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Make your own coffee-flavoured Easter eggs

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Sara Walker

Looking for a more sophisticated twist on the humble Easter egg? Many commercially-produced eggs are aimed at children, and more elegant chocolates can be prohibitively expensive – it’s much better value to make your own, and the process is easy. Wrap the finished eggs in clear cellophane bags and tie with ribbon and a homemade tag for a gift that looks as good as it tastes.

You’ll need:

An Easter egg mould, such as this one from Cakes, Cookies and Crafts. Solid, miniature eggs are easiest to make if you’ve never done it before – practice on these first before attempting a larger, hollow egg.
Good quality, dark chocolate – the amount depends on the number of eggs you want to make
Pestle and mortar
Instant coffee granules
Coffee beans, to decorate

Put a teaspoonful of coffee granules into the pestle and mortar, and grind to a fine powder.

Break the chocolate into small pieces, and put it in a microwave-proof bowl. Melt it on a low setting for a few seconds at a time, removing the bowl and stirring the contents each time. Don’t be tempted to rush this step, as if the chocolate burns it won’t be usable.

When the chocolate is completely melted and smooth, gradually add in a little of the coffee powder, stirring between each addition, until you’re happy with the flavour. If the chocolate has cooled down too much, you might need to put it back in the microwave for a few seconds.

Spoon a little chocolate into each mould, tap the mould against the work surface to remove any air bubbles, and smooth the back off with a knife. Place the mould in a cool, dry place until the chocolate is set, and the eggs should have contracted slightly so that they’re easy to remove.

For a finishing touch, use a little extra melted chocolate to stick a coffee bean to each egg, before packing them into gift bags.

Do Your Coffee Bean Supplies need some New Flavours?

Posted on March 5, 2013 by Sara Walker

Wholesale Coffee Company can help you liven up your coffee bean supplies with these delicious coffee bean blends. From sweet caramel to yummy treacle and chocolate, take your pick from the list below.

If you’re a café or coffee shop owner and you buy your coffee bean supplies in bulk and would like to try some of our coffee beans before you buy wholesale, you can order sample bags starting from only £6.

At Wholesale Coffee Company you’ll find excellent quality coffee beans at affordable prices. This is a guarantee.

Cafeology Fair Trade Blend

Smooth, rich and full of flavour, these fair trade, medium to dark roasted coffee beans are perfect for milk based coffee drinks such as lattes and cappuccinos. With notes of caramel and burnt toffee, these medium to full bodied beans will add a sweet addition to your coffee bean supplies.

Get a Cafeology Fair Trade Blend sample bag here

Caribana Blend

This gourmet blend of Arabica and Robusta coffee beans has yummy chocolate notes and a deliciously rich, smooth aroma. The Caribana blend is ideal for milk based coffee drinks such as cappuccinos and lattes; And it’s great value for money.

Get a Caribana Blend sample bag here

Organic Tunki Blend

All the way from the Peruvian Andes, these organic, Arabica coffee beans have a beautiful floral aroma with notes of treacle and sweet chocolate. They’re enhanced with red berry and citrus undertones providing a delicious, full bodied blend. You won’t be disappointed if you add these beans to your coffee bean supplies.

Get a Tunki Blend sample bag here

Sample Selection

And finally, if you can’t make your mind up, you can try a sample selection consisting of four 1kg bags of luxury coffee beans, including the Tunki and Caribana blends featured above.

Get your sample selection here

Using coffee as natural dye

Posted on March 5, 2013 by Sara Walker

Reuse those used coffee grounds as natural dye.

Coffee really is versatile, and has many more uses than as a drink or cookery ingredient. One application that’s not commonly used these days is as a natural dye. As coffee is a natural product, it won’t produce a strong chocolate brown colour on fabric, but it’s great for achieving an aged, antiqued effect, and turning brilliant white fabric to a soft vintage ecru/beige colour.

What you can dye

Any type of natural, washable fabric such as cotton, linen or hemp, as man-made fibres won’t accept the dye very well.

How to do it

For a few days, every time you make a pot of coffee from freshly-ground coffee beans, keep the grounds. To dye something the size of a shirt, you’ll need about half a pint of coffee grounds to seven pints of water – double these measurements for a large item like a tablecloth. This will produce a soft beige colour on white fabric – for a darker dye, add more coffee grounds.

