)
Powdered Sugar (Click here for more information)
Glass Dish Set with Lids (Click here for more information)
Libbey Mini Glare Glass Set (Click here for more information)

Cold Brew Coffee to Celebrate National Coffee Month!

  




Did you know that August is National Coffee Month?  Now you do!  I didn’t know until I read it at several places over the internet recently.  But I couldn’t confirm who made up created all these National Month, and National days about food and drinks.  Such as National Martini Day (6/19), National Ice Cream Day (7/19), National Cheesecake Day (7/30),  National Pizza Day (11/12), etc.  These special days certainly had me crave for certain food or drinks from time to time, as if I don’t already consume enough without the reminders!!!  hahaha….So, if you could shed some lights about how these National days were established, please share in the comment session below. 



According to the National Coffee Association’s (NCA) National Coffee Drinking Trends (NCDT) market research study, 83% of the U.S. adults reporting they drink coffee. In fact, it is the second most traded commodity on Earth – right behind oil.  I sure did my fair share in contributing to these numbers on a daily basis.  I don’t know about you, but I feel that I am not fully awake in the morning without a cup of joe in my hand!  I usually opt for a hot coffee in the morning, strong and bold.  But I love a refreshing iced coffee in the afternoon, especially in the summer.  One method of making iced coffee is brewed it hot and then served over ice to cool it down.  On the other hand, cold brew coffee is brewed entirely with cold or lukewarm water over a longer period of time.  I’m going to show you in just a minute on how to make that.



Why cold brew method, you might ask.  Here are the reasons why.  With the cold brew method, it minimizes the chance of having the acidity or bitterness that comes with brewing coffee with hot water.  Thus, you will get a smooth, sweet, and bitter-free coffee that tastes wonderful over ice.  Plus, this cold brew coffee is super easy to prepare.  Ever since I gave it a try, I’d never go back to the old method when I prepare my iced coffee!  Below is the video tutorial on how to make it.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I hope you enjoyed watching my video tutorial.  If you haven’t done so, please subscribe to my YouTube channel here.  You’ll be the first to know when I have new video tutorials published. 
 



For the cold brew coffee, I suggest that you taste it before adding any sweetener or cream.  I love mind with a little half and half and no sweetener as cold brew coffee tastes sweeter than the regular brewed coffee.  How do you usually like your coffee?  I would love to hear from you.  And cheers to National Coffee Month!

Espresso Crème Brûlée

 

 

Crème Brûlée is one of my favorite indulgent desserts.  I’ve shared the Classic Crème Brûlée recipe here on my blog in the past (click here for the Classic Crème Brûlée recipe).  Today, I wanted to share with you the Espresso version.  It’s just as wonderful, if not better.  I personally can’t decided which one I love more.  Well, I guess the preference depends on the mood of what I’m craving for that day!

 

Crème brûlée, also known as burnt cream, is a dessert consisting of a creamy custard base topped with a contrasting layer of hard and crunchy caramel (the burnt sugar). The custard base is traditionally flavored with vanilla, but is also sometimes flavored with lemon, chocolate, coffee, liqueurs, etc.  Today’s recipe calls for instant espresso powder that gives this dessert the rich, earthy and dark roasted espresso flavor.  If you’re a coffee lover, you’ve got to give this dessert a try.

 I used regular sugar on top for the brûlée, you can use raw sugar or cane sugar as well, depending on your preference or what you have on hand.  My favorite part of enjoying a Crème brûlée?  Cracking the top Brûlée with a spoon and hear that cracking sounds!

 Here’s the video tutorial to show you step by step on how to make this Espresso Crème Brûlée.

I hope you enjoyed watching my video tutorial.  If you haven’t done so, please subscribe to my YouTube channel here.  You’ll be the first to know when I have new video tutorials published.

