Vegan Coffee Chocolate Cake

Oh my goodness, the weather has suddenly changed.  Yes of course it is still raining, but there is ice in the air too.  I can soon see my scarves, gloves and fashionable cosy hats coming out of the closet.  To invoke a bit of sunshine into my working day tomorrow on the menu I will have a Caribbean Stew, but back to this rather nippy evening that has got me wanting a mug of hot chocolate.

I finished work at the cafe a little early today as it was very quiet, so thought I would of course take the opportunity to blog a little whilst I have the mental energy.  I also have lots of recipes to share, beginning with this one that is quite popular with my vegan and non vegan customers at the cafeteria - vegan Coffee Cocoa Cake. 

There are many days when I have some fair trade coffee left over at the cafe.  I don't like to waste, especially if the cafetiere is more than half full, so I will now and again I will make Coffee Granita or these individual vegan Coffee Cocoa Cakes with its many variations.

This particular one is topped with fresh apricot slices, bursting against the darkness of the cocoa like golden sunshine.

I have also made it topped with pineapple pieces, slices of banana with dark chocolate chips and even rhubarb which D was not so keen on, though the vibrant pink looked pretty petals, but faded a day later.  Surprisingly it is a very light and moist cake. I will post the recipe in the next few days. Right now I think I may just go and have a long bath.

Vegan Coffee Chocolate Cake
Makes 8 - 10
Best eaten within a couple of days.

"One more cup of coffee for the road..."

The most popular brand of coffee ordered by holidaying Europeans in Cyprus has to be nescafe, it was available everywhere, but I wanted to try what the locals were drinking – Cypriot coffee. Cyprus coffee is made individually in small, long handled pots called mbrikia. If you like your coffee sweet, then note that the sugar goes into the coffee making process, so it was important to know the difference when ordering, otherwise you will end up with a sketos (unsweetened). Glykos is sweet and metrios is medium sweet. As Cypriot coffee is quite strong, it will always be served with a glass of cold water. Also be warned at the bottom of every cup you will find black sediment that looks like mud – whatever you do – don’t drink it.

Black coffee and walnut muffins

Yesterday afternoon, a bit like a scene from one of those soppy black and white movies, I kissed the nephews goodbye and waved frantically at the moving train. Awww. Then I got home, sulked a little, sorry that they were gone, but then silently pleased as I was getting the sitting room back. You see my flat is quite small and the TV room had temporarily been converted into a guest bedroom (thank goodness for bed settee's). Not just that, we live above a small family and I am always conscious of my own and my guests footsteps on the creaky floor. After all our floor is there ceiling, and my nephews, well lets say they are not exactly light footed. Other than brotherly arguments and the occasional loud music, they were very good. The next time I’ll see them together will probably be in the summer.

With their lack of presence, it also became apparent to me that I was due to go back to work tomorrow, not a thought that filled me with much excitement, but hey its only a couple of days and then it’s the weekend. With the next two working days in mind, I decided to make half a dozen muffins, these were not fruity juicy ones, but ones that would play more of a 'wake me up' and get me through the working day. Yes these were coffee and walnut muffins.

I have to admit, although a little dry, I did appreciate them this morning for my break. The flavour of the coffee really came through and you could just about smell the coffee too. In fact, I had double the dose of caffeine: in these muffins and my mug. Good job it was first thing in the morning, if it was the evening. I don't think I'd be sleeping well.

The recipe for these Coffee muffins is really simple. To a basic muffin recipe for six, I added 2 tablespoons of cold black coffee and about 60g chopped walnuts. Stirred the mixture gently and then spooned it into 6 muffin cases. Bake for 20- 25 minutes, or until risen and firm to the touch.

Bonjour...

I made some curd yesterday with some berries and had some egg whites left over. So the thrifty person in me decided to make some meringues. So what am I sitting and eating right now for breakfast?!

I know I am not in Paris anymore, but I can pretend with my eyes closed (very tightly of course).

Cup of coffee to wake you up

I really don’t drink that much coffee. But it is ritual for me to have a good cup of coffee in the morning to get me wide awake for the day ahead. I don’t use milk or cream in my coffee, but use a super market brand coffee whitener. Over the past 6 months I had noticed the price of this coffee whitener was going up slowly first by pennies, and then suddenly it was double the price. I decided enough was enough no way, was I going to pay that much, I decided to cut down on the coffee I was drinking and switched to another brand of coffee whitener in order to be thrifty. For goodness sake I have even started drinking tea now and again.

But now three months later, moaning at the look of the cup of coffee in the morning with floaty white bits and tasting like vegetable fat. Ugh. I have just not been enjoying drinking my morning cup of coffee. So I have reevaluated my decision and have decided to begin purchasing the coffee whitener again, and stomach the cost of the coffee whitener. Sometimes in life, taste matters. Another justification for me to go back is I honestly don’t drink that much coffee, so the one cup I do have should really be a good cup of coffee that I enjoy.