Tag: Wholesale Coffee Company

Coffee bread and butter pudding

Posted on by Sara Walker

breadBread and butter pudding is a great everyday family standby. It’s quick and economical to make, and useful for using up odds and ends of none-too-fresh bread. With a few extra ingredients, though, you can elevate it to the status of dinner party dessert while keeping the ease of preparation.

To serve four, you’ll need:

  •  300ml milk
  • 100ml single cream
  • 3 tablespoons very strong espresso coffee, made from freshly ground coffee beans
  • 4- 5 tablespoons sugar
  • 75g butter, softened
  • 4 free range eggs
  • 6 slices white bread, crusts on
  • 200g dried dates, stones removed

 

Ideally, start this recipe the night before so that the bread has time to absorb lots of liquid. If you run out of time, though, it will still work made on the day. Make the coffee and pour it into a measuring jug or bowl. Chop the dates roughly into small pieces, and drop them into the coffee while it’s still hot. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, put the milk, cream and eggs into a bowl and whisk vigorously until the liquid looks frothy on top. This will help trap air into the mixture and help the pudding rise.

Butter the bread generously, and cut it into triangles. Layer half of it into a shallow ovenproof dish, and sprinkle with half the sugar. Pour over the coffee and date mixture, and add another layer of bread. Sprinkle the top with sugar.

Cover with clingfilm, and leave in the fridge overnight.

The following day, heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. While the oven’s heating, remove the dish from the fridge and leave it to come up to room temperature, then put it in the oven and bake for around 30 minutes. When ready, the pudding should look risen and golden, and the custard should be just set, with a slight wobble.

Serve immediately, with cream or coffee sauce.

To browse our range of great quality coffee beans at wholesale prices, please visit our coffee beans page.

The perfect Irish coffee

Posted on by Sara Walker
Photo by Jules:Stonesoup
Photo by Jules:Stonesoup

Coffee cocktails – mixtures of coffee and alcohol – have been around a long time, but the traditional Irish coffee is one of the best known and most popular. Called ‘Irish coffee’ as it was invented in Limerick, Ireland by head chef Joe Sheridan, it’s a mixture of hot coffee and Irish coffee. Sheridan invented the drink for group of passengers who got off a flight on a cold winter evening in the 1940s, adding whiskey to hot coffee to warm them up.

The drink quickly became so popular it spread worldwide, and it’s particularly well known in the US.

A traditional Irish coffee consists of strong black coffee, Irish whiskey, brown sugar and double cream (not whipped cream). The secret lies in pouring the cream over the back of a spoon so that it forms a floating layer on top of the coffee. The coffee is then sipped through the layer of cream.

Irish coffee recipe (makes two servings)

  • 425ml strong black coffee, made from good quality, fresh coffee beans
  • 25g brown sugar
  • 4 tablespoons Irish whiskey
  • 90ml double cream

 

You’ll also need tall, heatproof glasses, preferably special Irish whiskey glasses, although it’s possible to improvise with mugs.

Start by dividing the whiskey and the sugar evenly between the two glasses, and stirring until the sugar has dissolved.

Carefully pour the hot, fresh coffee into the glasses, finishing about 4cm from the top. Slowly pour the cream over the back of a tablespoon, so that it forms a layer on top of the coffee. Continue to pour the cream until it almost reaches the rim of the glass, then serve immediately.

To browse our range of quality coffee beans online, please visit our coffee beans page.

Chocolate and coffee terrine

Posted on by Sara Walker

601px-Milk_chocolateChocolate and coffee are the ultimate dinner party pairing, and what better way to combine them than this sophisticated dessert? It incorporates coffee in both the terrine and the sauce for a double caffeine hit.