 

Tools and Ingredients used in this post:

Porcelain Ramekins (Click here for product information)
BonJour Chef's Torch (Click here for product information)
Butane Fuel for the Torch (Click here for product information)
Instant Espresso Powder (Click here for product information)

 

 

 

Wähfles Desserts and Coffee—Restaurant Review

As much as I love homemade treats, it’s nice to dine out and try new things every once in a while.  One of the weekends while we were on the road, we were all super hungry and it was time for afternoon tea.  So, I went on one of the restaurant review site to see what’s closed by around where we were at that time.  That’s how I discovered Wähfles Desserts and Coffee!



It’s a cute little café that mainly serves waffles, both savory and sweet, plus some specialty drinks, teas, and coffee.  The rating of this café was pretty good so we decided to give it a try.  This place was clean and organized.  Plus, the table setting were not crowded at all.  The server and cashier were very friendly and willing to help with our questions and selections as well.   First, we tried their Iced Mocha, it was pretty yummy!  The chocolate and coffee flavors balanced well and not overly sweet.  I guess the key is to use good quality coffee and chocolate!


One of the items that the restaurant review site recommended was the Crème Brulee Waffle (see picture below).  Unfortunately, we didn’t like it at all.  We couldn't really taste the “brulee” part and the edges were quite burnt and dried.  So disappointing!



My Hubby chose the “create your own” option and he ordered a full size serving (see picture below).  The waffle was wonderfully crisp while the center was tender.  He selected chocolate sauce, chocolate chips, walnuts, and whipped cream.  It was an awesome combination and we finished this one in no time!



My Little boy ordered a half size “create your own” waffle.  He selected Maple syrup, chocolate chips, fresh strawberries, and whipped cream.  We didn’t taste his but according to Little Foodie, it was very delicious as well!




If you’re in the area and craving for coffee or some afternoon treats, this is quite a fun place to visit.  I can’t wait to go back and try some of their other specialty drinks and savory waffles, too!  I hope you like today’s post.  Stay tuned for more fun recipes and restaurant review in the near future.
  

More information about the restaurant:
Wähfles Desserts and Coffee
5751-B North Pine Ave
Chino Hills
California 91709
(909) 597-7787
http://wahfles.info/

Restaurant Review Disclaimer: uTry.it restaurant reviews are solely based on our experience at each restaurant we visit.   They were just our opinions.  uTry.it and its owner were not compensated in any way to dine at these restaurants nor to write reviews.

Dark Chocolate Espresso Madeleines and a Giveaway

After my very first trip to France this summer, I fell in love with Madeleines!  Well, I pretty much fell in love with everything in France, not just Madeleines.  Madeleines were originated in France, they’re small and light sponge cakes in the shape of shells; baked in special baking pans, such as this one that I own (click here to check it out).  The pan is not expensive at all.  I say, it’s a very good “investment” because you can bake and enjoy these delicate and elegant little tea cakes any time you want at home.  With this Madeleines recipe book (see picture above) to help you bake along, you’re all set! 



There are many wonderful recipes from this Madeleines book, both savory and sweet.   From morning madeleines option, such as lox and cream cheese, to indulgent ones, such as Hazelnut & Frangelico and Banana Foster; this book got you covered with its wide varieties selections.    Another great thing about this book is that you’ll get some great tips from the author, as well as simple storage solutions. 



Of course, elegant photos of the final products along with pictorial illustration is another big plus (see picture below).  I truly love madeleines, they are so simple to prepare.  As you can see from the picture below, all the tools you’ll need are a mixing bowl, a whisk, maybe an ice cream scoop for even distribution (or you can just use a measuring spoon), and the madeleine baking pan.  That’s it!  No other special equipment needed and all the recipes are super easy to follow. 



I’ve tried the Dark Chocolate Espresso Madeleines and it’s rich and decadent, just as how it looks and sounds.  I can’t wait to try some other recipes in this book, especially the savory ones.  The Guyere & Rosemary ones, and Herb de Provence are on my to bake list!  They’ll be elegant appetizers for holidays and gatherings for sure.   




