If you're like many coffee lovers, you undoubtedly cherish your first cup of coffee of the day, but did you know there are plenty of other ways to enjoy the flavor of coffee? Following are just three of the many ways that you can enjoy the flavor of Columbian whole-bean coffee outside of your morning mug.
Add It to Anything Chocolate
Coffee and chocolate go so well that you can't go wrong with adding a teaspoon or so of coffee grounds to any chocolate-based recipe. Even a standard pan of brownies from a commercial mix takes on an entirely new flavor dimension when coffee has been stirred in prior to popping the pan into the oven. Coffee can also be added to cake mixes or cake batter that's been crafted from scratch and a variety of other desserts such as chocolate puddings, pies, and tortes. You can also turn individual Columbia coffee beans into tasty treats in their own right by preparing a simple chocolate glaze over your stovetop and covering the beans with it. After the glaze has cooled and hardened, they'll be ready to enjoy.
Make a Marinade for Beef
Most people are aware that coffee is sometimes used as an ingredient in dry rubs for barbecued meats, but did you know that it also makes a great marinade for beef roasts and grilled steaks? Besides bringing its trademark smoky flavor profile to the picture, coffee also serves as a meat tenderizer. Add a tablespoon or two of coffee grounds to your favorite roast or steak marinade for an incredible gourmet dining experience. You can also use coffee grounds in recipes for blackened steak — just add dry grounds to your usual medley of blackening spices.
Make Coffee Butter
Coffee butter is a delicious natural pairing with breakfast foods with cinnamon rolls, French toast, and pancakes, and it's particularly good when combined with a bit of maple syrup. Although it tastes like something that would require hours in the kitchen and a high level of culinary skill to prepare, making coffee butter is deceptively simple. All you need to do is combine whole coffee bean with your choice of butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and simmer on the lowest possible setting for about three hours while enjoying the heavenly aroma. The reason this tastes so good is that the fat in the butter absorbs the fat-soluble oils in the coffee beans that give coffee its trademark rich, toasty taste, but don't absorb the water-soluble compounds that give coffee its bitter bite.