Put the grounds and the water in a large pan, bring it to the boil then turn off the heat and let the mixture steep until cool. Meanwhile, thoroughly wet the item you want to dye in warm water, which will help the dye penetrate. Add the fabric to the pot, making sure it’s thoroughly and evenly submerged, and leave it for anything from an hour to overnight, depending on the intensity of the colour required – remember that the colour will appear paler when dry.

Add two tablespoons of distilled white vinegar to the pan as a setting agent, and leave the fabric to set for 15 minutes.

Rinse the fabric thoroughly in clean, warm water, then allow it to dry. Items dyed using natural dyes like this are probably best washed separately in the future, as the dye won’t be as stable as chemical dyes and will fade over time.

Coffee sayings and phrases

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Sara Walker

It’s a measure of how important coffee has become to our culture that it’s found its way into the language, via so many sayings, phrases and proverbs such as: “Wake up and smell the coffee” – a commonly-used phrase meaning to ‘pay attention to a situation and try to do something about it’. It seems to be American in origin, although there’s no record of its first use. Example of usage: “If first-time buyers think it’s easy to get on the property ladder, they need to wake up and smell the coffee.””Coffee-housing” – Used as a verb, the Cassell Dictionary of Slang defines this as a mid-19th century phrase meaning to gossip or chatter. Originally in use among the fox-hunting fraternity, it refers to the perceived behaviour of those frequenting 18th century coffee houses. Example of usage: “Is Jane coming, or is she still coffee-housing?”

“Coffee and cocoa” – a 20th century rhyming slang phrase, meaning “say so”. Abbreviated and popularised on BBC radio in the 1950s as “I should cocoa”.

Most cultures seem to have a proverb involving coffee, such as “coffee should be black as hell, strong as death and sweet as love” – an old Turkish saying, which does perfectly describe the strong, sugary cups of espresso-type coffee popular in Turkey, which is more usually brewed in a saucepan rather than a coffee machine to increase its strength. There are several other Turkish coffee proverbs, in line with that culture’s long relationship with the coffee bean – another is, “Coffee and tobacco are complete repose”. In a similar vein is the Ethiopian proverb, “Coffee and love taste better when hot.” The Dutch are less hot-blooded, with their proverb being, “Coffee has two virtues – it is wet and warm”.

Whether funny or true, these phrases track our relationship with coffee going back centuries, and emphasise how important it is both to the individual and to society as a whole.

8 Coffee Bean Gift Ideas

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Sara Walker

From coffee bean inspired earrings to barista action figures, there’s a lot you can buy for your coffee loving friends.

For coffee beans, accessories and coffee machines, check out what Wholesale Coffee Co has to offer.

1. Coffee plant

Find out more about the process of growing coffee beans and buy a cheap coffee plant from your local garden centre or online for under £10. And even if you don’t actually use the plant to make your own roasted coffee beans, it’ll still look nice in your office or home.

2. Coffee bean jewellery

There’s some really beautiful coffee bean inspired jewellery out there – either made from real coffee beans or inspired by them. Check out these coffee bean hoop earrings on Etsy

3. Coffee bean action figure

Apparently, this little barista action figure called Nico makes an exceptional latte with freshly ground coffee beans. Search for her on Amazon to get your own.

4. Ornaments inspired by coffee

Made from glass and decorated with cute designs, these hanging coffee inspired decorations are the perfect addition to any kitchen or coffee house.

5. Coffee recipe book

The ‘I love coffee’ book contains over 100 yummy coffee drink recipes as well as funny anecdotes, interesting tips and lots of lovely full colour photographs of coffee.

6. Coffee Bean apron

A coffee bean apron is a must for any coffee lover. Search for ‘coffee bean aprons’ or check out this lovely design on etsy: Alex – Barista Full Apron

7. Coffee Bean stationery

If you really want to go all out, you can buy coffee bean mouse pads, notebooks and magnetic dry erase boards from here. Buy them as presents for your coffee loving work colleagues.

8. Retro coffee signs

Decorate your kitchen with a retro coffee wall sign. Choose from the signs saying the following, ‘Coffee – you can sleep when you’re dead!’ or ‘Drink Coffee. Do stupid things faster with more energy.’

