coffee

Midnight Snack Perfection: Fudgey Chocolate Pecan Brownies

March 3, 2016 by biz.w.harris@gmail.com Leave a Comment

The fellas in our house have a serious sweet tooth around, say, 10pm. They always want just a little taste of chocolate, and sometimes they squirrel away tootsie rolls, Oreos, or whatever little snack they can to munch on while everyone else is tucked in bed. We had a brand new carton of Blue Bell vanilla ice cream and a bag of pecans, so it just seemed right to make a batch of fudgey, gooey brownies that would be perfect for sundaes before I went away to the Southern Foodways Alliance Food & Media event last weekend…. as a little thank you for making sure my little guy didn’t miss me TOO much.

This was a super duper easy recipe, and if you’ve got a nut allergy or just aren’t into pecans, then you can leave them out and still make a killer brownie sundae. Also, I added a little coffee and bourbon since people swear that coffee HAS to be added to chocolate, and because I love bourbon, but I can’t totally swear that they made a huge difference. Since they were so good, though, I can’t say that they didn’t.

…

Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Cake with Espresso-chocolate Frosting

February 11, 2016 by biz.w.harris@gmail.com Leave a Comment

So, this was my 33rd birthday cake.

I know. It kinda makes me want to turn 33 forever, right?

As we hosted a thank-you dinner party for some neighbors and friends on my actual birthday, my mama decided that I should have my very own birthday cake a week later (but really, now that I have a baby of my own, I know the real truth: birthdays are for mamas. Mamas are born the same moment their babies are, and will forever remember the entire day, or many, many hours that it took to get that little person–now a 33 year old woman who’s got a baby of her own– into the world. Celebrating a birthday is as special to the birthday girl or boy, if not more special, to her or his mama. At least that’s how my wonderful, selfless, perfect mama is.) This is my mama.Also, she’s an INCREDIBLE french bread baker, and artist, and the most precise person I know, but cake baking and cake-decorating isn’t so much her thing. She’s also still recovering from chemo, and surgery, and radiation several months ago, but she STILL made me this incredible chocolatey layer cake in the style of Momofuko milk bar (and based on her chocolate chip-passionfruit cake.) I don’t deserve my mama, y’all. If you want to show someone the love you have for them, and if food is your love language, then this cake is one sure-fire way to do it.

But about the cake……

What to drink before the parade: Le Roi Cafe’

February 10, 2016 by biz.w.harris@gmail.com Leave a Comment

I LOVE Mardi Gras. I just love it. It turns out that I went a bit overboard this Mardi Gras season…buying King Cake Flavored vodka, and King Cake Flavored coffee… I drew the line at King Cake Flavored soda, but it’s a pretty thin line. But then I realized that most of the drinks people are making with King Cake vodka are just plain terrible and honestly I’m not sure that anyone but 21 year old tourists in New Orleans for the first time ever would drink them. King Cake coffee is pretty delicious, but maybe just a bit too much for everyday consumption.

So what do I do? I make a pre-parade slash post dinner party coffee cocktail (AND a virgin version for festive non-drinkers.) As a nod to KING Cake, I named it Le Roi Cafe.` You’ve had Irish Coffee, right? Well, this just might be better.

…

Cooking & Drinking Downton: The Syllabub

December 26, 2012 by biz.w.harris@gmail.com Leave a Comment

I already mentioned our AMAZING Christmas Eve, right? But I didn’t tell you how to make the magic elixer that that got everyone (I mean EVERYONE) to sing their hearts out…

I found this recipe in a fun newish southern food magazine, The Local Palate, and adapted it to my tastes… I feel like it could be fun to have on NYE or maybe in lieu of eggnog, but beware, they are strong, delicious, and super filling. seriously. Let me know what you think!

Coffee Syllabubs
Serves 8

2 C Whipping cream
1/2 C coffee flavored liqueur (like Kahlua)
1/2 Amaretto (like Disaronno)
1 C light brown sugar

Blend and whip the ingredients together until frothy (but not too frothy or the cream will be too stiff to drink easily) just before you’re ready to serve and garnish with nutmeg or cinnamon.