Sweets with a heady coffee aroma - The Best from Greece

Posted on: 03/Nov/2011 Classic recipes from celebrity pastry chef Stelios Parliaros

Whether in espresso, filter or instant form, the coffee bean in its many guises goes well with the strong flavor of chocolate, the light touch of cream or ice cream and with a variety of sweet cheeses, such as mascarpone.

Try these classic recipes from celebrity pastry chef Stelios Parliaros for tiramisu and panacotta, and a deliciously syrupy chocolate and coffee cake.

RECIPES

Tiramisu

Ingredients (for 8-10 portions)
300-400 gr Savoyard biscuits
500 gr mascarpone or other cream cheese, such as Philadelphia
4 eggs, eggs separated from yolks (preferably organic)
250 ml milk
2 tbsp instant coffee
70 ml cognac or Marsala
Cocoa powder (for dusting)

Put the egg yolks and sugar into a stainless steel bowl and place the bowl over a saucepan containing a little boiling water (bain marie). Stir the mixture continually until hot. Let cool well and then mix with the mascarpone cheese. Beat the whites until stiff and gradually add to the other mixture, mixing gently with a wooden spoon until well blended.
Boil the milk with the coffee in a small saucepan and then pour into a clean bowl. Add the cognac or Marsala and dip the Savoyard biscuits into this mixture one by one for a few seconds only, making sure they don’t dissolve.
Place the dipped biscuits side by side in a baking tray or Pyrex dish until the surface is covered. Spread the cream over them and then another layer of biscuits. Refrigerate for at least two hours until the custard has set.
Dust with the cocoa and serve cut into squares. Tiramisu is best consumed within two days.

Syrupy coffee & chocolate cake

Ingredients (for 8 slices)
250 gr dark chocolate, cut into small pieces
120 gr butter
4 eggs + 2 yolks (preferably organic)
120 gr sugar
50 gr flour
10 gr star anise, ground and sieved
200 gr blanched ground almonds (available from supermarkets)
For the syrup:
300 gr strong filter coffee
115 gr sugar
30 gr Tia Maria or Kahlua
2 pieces star anise

Preheat the oven to 170C. Beat the eggs, yolks and sugar until frothy. Melt the chocolate together with the butter in a bain marie or microwave oven. Add to the egg mixture and mix with a wooden spoon. Add the flour, almonds and star anise and mix gently until well blended. Butter and flour a 20 cm diameter cake tin or spring-form pan. Pour the mixture into it and bake for about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the syrup by mixing all the ingredients in a saucepan and boiling for 2 minutes. As soon as the cake is ready, remove from the oven and pour half the syrup over it while it is still hot. Let cool. Before serving, cut into eight pieces and pour 2 tablespoons of the syrup over each piece.

Panacotta with coffee and honey sauce

Ingredients (for 5-6 servings)
600 ml cream (35 percent fat)
150 ml milk
2 heaped tsp filter coffee
60 gr sugar
10 gr gelatine leaves
For the honey sauce:
200 gr thyme honey
50 ml lukewarm water

Heat the milk to boiling in a small saucepan, then pour it over the coffee through a coffee filter into a jug or coffee pot. Put the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water to soften.
Put the cream, sugar and coffee-flavored milk into a saucepan and heat. As soon as it begins to rise with foam, remove from the heat. Squeeze the gelatine leaves and add them to the saucepan. Stir with a wooden spoon until the leaves have dissolved completely and set aside to cool, stirring occasionally. Pour the mixture into individual bowls or glasses and refrigerate for at least five hours until cold and set. To remove from the molds, half submerge in hot water for a few seconds and then invert onto a plate. Make the honey sauce by mixing the honey and warm water in a bowl and mixing well with a wooden spoon. Pour over the panacotta.

 

 

 

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