SHF#11:A Pair of Coffee Desserts

Amongst the many kitchen gadgets on my wish list, a pump-driven La Pavoni espresso machine ranks up there in the lust-worthy stakes. I love a properly made espresso - smooth, suave and seductively syrupy in consistency, replete with a luxuriant cap of fine-grained crema. Unfortunately, a state-of-the-art machine capable of producing a real espresso is also capable of inducing severe sticker shock. Back in the real world, my daily caffeine-delivery system of choice is a French press by Bodum, which makes a decent-enough cuppa to feed my habit. I used to drink so many cups of coffee a day (think double-digits) I had withdrawal symptoms (read cantankerous) when doing without. Fortunately for my near and dear, I am down to a modest 3-cups-a-day and am reassuringly mild mannered in between fixes.

Coffee is the fabulous theme of SHF#11, hosted by Ronald of the wonderful LoveSicily. I love using coffee to flavour desserts almost as much as I love coffee, or I love desserts. Its deep, dark and full-bodied flavour perfectly frames chocolate, and surprisingly enough, can be an excellent foil to fruit (particularly orange).

White Chocolate & Coffee Towers with Mocha Creme Anglaise
Based on a recipe in A Passion for Desserts by Emily Luchetti, this elegant sweet features a fudgy chocolate cake layer topped with an extravagant white chocolate and coffee mousse, the whole gilded with an intense bittersweet chocolate glaze. To contrast its velvety lushness, I topped it with some shards of homemade honeycomb - the crackling texture is exactly like the moreish interior of candy bars like Violet Crumble or Crunchie - which I had handy thanks to a candy-making bout last week; almond or hazelnut praline would work just as well, I imagine. For the mocha creme anglaise, I spiked it with a touch of coffee liqueur (either Kahlua or Tia Maria are good) after the sauce was taken off heat.

Espresso Orange Panna Cotta Parfait with Coffee Gelee
I turn to Claudia Fleming's The Last Course whenever I seek special desserts that are unusual yet decidedly lovely. The panna cotta parfait is a perfect example of Fleming at her inspired best. A translucent layer of potently flavoured coffee gelee is suspended between two decadently creamy layers of panna cotta - one infused with finely ground espresso (I use Illy), the other perfumed with orange zest. The result is real eye candy, which counts for a fair bit in my books where desserts are concerned. But far more importantly, the combination of flavours beautifully exploits the natural affinity between coffee and cream, and coffee and orange. To hint at the citrus cameo, I topped its quiveringly set-just-so surface with slivers of candied orange peel. While I used glasses to show off the parfait's striking layers, porcelain is a terrific idea if you're intent on surprising your guests.