The French Roast Coffee Conspiracy

To French Roast or Not to French Roast? This is my questions, and brings many new ones to mind.

What is French Roast coffee? Well I know the answer to this, but I will prepare a written one just in case. That is really the first question to address.

What happens to a coffee bean when you roast it? And what is different about French Roasted Coffee?

Do I really want my coffee French Roasted, or did some well know roaster spend a lot of money to convinced us all that it is good and oh so chic that way?

Is the coffee really just burnt coffee bean or darn near burnt?

I am sure these questions will bring up many more as we investigate the French Roasted Coffee conspiracy.

Quilts & Coffee

Coffee Tasting at the Marion Public Library for the National Quilting Day on Saturday, April 25, 8-3 p.m. Quilt Show specials of several of fresh roasted coffees are available for purchase at $5 & $6 packages. During the show I will speak about who Midwest Organic Coffee Company is and what a difference fresh roasted coffee can make in your cup. More informations at: info@midwestorganiccoffee.com

Chocolate, Coffee and Cookies

Last night we had a Coffee Tasting at our place. I decide to create a new cookie for the event. Since we all love coffee, chocolate and cookies I knew what I needed to do. So this was my thought pattern: I love cookies, I love chewy cookies, I love chocolate and I love coffee. I need a cookie that is all that and more.

The first thing I needed to do is find a chocolate cookie recipe, but most are not chewy, how do I make it chewy? Humm! Brown sugar, not white of course, oh ya, baking chocolate, not cocoa, baking soda, not baking powder and lots of real butter.

Now I am ready to start.
Here we go: Mix together in a large bowl: two eggs, one cup unsalted butter, one cup brown sugar, half cup white sugar, one teaspoon vanilla and three squares of melted baking chocolate, four would be even better.

Sift together two cups of unbleached wheat flour, half teaspoon baking soda and fourth teaspoon salt. Now I thought it needed more chocolate, desert IS all about the chocolate, so I added a fourth cup of cocoa powder. Then I remembered, what about the coffee? Which coffee would be the best choice? What grind should I use?

It was not a hard decision, we were introducing Kenya French Mission Bourbon at the tasting tonight, so that would be the perfect coffee and it would need to be a Turkish grind. Woe, careful now, how much, I went with a fourth of a cup. Next time I will use more, go for the gusto, big time. A cookie with a caffeine fix.

Get out your French Press, grind two heaping tablespoons of French Mission Bourbon, pour hot water over the grinds, let sit 3 minutes, stir, let sit one more minute, pour in your favorite coffee cup add sweetener and drink. Oh, get back on track.

Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients and add one cup of white chocolate chips. It really needs to be Ghirardelli, but that is just my opinion, you do whatever you think is right. Then eat a small hand full of the chips. That is just a bonus step.

Chill, measure heaping teaspoons onto a buttered baking sheet, bake at 350 for about 10 minutes. Cool on a cookie rack. Then you know what to do next.

We had a good crowd at the tasting and the cookies were a hit. After much cookie conversation and eating of cookies, together we came up with some new ideas. Watch for the next generation of this cookie.

What could be better than coffee, chocolate and cookies accompanied by good conversation?

Share your ideas of other treats with coffee in it.

Coffee Tasting

Good turnout for the introduction of three new 100% organically grown coffees to the Marion, Indiana area. The Kenya French Mission Bourbon was a big hit. Read about this amazingly smooth coffee at: midwestorganiccoffee.com

Saturday Afternoon Coffee Cake

I remember a cake from when I was young. Chocolate and coffee, that is what I remember.

I remember, sitting at the kitchen table having a cup of coffee and a piece of homemade cake seemed to be such a grown up thing to get to be involved in. Mom and her friends would visit for hours while sharing in laughter, good conversation and what they called coffee cake.

I remember, the cake had shiny Carmel colored frosting that tasted of coffee. Mom would let me have sips of her coffee with cream and sugar, share in the joy of the cake and listen to them talk. It felt like I was getting to sneak a forbidden something. This is a fond memory that will last forever.

I still love a good piece of cake, and cream and sugar in my coffee. I still want my cake to have chocolate in it. But now I have discovered a fresh roasted cup of coffee makes it that much better.

No, I haven't found the recipe for that Saturday afternoon coffee cake. But I am still looking. Do you know of a chocolate cake with shiny Carmel colored frosting that taste of coffee?

This Saturday share a special cake, a cup of coffee and conversation with a friend. Let a daughter or grand daughter sneak a sip. Create a memory that will linger forever.

Do you have a coffee memory to share?

What a Roast

There is nothing like sitting down to a cup of coffee that was roasted just two days ago. Someone will be closing their eyes and saying AHH!, Tuesday morning. What a way to wake up. Reid is roasting Mocha Java right now. The smell of the roast is almost like toast. As the coffee starts to degas all the flavors will start to come in. A hint of fruit with a aftertaste of chocolate on the back of your tongue.
But why am I talking about Mocha Java, it is such a misunderstood name for a coffee. People tell us all the time, "Oh I love chocolate coffee". Well here is the truth behind a real Mocha Java.
Mocha is a region and a shipping port off the north coast of Africa, Java is a region on the coast of Indonesia, a shipping port and an excellent coffee. One coffee from each of those regions blended together and then roasted to the specialty roasters preference can be called Mocha Java. No Chocolate added. That doesn't mean you can't add some in your cup. Go ahead, it is good that way, but not nessasary, the hint of chocolate is there, close your eyes and take time to taste the coffee, UMM!
Just think you could add a cup of Mocha Java to your favorite chocolate cake. It would be a Mocha Java Cake. Now that would be a good cup of coffee with chocolate cake.