Coffee S'more Nutella Pie

“It’s called a ‘swing,’ not a ‘bounce,’” my partner barked in my ear as I bobbed away during my first contra dance last week in Bangor. I laughed it off and apologized, “Oh! It’s just that I’m excited to be learning. I’ll take note.” He grunted and mumbled advice about watching the other women to learn the feet properly, before I was passed off to another partner, this one blessedly more clueless than I was. There was a 16-year-old who swung me so hard I thought I would surely fall over, a professional dance mentor who forced me into constant, awkward eye contact to ward off dizziness (it worked?), and a young bespectacled beanpole who was counting all the beats and clearly annoyed when I interrupted him with a hullo during our turn together. Peter, my favorite besides Bonnie, was a tall soft-spoken fellow with bare feet and a ponytail who pulled me aside for a lesson in “centrifugal force” (spinning) and has been a contra dancer for as long as he can remember; he reminded me of my friend Aaron who can build anything, talk to anyone, and is one of the greatest fun-havers around. Arlene and I left the dance in stitches about some of the folks we met, others on whom we spied, and my own missteps too: the night was unexpectedly excellent.

That continuous laughter about everything, even cock-ups at the contra dance, is the precise difference between life now and six weeks ago. “Fuckton,” for instance, is acceptable workplace phraseology—and an exact unit of measurement!—and that freedom to let loose coupled with everyone’s generally sick and thriving senses of humor renders me doubled over with belly laughs on a near daily basis. There’s the whole farm thing and goats and cheese too, but it’s really the laughing that feels so different and welcome; I hope that it never dries up. And I'm doing my part to make sure that it doesn't by embracing being in new or weird situations as often as possible, especially if it means that I'll end up laughing at myself.

The Bangor dance was just one of many such moments where I had a guffaw-filled time by being out of my element, but it was also a self-imposed homework assignment. Arlene has warned me that it’s “only sort of okay” to be a contra first-timer at the dance in Belfast, and we're dead-set on attending in October. The coast on one side, country on the other, and jam-packed with awesome people and excellent food, Belfast is one of the best towns around, and the dance there also offers a potluck break and social hour halfway through the night. I can't wait to attend, pie in tow. This here s'more pie would be a great offering to such an event as it's a real crowd-pleaser. The crust tastes like a candy bar, the coffee ganache is outstanding, the marshmallow meringue ties the whole thing together with a sweet kick, and if you have a kitchen torch (we don't), it's an oven-free pie to boot. It would be welcome at any potluck, campfire, or giggle riot, or, if you’re working on a sweet farm in Maxfield, Maine, all three! 

Coffee S'more Nutella Pie

Adapted from Bon Appetit

The main thing I changed for this was to increase the volume and sweetness of the meringue. The original recipe called for the whites from just two eggs, which seemed skimpy, so I doubled it and the sugar. You'd be fine leaving the sugar at the original half-cup too, but don't pinch on the whites! Also, I've lately used nothing but salted butter because it's what we have. You could use either, and the original doesn't call for salt anyway, but it's pretty much the best ingredient for baked goods, so below you'll see salt both within and in addition to the butter.

Graham Cracker Crust

9 whole graham crackers, ground finely in a food processor

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 tablespoons Nutella

1 ounce semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted

1 tablespoon salted butter, melted

Coffee Ganache

12 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (go with bittersweet if you can)

2 tablespoons salted butter, cut into half-inch cubes

1/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt, or to taste1 1/4 cups heavy cream

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons finely ground coffee beans

Meringue

4 large egg whites, at room temperature

Pinch salt

1 cup fine sugar

1.  For graham cracker crust: mix graham cracker crumbs and remaining ingredients in a small bowl to blend. Press mixture onto bottom and up sides of pie dish; chill until crust is firm, about 30 minutes.

2.  For coffee ganache: place chocolate and butter in a large bowl. Bring cream, coffee, and two tablespoons water to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat; cover and let steep for five minutes.

3.  Strain cream mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into bowl with chocolate and butter; discard coffee grounds. Stir until melted and ganache is smooth. Pour into chilled crust; smooth top. Chill in freezer while you clean up and prepare the meringue.

4.  For meringue: set a small pot of water to simmer over medium-low heat. When simmering, add egg whites and pinch of salt to the bowl of stand mixer or other heat-proof bowl. Place over but not touching simmering water, and, whisking constantly, cook until egg whites are warm to the touch, about three minutes.

5.  Next, whip eggs and pinch of salt using whisk attachment or egg beaters on medium until they’re foamy. With the machine running, gradually add sugar, and begin beating on high until eggs whites hold very stiff peaks. Plop the meringue all over your chocolate ganache, anchoring at the crust, and pop into the broiler for two to five minutes to toast the meringue; be sure not to burn! Keep the pie refrigerated if you can, although we kept ours at room temperature for three days and it was totally fine.

