Coffee-Caramel Creme Brulee

Mrs. BA and I just returned from a weekend jaunt to Boston, where she went on a field trip for her volunteer board work.  As part of that field trip, we enjoyed a really, really, really good dinner at The Country Club at Brookline.

We started with passed appetizers and cocktails in our private sitting room.  Then we moved into a private dining room and were served a deconstructed lobster roll (Mrs. BA, who's not fond of the crustaceans, was given a lamb carpaccio, which practically melted in her mouth).  We then had a cold summer squash soup, followed by the main course of a veal chop with crabmeat on top.  Dessert was a creme brulee.

So now, I need to have more creme brulee (I may have finished Mrs. BA's after finishing my own).  Here's a recipe that showed up in my inbox a while back.  Hey, I own a torch.  I have sugar and coffee in the house (from Epicurious).

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided 
• 1/4 cup dark-roast coffee beans (such as French roast; about 3/4 ounce), crushed with mallet in plastic bag 
• 1 cup sugar, divided 
• 1/2 cup water 
• 2 cups half and half 
• 8 large egg yolks 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 8 teaspoons raw sugar* 

Preparation
Bring 1 cup cream and coffee beans to simmer in heavy small saucepan. Remove from heat; cover and let steep at least 20 minutes and up to 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Stir 2/3 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush. Boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber, swirling pan occasionally, about 11 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Add remaining 1 cup whipping cream (mixture will bubble up). Stir over low heat until caramel is smooth. Stir in half and half. Strain coffee-infused cream into caramel cream; discard coffee beans in strainer.

Whisk yolks, salt, and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in cream mixture. Strain custard into large measuring cup.

Arrange eight 2/3-to 3/4-cup ramekins or custard cups in roasting pan. Divide custard among ramekins. Add enough warm water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins or custard cups.

Bake custards until just set in center, 65 to 70 minutes. Transfer custards from water bath directly to refrigerator. Chill uncovered until cold, at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.

Sprinkle top of each custard with 1 teaspoon raw sugar. Using kitchen torch, melt sugar on each custard until deep amber. (Alternatively, preheat broiler. Arrange custards on small rimmed baking sheet; broil until sugar topping melts and browns, about 2 minutes.) Refrigerate custards until sugar topping hardens, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour (do not chill longer than 1 hour or topping will start to soften). Serve custards cold.

*  Also called turbinado or demerara sugar; available at most supermarkets and at natural foods stores.

Coffee-Caramel Creme Brulee

Hey, I own a torch.  I like coffee.  Why aren't I eating this?  From this list on BuzzFeed of coffee desserts.  There's lots of other yummy desserts here, this one is the best of the bunch, imo.

Coffee-Caramel Creme Brulee
from Bon Appetit

INGREDIENTS 

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided 
• 1/4 cup dark-roast coffee beans (such as French roast; about 3/4 ounce), crushed with mallet in plastic bag 
• 1 cup sugar, divided 
• 1/2 cup water 
• 2 cups half and half 
• 8 large egg yolks 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 8 teaspoons raw sugar* 

PREPARATION 
Bring 1 cup cream and coffee beans to simmer in heavy small saucepan. Remove from heat; cover and let steep at least 20 minutes and up to 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Stir 2/3 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush. Boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber, swirling pan occasionally, about 11 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Add remaining 1 cup whipping cream (mixture will bubble up). Stir over low heat until caramel is smooth. Stir in half and half. Strain coffee-infused cream into caramel cream; discard coffee beans in strainer.

Whisk yolks, salt, and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in cream mixture. Strain custard into large measuring cup.

Arrange eight 2/3- to 3/4-cup ramekins or custard cups in roasting pan. Divide custard among ramekins. Add enough warm water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins or custard cups.

Bake custards until just set in center, 65 to 70 minutes. Transfer custards from water bath directly to refrigerator. Chill uncovered until cold, at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.