Today, you’re in luck! Because I’m giving away a copy of Madeleines recipe book to one uTry.it reader, courtesy of Quirk Books.

Here are the details on how to enter.
One lucky uTry.it reader (with an U.S., Canada or U.K. mailing address) will win a copy of “Madeleines”.

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post and tell me if you prefer to enjoy Madeleine as breakfast, afternoon tea, or dessert (or all three, like me)?   Deadline to enter is November 9th, 2014 by mid-night PST.  Winner will be selected through Random.org and announce shortly after the giveaway is closed.

For extra entries, do any or all of the following (leave a separate comment for each extra entry):
1)  Add me to your Google+ circle here
2) "Like" uTry.it's Facebook Page, click here.
3) Pin a picture from this post onto Pinterest.
4) Share this giveaway on Facebook (with a link back to this post please)
5) Share this giveaway on Twitter (with a link back to this post please)

That’s all and Good Luck everyone!


Disclaimer:  I received a copy of “Madeleines” for the purpose of this review and I was not compensated in any way to write this post.  All comments and opinions are 100% my own.

Coffee Panna Cotta with Mascarpone Cream

Is it Spring yet?  It sure feels that way in Southern California.  In fact, it’s been feeling like Spring (even feels like Summer in some days) all winter long.  I had been wanting to take the kids up the mountain to play with snow.  Unfortunately, we might have to wait till next winter and hope for some colder temperature before that can happen.  All these Spring-like weather made me long for some cool desserts.  That was how this Coffee Panna Cotta with Mascarpone Cream was created.  Well, the warm weather is not totally a bad thing after all, I guess.




I adore coffee, and any coffee flavored desserts.  If you are like me, give this recipe a try.  I’m sure you would agree.  The panna cotta itself is smooth, tender and with a well balance of sweetness and a hint of bitterness from the coffee.  The mascarpone cream is silky smooth with a hint of creaminess.  I topped each dessert cup with a whole coffee bean for some crunch and extra coffee flavor.  It’s a decadent dessert so I put them in small serving cups, a good measure for portion control.  Yes, I need portion control when it comes to coffee desserts. 



This is a super easy recipe to prepare and definitely a perfect made-ahead one.  Therefore, these Coffee Panna Cotta cups are perfect for parties and gatherings, or simply everyday enjoyment.  I’m a happy camper to find these little dessert cups whenever I need to get something from the fridge!  Hm….My Hubby might tell you that I had been “needing” things from the fridge more often than usual lately.   



I hope you enjoy today’s post and recipe.  If you've tried this recipe, don’t forget to stop by and leave a comment and let me know what you think.  Until next time....always remember, share a little love and dessert with your loved ones for a sweet ending.

Vanilla Coffee Granita and Giveaway Reminder

I hope you all had a wonderful week, my friends. Did any of you tried my Grilled Ribeye Steaks with Vanilla Coffee Rub recipe?  Not yet?  I sure hope you’ll give that a try soon because the Vanilla Coffee Rub really embarks wonderful depth of flavors into your steaks and enhances the texture of your steaks by creating a lovely crust to seal in the juices.  The rub is super easy to put together with a rather short ingredients list.  Anyhow, don’t forget to enter the Singing Dog Vanilla Lover’s Set Giveaway (2 winners), if you haven’t done so.  The giveaway is available to my Readers worldwide, click here to enter.



Now, back to this Vanilla Coffee Granita.  As I promised you from the last post that I will share a dessert recipe using the Vanilla Coffee and Vanilla Salt.  This is one cool treat that could tame any flames and heats!  Boy, I don’t know what’s up with the weather here in the past 2 weeks, but it’s been super hot all week in L.A.  I can probably use a cool treat any time of the day.  This is a light and refreshing treat, a perfect sweet ending to any meal (more so if you made my Grilled Ribeye Steak recipe).  If you haven’t try a granita before, it’s a semi-frozen dessert made from sugar, water and various flavorings.  This time, I used vanilla coffee.  It’s ridiculously easy to prepare and let me show you how.



