The Coffee Revolution : Good to the Bottom of the Plate

Coffee and chocolate is one of those classic flavor combinations that will always be popular. Mocha Ribbon Pie is a recipe from the early ‘60s that was a favorite among the guests at my aunt’s resort, Multnomah Lodge, in Wisconsin Dells, Wisc. I had not prepared this pie in many years, but recently I tried it again and it tasted as good as I remembered it.

MOCHA RIBBON PIE

1 (6-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips

3 tablespoons light corn syrup

5 tablespoons water

1/4 pound marshmallows (about 16)

1 tablespoon instant espresso coffee powder

1 1/4 cups whipping cream, whipped

1 teaspoon almond extract

Pastry Shell

Combine chocolate chips, corn syrup and 3 tablespoons water in top of double boiler over simmering water. Heat until chocolate is melted, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool.

Combine marshmallows, remaining 2 tablespoons water and espresso powder in top of double boiler over boiling water. Heat and stir until melted. Cool to room temperature. Combine whipped cream and almond extract. Fold in marshmallow mixture.

Drizzle bottom and sides of Pastry Shell with 1/4 of chocolate mixture. Spoon in 1/3 whipped cream mixture. Repeat layers twice. Drizzle remaining quarter of chocolate mixture on top. Chill until set. Makes about 8 servings.

Pastry Shell

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening

1 teaspoon instant cocoa powder

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

3 tablespoons boiling water

Combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening until particles are size of small peas. Combine cocoa and espresso powders and boiling water, stirring until smooth. Chill until cold.

Stir mocha mixture into flour mixture, adding 1 tablespoon at time, until dough forms ball. Knead few times until dough is evenly mixed. Roll on lightly floured board to fit 8-inch pie plate. Press onto plate. Flute edges. Pierce bottom and sides of crust with fork. Bake at 450 degrees 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned. Cool.

One of the most popular desserts in Japan is coffee jelly. It’s a wonderful and very adult version of the strawberry Jell-O we once enjoyed as kids.

COFFEE JELLY

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

1/4 cup cold water

1 3/4 cups strong, hot coffee

1/4 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Whipped cream

Finely ground coffee, optional

Soften gelatin in cold water. Add coffee and stir until gelatin is dissolved.

Stir in sugar, salt and vanilla. Pour into 8x4-inch loaf dish and chill until firm.

Cut into cubes and spoon into small dessert glasses. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with finely ground coffee. Makes 3 to 4 servings.

Note: For firmer jelly, use 1 1/2 envelopes unflavored gelatin.

The best thing to do with the fat leftover from frying ham? Make gravy. Red-eye gravy is a traditional choice and it’s one of the most simple. Of course, for the best gravy you will need a good, well-cured country ham, such as a Smithfield or genuine Virginia ham.

The gravy gets its name, as cookbook writer Craig Claiborne says, from the “circle or oval of liquid fat with a slightly reddish cast (that forms) on the surface of the gravy when it is slightly reduced. This is the ‘eye’ of the name.”

OLD-TIME COUNTRY HAM WITH RED-EYE GRAVY

6 slices country-cured ham, about 1/2-inch thick

1 cup boiling water

1 tablespoon black coffee

Place ham slices in large flat pan and cover with cold water. Allow to stand 6 to 8 hours. Drain and dry ham slices with paper towels. Remove and discard rind, leaving most fat on.

Saute ham slices in single layer in ungreased heavy skillet over medium-high heat 5 to 6 minutes per side. Remove to heated platter.

Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons fat. Add boiling water and boil, scraping bits of ham from skillet. Stir in coffee.

Pour gravy over ham slices. Makes 6 servings.

Note: “Craig Claiborne’s Southern Cooking” (Times Books, 1987: $19.95) suggests a more bold approach. Use all the fat left in the pan and add boiling black coffee to the skillet, scraping to dissolve the brown particles that cling to the bottom and sides of the pan. The amount of coffee will depend on the amount of fat.