Sprinkle top of each custard with 1 teaspoon raw sugar. Using kitchen torch, melt sugar on each custard until deep amber. (Alternatively, preheat broiler. Arrange custards on small rimmed baking sheet; broil until sugar topping melts and browns, about 2 minutes.) Refrigerate custards until sugar topping hardens, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour (do not chill longer than 1 hour or topping will start to soften). Serve custards cold.

*Also called turbinado or demerara sugar; available at most supermarkets and at natural foods stores.

Coffee Popsicles to fight the Dog Days of August

The dog days of August are surely upon us. What better way to combat them than with these yummy popsicles. It also makes me think of my mother, who would often use the morning coffee to make iced coffee to have with dinner. I used to think that was a little icky, but then Starbucks got into the act, and I have come around.

I first saw this recipe on ChvChick, the companion to my good friends at ChvBlog.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup freshly ground espresso coffee
  

Directions

1. Brew the coffee to a strong robust flavor. Using a French press, it takes approximately 10 minutes. I love French press but any other coffee brewing method would also work.
2. Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a separate bowl.
3. Slowly pour the hot coffee into the bowl with the sweetened condense milk. Stir.
4. Chill coffee and sweetened condensed milk mixture in the refrigerator until cool.
5. Strain the coffee, if needed.
6. Fill popsicle forms and place in freezer.
7. Once frozen, pop out of the form and enjoy!

Makes four popsicles.

Getting Ready for the Return

I am going back to work next Tuesday. As I enjoy this last weekend at home with my newborn son and wife, I hearken back to when my first son was born. At that time I was working for an international organization that understood how important it was to have time off when a major life event occurs. I was given eight weeks of paternity leave PAID after the birth of my first son.

This time, as a newly minted federal employee, I accrue leave at a snail's pace. The only way I have been able to stay out this long has been through the generosity of my colleagues who donated their leave to me. I was out of leave a week after the birth of my son.

Mrs. Brave Astronaut will be out for another two months. She has advanced herself sick leave to give her a few more weeks of paid leave. However, she will not be able to take sick leave for two and a half years. She is also on a donated leave list, but to some arcane second class employment status, she will likely not get very much, if at all.

All that being said, I have been given the opportunity to work at a different location for the next month. It will allow me to bring my older son to school in the morning and then literally walk across the street to work. It is going to be sweet. We are going to have to leave right on time though, no dawdling.

And evidently no hitting the snooze button. Especially if I buy this alarm clock. But if someone buys me this mug, I won't have to fix my own coffee.

"Two Great Tastes That Taste Great Together"

It's _________?

These two items crossed the radar screen last week. I would have been lost without them while making my trips back and forth to the hospital.

Starbucks Dumps CEO and Krispy Kreme CEO Resigns

I swear to God, there must be something in that glaze that makes an otherwise rational human being swerve across several lanes of traffic and through an intersection to get to a location that is proclaiming "HOT Donuts Now!" (Not that I have ever done that, mind you.)

Oh, and the answer from above? Any guesses? Who remembers their TV commercials?

Get Your Blue Coffee Here!

This link was sent to me by a friend. Blue State Coffee, a new brand, is out there with the following mission statement:

• To offer organic, fairly traded coffee, roasted to perfection.
• To donate half our profits after taxes to causes that reflect our Democratic values.
• To unite a community of people who care about what's happening in this country.

Here's their story:

Every time you drink a cup of our premier quality, perfectly roasted, fairly traded coffee, you're contributing to a positive movement for change in this country.

The idea struck one Saturday morning during a coffee-and-donuts run for the rest of the family. Standing in line, we started talking politics. "Wouldn't it be great," Drew commented, studying the elaborate menu, "if profits from all of these lattes could be channeled into great causes?"

It made sense. People wouldn't need to find more time or spend more money. They could enjoy the highest quality coffee and support the progressive causes our community cares about.

A year later, with the help of some like-minded friends, Blue State Coffee opened for business.

We hope you'll read more about our coffee and how we donate. And please be in touch. That's what Blue State Coffee is all about.

Drink liberally.

The coffee is a tad on the expensive side, but worth it. I might place an order and give it a try. You should too.