First, brew your coffee in your coffee maker, or French press.  While the coffee is still hot, add the sugar and salt. Stir until all the sugar is dissolved. Add the coffee liqueur and stir well. Pour the mixture into a freezer safe 9 x 13 container. Leave at room temperature until completely cooled.



Cover the container and freeze for an hour. Remove from freezer and with a fork, scrape the ice crystals that have formed on the side of the pan. Return to the freezer and scrape every 30 minutes.



Once the mixture is completely frozen (the whole process might take 2-4 hours), fluff with a fork and scoop the granita onto your favorite cup, dollop with some freshly whipped cream (recipe followed) and a sprinkle of vanilla salt on top.



The hardest part about this recipe?  Waiting!  Waiting for the granita to freeze up before you can take a bite! But it’s all worth it at the end.  It’s like having a sweet and creamy iced coffee in frozen form.  But the icy granita has a nice crunchy texture that is really refreshing on the palates. 



When you mix a little freshly whipped cream with the granita along with the crunch from the vanilla salt, that’s one perfect bite for me!  It’s definitely a party in my mouth that wakes up all my senses.  You would want to close your eyes and savor each spoonful slowly.  But then, you would also want to finish it quickly before it’s all melted.  These mini martini serving glasses are perfect for the job.  They are must-haves for parties and entertaining too.  (Please click here for product link).  I love the mini size because I won’t feel as guilty if I indulge more than one!  I hope you enjoy today’s recipe.  Have fun brewing, and freezing!  

Grilled Ribeye Steaks with Vanilla Coffee Rub and a Giveaway

 
 
 
It's the Labor Day Weekend in the States.  Which means, it's time to firing up the grill and enjoy some BBQ goodness.  Today, I have a very special recipe for you, Grilled Ribeye Steaks with Vanilla Coffee Rub.  Most of us relate vanilla, or vanilla beans, with desserts or sweet treats only.  However, vanilla works just as beautifully in savory food, in my opinion.  This Grilled Ribeye Steaks with Vanilla Coffee Rub is one of them!  I’ll get into the details in just a minutes.  But first, I want to introduce you to some wonderful products that I used in this recipe.



Still remember my Vanilla Dream Cake recipe?  If not, you've got to check out that recipe here.  In that recipe, I used Singing Dog Vanilla Bean Paste and infused their Vanilla Blackberry Sage tea into the cake.  Boy oh boy, that was really one dreamy cake to indulge.

Recently, the kind folks at Singing Dog Vanilla sent me the Organic Ground Vanilla Coffee and Vanilla Salt to try out.  You might wonder, how did the vanilla infused into the coffee beans?  Well, that was the same question I had in mind.  And quoted from Singing Dog’s website, “Our Organic whole bean/ground coffee is flavored with real organic vanilla beans.  No fake sugary flavors or syrups - just real vanilla beans.”  Click here to check out their site for more information.  I really love the fact that there are real vanilla beans in each bag (ground or whole, respectively), and nothing artificial!  I used the ground vanilla coffee to make the spice rub for my Ribeye steaks.  If you use this vanilla coffee for drinking, the whole house would be infused with vanilla and coffee fragrant after brewing.  I love the subtle vanilla aroma in my coffee and it brings a kind of gourmet sweetness that you can’t get from sugar at all.  



Up next is the Vanilla Salt.  Check out the ingredient of this salt. Ingredients: Murray River Salt from Australia and Organic Ground Vanilla from Indonesia.  And let me tell you, this is the perfect example of “less is more”!  The salt itself is super flaky and you can see the specks of vanilla beans all through out the salt.  It’s saltiness is softer than kosher salt and you get the distinct sweet aroma from the vanilla beans. 