Good coffee loses its drinkability fairly quickly, but that doesn’t stop people from making more than they can drink. In Italy, however, leftover coffee is put to good use. It’s sweetened, poured in ice trays and frozen. The resulting granita is a soothing and delicious dessert.

ESPRESSO GRANITA

1/4 cup sugar

2 cups hot espresso

Lemon zest or whipped cream

Combine sugar and espresso and stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour in 1 or 2 ice cube trays with dividers removed. Freeze until very firm, stirring frequently.

To serve, remove from freezer and let stand at room temperature just until mixture can be broken up with fork. Spoon into dessert glasses. Garnish with lemon zest or whipped cream. May also be served with trickle of rum, Cognac, Curacao or Tia Maria. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Note: In her book “Coffee” (Penguin Books, 1977: $6.95), Claudia Roden suggests mixing 1 stiffly beaten egg white into the coffee mixture to make the granita less gritty: When granita cubes are partially frozen, turn ice tray contents into bowl and beat in egg white. Return mixture to ice tray and freeze until firm and smooth, beating every half-hour to break up ice granules. Those concerned about salmonella in raw eggs should, of course, omit this step.

This is a creamy, comforting dessert with a nice, sneaky jolt of coffee flavor. This version comes from “Verdura--Vegetables, Italian Style” (William Morrow and Company, 1991: $22.95) by Viana La Place. Make sure the coffee beans are very finely ground, almost to a Turkish coffee grind. The longer the ricotta and coffee mixture rests before serving, the stronger the flavor.

COFFEE-FLAVORED RICOTTA

3 cups ricotta, drained of excess water

1/2 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup finely ground dark-roast coffee beans

5 tablespoons sugar or to taste

3 tablespoons brandy

Chopped toasted almonds

Beat together ricotta and whipping cream until smooth. Stir in ground espresso beans, sugar to taste and brandy. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Pack mixture into custard-size cups or dessert goblets. Smooth tops. Sprinkle with almonds. Pour fresh cream on top and serve with wafers if desired. Makes 6 servings.

Note: Coffee should be ground to fine powder.

Tiramisu literally means ‘lift me up,’ which is exactly what the Marsala wine and coffee liqueur do in this Italian dessert. This recipe, as printed in “The Ma Cuisine Cooking School Cookbook” (Random House, 1988: $19.95), comes from Antonio Orlando, who was once chef at Valentino and now has his own restaurant, called Antonio Orlando, in Pasadena. The dish is surprisingly easy to make, but it should be prepared a day in advance to chill properly. Orlando serves it in small glass bowls or deep wine glasses so that, as the Ma Cuisine book says, “guests can appreciate the lovely layers of whipped mascarpone and ladyfingers.” The authors add that a trifle dish or glass salad bowl--any one-and-a half-quart container--would also work well.

TIRAMISU (From Antonio Orlando of Valentino)

6 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup Marsala

1 1/2 pounds mascarpone or cream cheese, cut into 1-inch squares

2 cups warm espresso

1 cup Kahlua or coffee liqueur

2 (3-ounce) boxes ladyfingers

Combine egg yolks, sugar and Marsala in top saucepan of double boiler. Beat slowly with whisk or electric mixer until well combined. Place over simmering water and cook over low heat, beating constantly until mixture is very thick and mounds like whipped cream, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk until cooled.

Gradually add mascarpone to egg mixture, beating continuously, until mixture is thick and smooth, about 10 minutes.

Mix espresso and coffee liqueur in another bowl. Quickly dip ladyfingers, one at time, into coffee mixture and line bottom (or sides) of serving bowl with some pieces. Spoon half of cheese mixture on top of ladyfingers. Follow with another layer of dipped ladyfingers and top with remaining cheese mixture. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Note: Recipe has been adapted to eliminate using raw egg yolks.