Image source: http://www.etsy.com/listing/93435996/gold-coffee-beans-basketball-wives

Greek kafenes (coffee houses)

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Sara Walker

Coffee has been part of Greek culture for hundreds of years, and stepping into a modern-day kafenio, or coffee house, anywhere in Greece, will transport you back in time. Most towns and villages still have one or more kafenes, consisting of a single large room with chairs and a fireplace for winter, and exterior seating for summer, and the atmosphere there is the same as it’s been for generations. The coffee houses still form the hub of local life, as villagers meet not only to drink coffee but also to chat, exchange news and views and play Tavli, the Greek equivalent of backgammon.

Although the casual visitor might be surprised that tiny villages can sometimes support several kafenes, there’s a good reason – the men of the village often form small groups with different political allegiances, and each group takes care to frequent a different coffee shop. This restriction only applies to the ‘men’ of the village, as the kafenes are still considered to be a purely male domain, with women allowed inside only on special occasions. The female population generally compensate by holding informal ‘coffee mornings’ at each other’s houses rather than congregating at a specific meeting point.

The Greek coffee served by the kafenes is generally strong, black, sweet and served in small cups, although each establishment will have its own house style. Although similar in style to Turkish coffee, Greek coffee’s not as strong or syrupy. The coffee’s traditionally made by boiling ground coffee beans with water in a saucepan rather than a coffee machine, straining the liquid then adding various amounts of sugar, according to taste. For the authentic kafenio experience, serve the finished drink with a glass of cold water and kourabiedes (traditional almond biscuits dusted with sugar), loukoumades (fried doughnuts with honey) or a couple of sticky squares of Cyprus Delight.

7 Hidden Health Benefits of Coffee

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Sara Walker

We’re not suggesting coffee will help to cure cancer or protect your liver regardless of the amount of alcohol you drink, but there are studies out there suggesting that coffee beans can do a lot of good.

1. Reduce Pain During Exercise
Some studies have found that consuming coffee before a tough workout may decrease pain and make exercising feel less like a chore.

2. Improve Your Memory and Cognitive Ability
There have been lots of studies indicating that regular coffee drinkers have sharper memories. For example, research with women over the age of 80 showed that participants all performed significantly better on cognitive tests after consuming coffee.

3. Prevent Plaque Formation
It has been suggested that certain components in coffees may help to prevent plaque formation.

4. Protect Your Liver
Some studies suggest that coffee may significantly reduce your risk of developing cirrhosis of the liver by as much as 40% if you drink two to three cups a day. This isn’t an excuse to drink more alcohol though!

5. Reduce Your Risk of Developing Diabetes
Some research also suggests that long term coffee drinkers have a reduced risk of developing type two diabetes.

6. Prevent Skin Cancer
Wearing lots of sun screen in hot climates will help, but so could drinking coffee according to Harvard professor and researcher, Jiali Han. She discovered that the more cups of coffee you drink, the less chance you have of developing one of the most common forms of skin cancer.

7. Live Longer
Researchers from the National Institute of Health conducted a study from 1995 to 2008 to determine whether coffee helps you live longer. They came to the conclusion that if you drink three or more cups of coffee a day, you have a 10% chance of living a longer life.

Please remember that scientific research should always be read with an objective outlook.

Painting with coffee

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Sara Walker

If you’ve tried baking with coffee, drinking it, composting the used grounds and using it as a beauty treatment, how about getting touch with your creative side by painting with coffee? Several artists now create watercolour-style paintings using nothing but coffee – and some also incorporate coffee grounds to add texture.

Thai artist Pornchai Lerthammasiri has been using the medium for several years, creating beautiful, monotone landscapes with coffee. He started experimenting after learning about the ancient Chinese art of painting with tea, and soon found the stronger colour of coffee more suited to painting. It’s taken him six years to perfect the technique so that the finished painting will stand the test of time and not deteriorate. He uses different strengths of coffee to achieve different shades, and the resulting picture has a vintage, sepia appearance.

“When I want to paint waterfalls or a distant mountain, I use the spray bottle to soften the pictures. There are various results that only the brush alone cannot achieve,” he said, in an interview in Preaw – Weekend, a leading Thai magazine.