To serve 8, you’ll need:

 

 

 

  • 600 g good quality plain chocolate, 70% cocoa solids or more
  • 600ml double cream
  • 125g sugar
  • 8 egg yolks
  • 125g sponge fingers
  • 200ml strong black coffee
  • For the custard sauce:
  • 200ml double cream
  • 8 – 10 roasted coffee beans
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 75g sugar
  • 200ml milk

 
Start by making the coffee using your usual method, and let it cool before putting it in the fridge to chill. Line a 1.5kg terrine dish or loaf tin with clingfilm, making sure you press it firmly into the edges and try not to leave too many wrinkles, as these will show on the finished terrine. Break the chocolate into small pieces, and place it in a heatproof bowl. Melt in the microwave in short bursts until fully melted. Stir in half of the double cream, and set aside.

Bring a pan of water to the boil, then reduce it to a simmer. Put a heatproof bowl over the pan, making sure the bottom doesn’t touch the water. Put in the egg yolk and sugar, and whisk until the mixture looks pale and thick. Add the egg and sugar mix to the chocolate, then whisk in 75mml cold water.

In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining cream until it stands up in soft peaks. Fold it into the chocolate mixture using a metal spoon, trying not to break up the volume too much.

Immerse the sponge fingers briefly in the cold coffee, then use them to line the tin or dish vertically. Make sure each biscuit buts right up to its neighbour without leaving a gap.

Spoon the chocolate filling into the tin, pushing it right into the corners. Cover the tin, and leave it in the fridge for a couple of hours until the filling is set.

To make the coffee custard, put the milk, coffee beans and cream into a pan and bring to a simmer. Whisk the eggs and sugar together until pale and thickened, then pour in the cream mixture, and cook the custard over a low heat for three or four minutes. Pass the custard through a sieve to remove the coffee beans, then allow to cool before putting in the fridge to chill.

Serve slices of the terrine with a drizzle of custard and a chocolate covered coffee bean.

For great quality coffee beans at wholesale prices, visit our coffee beans page.

Coffee flavoured vodka

Posted on by Sara Walker

vodkaIf you’re feeling a little tired after the excitement of Christmas and New Year, treat yourself to a small tot of our coffee-infused vodka as the perfect pick-me-up.

Vodka is a particularly good partner for the strong flavouring of coffee, as it’s not strongly flavoured itself. You’ll need:

  • A bottle of vodka
  • About 30 good quality ready-roasted coffee beans
  • A teaspoon of sugar

Start by cracking the coffee beans. This is most easily done in a pestle and mortar, or you can put the beans in a plastic bag and gently crush them with a rolling pin or the back of a spoon. You’re not trying to make coffee grounds, only to open the beans enough to let the flavour infuse.

Place the beans and the sugar in a clean, sterilised bottle or jar (you can re-use the empty vodka bottle if you decant the liquid into a secondary container first. Make sure it’s thoroughly clean, though.) Pour the vodka over the beans until they float on top of the liquid. Seal the bottle tightly, and shake it vigorously for 30 seconds.

Put the bottle in a cool dark place, and every day for five days shake it vigorously.

When the five days are up, the liquid should look a uniform clear brown colour. The final stage is to filter out the coffee beans.

Please a clean muslin cloth or tea towel over a large bowl to make a filter, and tape it round so that it’s taut. Very slowly, pour the vodka over the filter. The coffee beans may come out in a rush, so be ready! Once all the vodka has gone through the filter, remove the cloth, wash out and sterilise the original bottle and pour the vodka back in.

Taste the vodka. If the coffee flavour isn’t as strong as you’d like, you can start the process again by adding more crushed beans. If it’s a little too strong, dilute the liquid with some plain vodka.

For great quality coffee beans at wholesale prices, visit our coffee beans page.

Coffee Table Book Ideas

Posted on by Sara Walker

Top 10 Coffee Table Books Ideas

Once you’re stocked up on your coffee bean supplies and you’ve made yourself a fresh brew and some chocolate brownies, relax and enjoy one of these coffee table books.  Or, use them if you’ve got guests over for coffee and the conversation runs dry.

  1. The Art of Looking Sideways

This is the ultimate coffee table book featuring collections of anecdotes, images and interesting facts – all beautifully presented to form a coffee table experience that goes beyond being just a book.