Coffee Ice Cream Sandwiches

March is starting to feel like the most do-or-die month, and I sort of totally love it. I'm besickened with the worst cold I've had in over a year and one day from my organization's giant, fancy gala for which I'll be up all night barking into a walkie-talkie, yet all I can think about are ways to start a bicycle cafe and names for my weekend doughnut business (Dough-Zone Layer!). I've been staying up late to make earrings for Ginger Root, DC's most awesome custom clothes, jewelery, and design store, and am squeezing in a visit with my sister that has been full of SVU (pasttime numero uno), good food, and chest hair jokes. Joey and I are planning our symphony date and our vacation to San Diego, and right now even, I'm waiting for an assignment at work to come through and using my spare minute to blog. I'm straddling obligations and compulsions–and not really balancing them–but instead of making me feel crazy and weird, it's making me feel excited. I'm totally pumped for what's in store in the next few weeks, and hopefully these ice cream sandwiches are some indication of what will filter through this manic month!

Coffee Ice Cream

Adapted from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 1/2 cups cream, divided

1 1/2 cups whole coffee beans

3/4 cup granulated sugar (I used turbinado)

Pinch salt

5 egg yolks

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon instant espresso or superfinely ground coffee

1.  In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stir the milk, a half-cup of the cream, whole beans, sugar, and pinch of salt until the sugar is dissolved and the milk is steaming (not boiling!). Cover and let steep for one hour.

2.  Fill a large bowl with ice, and place a medium metal bowl inside it over the ice. Pour the remaining cup of cream into the metal bowl and put a fine mesh strainer over the top. Whisk the five yolks in a separate large bowl, and then reheat the milk and beans until the mixture is steaming (not boiling!). Slowly pour the milk into the egg yolks to temper, whisking vigorously the whole time. Pour the yolks and milk back into the pan, and. stirring the whole time, cook over medium heat until the mixture has thickened into a custard, seven to ten minutes. You'll know the custard is ready when you can run your finger across the back of a spoon dipped in the custard and it leaves a clear trail.

3.  Pour the custard through the sieve into the cold cream, pushing on the beans to extract as much custard as possible. You'll need to clear out the strainer every now and then so that it doesn't overflow. Mix the vanilla and superfinely ground coffee into the cold cream mixture, and stir the whole thing until it's cool. Allow the mixture to cool completely in the fridge, preferably overnight, and then process according to your ice cream maker's directions.

Ice Cream Sandwiches

I made these sandwiches using cookies that were leftover from last week's thin mints. Any not-too-crispy cookie will do though, and a stay in the freezer overnight will soften them up a little bit for perfect ice cream sandwich texture. The coffee ice cream goes really well with the chocolate wafers, but I think that a chocolate chip cookie with toffee would have also been amazing!

1.  Make half of this recipe to get about 35 cookies, or enough for 15 or so sandwiches. Once the cookies have cooled completely and the ice cream has hardened in the fridge for about an hour, scoop 1 1/2 to 3 tablespoons of coffee ice cream (or however much) onto a cookie back, then sandwich it with a second evenly sized cookie.

2.  Wrap the sandwiches in waxed or parchment paper and let them hang out in the fridge for a few hours or overnight to soften the cookie somewhat. Take them out about ten minutes before you're ready to serve, and enjoy!

Molasses-Gingerbread Cupcakes with Coffee Icing

Forgive me for the unseasonably and unfairly long list of ingredients, but I promise these are totally worth it. You know the drill—punchy, no-bullshit flavors that I can't effectively persuade you into trying, partly because February is the longest month of all time and I'm completely exhausted, but mostly because: Molasses. Ginger. Coffee. Chocolate. There's not much else to say! So much love though, from my sometimes churlish kitchen to yours.

Gingerbread Cupcakes
Adapted from The Craft of Baking by Karen Demasco

3/4 cup stout beer, such as Guinness
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly brewed coffee
3/4 cup dark molasses, such as Grandma's
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil
3 tablespoons Demerara sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
1 large egg
1 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Candied ginger, cut into thin strips, for topping

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Using two cupcake tins, line 18 cups with silicone or paper liners.

2.  In a large saucepan, bring the beer, coffee, and molasses to a gentle boil.  Whisk together to combine. Remove from the heat and whisk in the baking soda (it will bubble quite a bit); let the mixture sit for five minutes to cool.

3.  In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, oil, Demerara, and grated fresh ginger.  Whisk in the egg.  In another large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, white pepper, and salt.  In three additions of each, alternately whisk the flour mixture and the beer mixture into the brown sugar mixture to combine.

4.  Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling them about three-quarters of the way each.  Bake for 20 minutes without opening the oven.  Then, rotate the tins and bake until the cakes spring back to the touch or until a cake tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, about five minutes more. Invert the cupcakes onto a rack, turn them top up, and let cool completely.  Proceed to icing!

Coffee Icing
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar (I used 3/4 cups, see below)
4 tablespoons coffee (I used two of coffee and also two of heavy cream)
1 tablespoon dark molasses
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1.  I'm not too into the taste of confectioners' sugar, so I used half of what KD recommended and made mine more of a glaze than a thick icing. I accidentally brewed my coffee too strong too, so I used cream for half the liquid to temper the taste.  Add your sugar to a mixing bowl and whisk in the coffee (cream), molasses, and vanilla.  Add more sugar if you want to thicken it up, or more coffee or cream if you'd rather thin it out.

2.  Dip tops of cupcakes in the icing, top with strips of candied ginger, and let icing set for 30 minutes.  Cupcakes will keep, covered, for up to three days.

P.S. I don't always redo my banner to match my most recent posting, just this once!