American artists Angel Sarkela-Saur and Andrew Saur have also embraced the medium – they own the Coffee Art website, and have been painting with coffee for over ten years. They enjoy creating fine art out of something so universal and readily available as coffee, and their work has appeared in exhibitions in several European countries as well as in the U.S. According to Andrew, their coffee art has “attracted a strong following”.

Many artists prefer to use instant coffee for painting, as it’s easier to control the strength and therefore the colour intensity. Once mixed, the liquid is used just like watercolour paint, with varying amounts of water added to produce different shades. It takes a little practice to get it right, as the coffee mixture is stickier and more difficult to work with than standard paint – so you might want to switch on the coffee machine to have a little caffeine yourself before you make a start!

Coffee ice cream

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Sara Walker

The flavour of fresh coffee transforms ice cream into a sophisticated adult dessert. This recipe is easy to make in an ice cream maker, and keeps well in the freezer for several weeks. Once you’ve mastered the recipe, try our suggestions for variations.

You’ll need:

4 tablespoons of coffee, made from freshly-ground coffee beans (fine grounds work best)
6 egg yolks
8 oz/200g soft light brown sugar, such as demerara
1 pint/500ml) full cream milk
6 fl.oz/190ml of very hot but not boiling water

Pour the water onto the coffee grounds, and let it brew for 5 – 10 minutes, depending on how strong you want the flavour to be. Strain the mixture through a coffee filter or muslin to remove the grounds.

Beat together the sugar and egg yolks until the mixture looks pale and fluffy. Beat in the milk and coffee, and transfer the mixture into a saucepan. Bring a second, large pan of water to the boil and allow it to cool to a simmer. Put the smaller pan over the larger pan to form a bain marie, and let the mixture cook, stirring it constantly to prevent sticking. When the custard thickens and forms a skin on the back of the spoon, take it off the heat. When completely cool, transfer to an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Variations

Create an adult ice cream sundae by layering coffee and vanilla ice creams with black cherries marinaded in coffee liqueur. Top with whipped cream and a coffee bean.

Make two half quantities of ice cream, one using white sugar and the other using brown. Serve one scoop of each with chocolate brownies.

Make a quick chocolate sauce by combining butter, golden syrup, espresso coffee and cocoa. Pour the hot sauce over the ice cream.

Coffee cocktails

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Sara Walker

The strong, distinctive flavour of coffee is a perfect cocktail ingredient, whether you use fresh coffee or a coffee flavoured liqueur. Here’s our pick of the best recipes:

Black Magic – mix equal quantities of Tia Maria and vodka together, and add lemon juice to taste. Serve over crushed ice.

Amaretto Choco Latte – Use one measure of Amaretto, two teaspoons of cocoa powder, one measure of strong hot coffee made with freshly-ground coffee beans. Place the cocoa powder in the cup, pour over the Amaretto and coffee and stir until fully combined. Add sugar and milk to taste.

Black Russian – probably the best known of the coffee cocktails, this is made from equal measures of Tia Maria and vodka, topped up with coke.

Baby Guinness – this recipe is best served in a miniature straight glass if you can find one, rather than a tapered shot glass. Pour two thirds of a measure of Tia Maria into the glass, then pour a third of a measure of Baileys over the back of a spoon into the glass, so that it sits on top of the darker liquid, resembling the head of a pint of Guinness.

Mudslide – You’ll need a cocktail shaker for this one. Fill the shaker two thirds full of ice, and add a single measures of vodka, Kahlua (or Tia Maria) and Baileys. Shake until thoroughly combined (impressions of Tom Cruise optional), and stain into a glass.

B52 – another popular drink. Pour a single measure of Kahlua over the back of a spoon into a shot glass. Follow it with a shot of Baileys and then a shot of Grand Marnier, so that the different colours create distinct layers. Variations on the theme are the B53 (Tia Maria or Kahlua, Baileys and vodka) and the B54 (Kahlua or Tia Maria, Baileys and Amaretto).

Classic coffee cocktail – fill a glass with crushed ice. Mix one measure of coffee liqueur, such as Kuhlua or Tia Maria, with two measures of fresh, cold coffee, one measure of cream and a teaspoon of sugar. Pour over the ice. To customise the drink to your taste, try adding stronger coffee, or more or less cream or sugar.