  1. The Earth from the Air

This fascinating photography book features almost 200 images taken from helicopters flying over 75 different countries around the world. Enjoy your coffee whilst gazing at photos of lush coffee bean plantations, patchwork quilt landscapes and polka dot like crowds.

  1. Monsters in the Movies

If you’re a film fan, Monsters in Movies is an epic collection of film stills of the greatest movie monsters of all time. Sip your coffee on the edge of your seat as you work through some beautifully scary illustrations and photographs.

  1. Unseen Vogue

Unseen Vogue takes you on a journey from the 1920’s to 2004 and features over 1, 000, 000 photographs, annotated contact sheets and unedited film that never made it into Vogue – a must if you’re into fashion and photography.

  1. Post Secret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives

Laugh, feel inspired, shocked and more when you flick through this stunning book, featuring postcards with handwritten secrets from real people. Post Secret is irresistibly addictive, a great conversation starter and perfect to flick through with a hot mug of coffee.

  1. The Greatest Album Covers of All Time

Feel nostalgic leafing through this stunning book filled with 500 of the greatest album covers of all time from 1956 to 2005. Rock, pop, blues and more, this beautifully illustrated book is the ultimate pick for music buffs all over the world.

  1. Sports Illustrated: Athlete

Sports photographer, Walter Ross showcases some of the world’s most iconic sporting photographs from the last couple of decades. From Michael Jordan’s ‘Blue Dunk’ shot to images of Tiger Woods, this is a must for any sport enthusiast.

  1. Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Experiences for a Lifetime

Have you always wanted to explore the world? Feel inspired as you flick through images of paradise beaches, snow-capped mountains and tropical rainforests. Follow the suggestions or create your own ‘to do’ list.

  1. Vitamin Green

Vitamin Green brings sustainable design and living to a new level and shows us what really can be achieved with our future buildings. It’s full of inspirational photographs, ideas for designers and consumers and even DIY projects.

  1. I Love Coffee: Over 100 Easy and Delicious Coffee Drinks

Our list wouldn’t be complete without an actual coffee table book all about coffee. Jam packed with amusing anecdotes, colour photographs and of course lots of yummy coffee drink recipes, this book will inspire you to start stocking up on your coffee bean supplies.

What is the fastest bean to cup commercial coffee machine?

Posted on by Sara Walker

What is the fastest bean to cup commercial coffee machine?

If you are looking for a high output fast dispense coffee machine the La Costa bean to cup is the answer. A fully automated double cup dispense bean to cup coffee machine with the ability to serve both crockery and takeaway drinks.

La Costa | Commercial Bean to Cup Coffee Machine

Composting With Coffee

Posted on by Sara Walker

Composting with coffee

If you use commercial coffee machines on a daily basis, you’ll know how much waste those freshly-ground coffee beans can produce. Those grounds aren’t really waste, though – they’re full of nutrients that plants love, so instead of tipping them into the bin, you could try using them in the garden.

Coffee grounds are rich in nitrogen, which means they’ll help a compost heap to decompose more quickly – and you can even throw the paper filters on the heap too. If you don’t have a compost heap, you can spread the grounds directly onto the soil as a mulch. Rainwater will wash the nutrients out of the coffee and into the soil, and a thick layer of grounds will help warm the soil and protect delicate plants or bulbs. In addition, slugs and snails aren’t as fond of caffeine as we are, and faced with a layer of coffee mulch might decide to quit your garden for easier pickings. Using coffee as a mulch can also help to deter neighbouring cats from using your garden as a litter tray, as they’re said to dislike the strong smell.

If you don’t have a compost heap or flower beds, treat your window box plants or tubs to an occasional feed made with coffee grounds. Dilute a few good handfuls of grounds around 1:40 with lukewarm water to produce a feed that’s rich in nitrogens. Plants with dark green leaves tend to love nitrogen, and will be particularly grateful for a little leftover coffee. These plants include rhododendrons, camellias and hydrangeas as well as vegetable plants such as Brussels sprouts and rhubarb.

If your garden is tiny or non-existent, or you don’t think you’ve got green fingers, why not put a sign up offering leftover grounds to local gardeners – it’s a shame to let all those lovely nutrients go to waste.