Want to find out how I prepare the Vanilla Coffee Rub for the Ribeye steaks?  It’s super easy and the flavor is wonderful.  The coffee rub developed the most fragrant crust on my steaks and sealed in the juices; leaving my steaks juicy, tender and succulent.   



Here’s what you need for the coffee rub: Vanilla coffee (of course!), smoked paprika, brown sugar, granulated garlic, vanilla salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.  (Please check the measurements of each ingredient in the recipe at the end of the post.)  




Mix all the ingredient with a fork and you’re done with the rub!  Super easy, isn't it?  Yup, my kids can do this too.  And let me tell you.  This rub is so good that I doubled the recipe and keep it in an air tight container for future use.  That way, I can have them on-hand at any time and they sure will make a wonderful homemade gifts!  Your friends will sure be impressed with this coffee rub for sure!



Up next, give the steaks some love.  Gently rub some olive oil on the steaks.  We can all use a massage any time of the day, right?!



Then, sprinkle on the coffee rub, all over the steaks!  Be generous, it’s all good stuffs!  Then, let the steaks hang out in the fridge to get happy, I mean to marinade, for 2 hours, before grilling.



Isn't that a lovely crust of grill marks on the steaks?  Make sure to let your steaks rest for 10 minutes before cutting so the juice stays inside the steak and not running all over your board!


 
I simply serve this ribeye steaks with a side salad, some lettuces, and homegrown tomatoes.  It was one satisfying meal.  Of course, I always have room for dessert.  But that will be covered in another post. 
So, are you ready to make your own Vanilla Coffee Rub and indulge in some succulent steaks?  Of course, you can purchase the vanilla coffee and vanilla salt here, if you can’t wait any longer.  However, I’m hosting a giveaway, courtesy of the generous people from Singing Dog Vanilla.  This is one giveaway you don’t want to miss out!  Check out the giveaway details below.
 

 
 
 
Giveaway Details:
2 (Two) uTry.it readers will win a Vanilla Lover's Gift Set, one set to each winner (as shown in the picture below. Each gift set values at U.S.D. $31.25). Each Vanilla Lover’s Gift Set includes:

1 Organic Vanilla Coffee (2 oz) flavored only with real vanilla beans;
1 Organic Vanilla Lip Balm;
1 Organic Pure Vanilla Extract (2 oz.) for cooking; and
1 Vanilla Salt,2 oz.

Product Image from Singing Dog Vanilla’s website

This Giveaway is open my Readers worldwide.  Deadline to enter is September 15th, 2013 by midnight PST. Winner will be selected through Random.org and announce shortly after the giveaway is closed. Prizes will be shipped out directly by Singing Dog Vanilla.

To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment below telling me what is your favorite cut of meat.  Is it a ribeye steak, a New York steak, a Porterhouse, or something else?  If you are a vegetarian, or don’t eat beef, simply leave a message just to say hi, or tell me you want to win this giveaway.

This giveaway is now closed!  Thank you everyone who participated in this giveaway.  Please see the winner announcement post for names of winners.


For extra entries, do any or all of the following (simply leave a separate comment for each extra entry):

1) “Like” Singing Dog Vanilla on their Facebook Page, click here.
2) "Like" uTry.it's Facebook Page, click here.
3) Pin a picture from this post onto your Pinterest board.
4) Follow Singing Dog Vanilla on Pinterest, click here.
5) Add me to your Google+ circle here.
6) Share this giveaway on Facebook (with a link back to this post please)
7) Share this giveaway on Twitter (with a link back to this post please)

Good luck everyone! And stay tuned for an awesome dessert recipe on my next post featuring the Vanilla Coffee and Vanilla Salt.

Disclaimer: I received the Singing Dog Vanilla Coffee Tea and Vanilla salt free of charge for the purpose of this review. And Singing Dog Vanilla is sponsoring the prizes for this giveaway.  All opinions are 100% my own and always will be.