Visit www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk for commercial coffee machines and coffee supplies with next day UK delivery.

What kind of coffee drink are you?

Posted on by Sara Walker

What kind of coffee drink are you?

Once it was just coffee; then in the 1600s, a French doctor added milk – the latte was born. Fast forward to today and there are now dozens of coffee based drinks to feast on – from the caramel latte (skinny or with soy) to the mocha in a clear glass. What kind of coffee drink are you?

Black Coffee – no milk – maybe a sugar or two – but never instant

If you’re partial to a freshly brewed black coffee made from your own good quality coffee beans, you probably have opinions, an intellectual outlook and sophisticated tastes. Your sense of humour is dry, you’ve got a quick wit and you hate trashy T.V. You’re not a snob – you just have good taste.

Espresso – or anything – as long as it’s strong

On the ball and moving it in the right direction is the best way to describe you. You’re an entrepreneur – a career focussed go-getter on a mission and nothing’s going to get in your way. It’s either this or the clock on your office wall has reached 3pm, you’re hung-over and you’re about to drift into a deep sleep on top of your mouse mat. If it’s the latter, you’ll take any coffee that’s to hand – from one of the coffee machines, instant… as long as it’s strong.

Mocha – served in a clear glass

You’re not a huge coffee lover, but you’ve been invited out for coffee with Sue from up the road and she loves coffee. So you order a mocha, but you’d actually prefer a hot chocolate but mocha seems like a good compromise and it looks nice served in a glass cup.

Instant Coffee – out of choice – not laziness

You’re straightforward, down to earth and practical. A coffee is a coffee and you can’t understand why there are now so many different types. You think that anyone ordering a cinnamon skinny/ soy latte, for example, is just trying to show off – you’re not impressed.

Syrup (Caramel, vanilla, toffee…) Latte – as long as it’s sweet

Add some complementary pick ‘n’ mix sweets to your order – in a bag or on the saucer and you’re happy for the rest of the day or at least the next couple of hours. You appreciate the little things, you’re a lover of surprises and you love life best when no two days are the same.

And there we have it – a small descriptive selection of some popular coffee drinks and the kinds of people who drink them. If you have some suggestions for the list, please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.

For more information on commercial coffee machines and coffee beans visit our website www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk

Homemade Chocolate Brownies

Posted on by Sara Walker

Homemade chocolate espresso brownies from the Wholesale Coffee Company

You’ve got up early to grind the coffee beans, you’ve kick-started your day with the perfect cup of espresso – now make sure that lovely, fresh leftover coffee doesn’t go to waste. Coffee is the secret ingredient in many cake recipes, and works particularly well with chocolate, adding a depth of richness and flavour.

Use what’s left in the coffee machine to make these easy Chocolate Espresso Brownies – the coffee gives a lovely, squidgy texture and a rich dark colour. It’s best to use good quality chocolate, with a high cocoa content, ideally around 70%. This will combine with the espresso to give an intense flavour hit.

Before you start:

  • Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease a 20cm square tin, and line the base with a double layer of greaseproof paper.
  • Make sure you’ve got some leftover coffee – if not, it’s time to fire up the coffee machine and maybe have a small cup just to keep you going…

You’ll need:

  • 60g butter or margarine
  • 50 g good quality plain chocolate
  • 175g sugar
  • 70g self raising flour
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 60g walnut pieces (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons espresso coffee

Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt it in the microwave, using 20 second burst of power and stirring between bursts to make sure the chocolate doesn’t burn.

Add the sugar, and mix thoroughly. Add all the other ingredients except the nuts, and mix to a smooth batter. Finally, add the nuts, if using.

Pour the batter into the tin, and smooth it out evenly. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes, until set round the sides and just slightly soft in the middle. Leave in the tin until completely cool, then cut into squares or bars.

These are great served as a mid-morning treat with a latte. For a decadent dinner party dessert, serve with vanilla ice cream and decorate with a couple of chocolate-coated coffee beans.

For more information on our commercial coffee machines and coffee beans visit www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk