Coffee + chocolate, "Winter Sonata" on the tip of your tongue

There are some flavor combinations that are mysterious and subtle, and when combined, they can stimulate each other and bring a breathtaking taste experience. Coffee and chocolate is one of them.

Chocolate is the best lover of coffee in winter. The two are a perfect match, complementing each other and performing a "winter love song" on the tip of the tongue.

Coffee and chocolate are a perfect match

Coffee beans and cocoa beans grow like twin brothers around the equator. The same soil and climate make them as close as twin brothers. Coffee and chocolate have been in love for a long time.

In Italy, it is used to prepare a drink called "Coffee Bichelin", named after the cup it is served in. This coffee, chocolate and cream-based specialty has been served in Turin since 1763 and has won the locals' love.

The combination of coffee and chocolate is based on some common characteristics: using sugar to warm the dry stomach acid and the aroma of baking or fruit. Coffee contains caffeine, which, combined with the alkaloids in chocolate, can directly act on the nervous system and stimulate the physiological circulation of the human body.

Chocolate “melts” into coffee, but the tastes must be compatible

Espresso

The most distinctive feature of Espresso is its rich taste. The most common way to drink it is to add sugar, stir it slightly, and drink it all at once. Its explosive aroma and concentration can stimulate people's sense of smell and taste, and it is called the "soul of coffee". When paired with chocolate with a cocoa content of more than 85%, it is definitely the icing on the cake in terms of taste.

Cappuccino

Italians are accustomed to adding a little cinnamon powder or chocolate powder when drinking Cappuccino, or using cinnamon sticks or chocolate sticks to stir the coffee to increase the aroma, making the taste rich and healthy.

Typica

Under medium roasting, Typica smells very sweet. Typica tastes clear and clean when you drink it, with a prominent fruity flavor and a slight grassy smell, but it does not affect the overall taste. Instead, it gives people a very fresh and refreshing feeling, which can be understood as the taste of first love. The acidity is bright but not irritating, the sweetness is obvious, and the aftertaste is prominent but not long-lasting. Such a fresh coffee is suitable for pairing with sweet and delicious caramel-flavored chocolate.

Caramel chocolate is based on dark chocolate and added with rich and deep caramel. While not affecting the unique personality of single-origin coffee, it adds a slightly masculine sweetness to the coffee, adding to its refreshing flavor.

Fancy Mocha

With the emergence of Italian fancy coffee, people began to try adding milk or even milk foam to coffee, thus the current cappuccino and latte coffee were born.

Chocolate and coffee belong to the same color system, and adding chocolate to coffee has become a favorite of many people. It can be said that Mocha is also a classic fancy coffee. Fancy Mocha is processed from Italian latte coffee. In general, a cup of Mocha coffee, in addition to traditional espresso and hot milk, is also added with chocolate sauce and cream for flavoring. It is sweet and fragrant. Doesn't it make you more excited?

Coffee and chocolate, a show of love

A cup of coffee, a piece of chocolate, and a ray of sunshine in the winter afternoon is the best time...

Brownies: The rich texture of Indonesian and Guatemalan coffees pairs best with dark chocolate brownies.

Fruit dipped in chocolate sauce: This is a good choice with most African coffees. Specifically, cherry tarts covered in chocolate sauce are best paired with Sidamo.

Dark chocolate: pairs well with Indonesian, Brazilian, Ethiopian and Guatemalan coffees.

Milk Chocolate: Suitable for all coffees, especially Colombian, Kenyan, Yemeni, and Hawaiian Kona coffees.

White chocolate: Suitable with Colombian, Costa Rican and Yemeni coffee.

Making a delicious trio of coffee and chocolate

How can the wonderful encounter of coffee and chocolate be without dessert! Chocolate Espresso Mousse Pie, coffee, chocolate, and cream, interpret the happy trio on the tip of your tongue. You can easily make it at home, and it is an ideal choice for Thanksgiving and Christmas tables.

Ingredients:

Crumbs: 1 stick of unsalted butter melted, add more pan, 1/3 cup chocolate wafers, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Mousse: 1/4 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate, 1/4 cup chopped milk chocolate,

6 large egg whites, plus 2 egg yolks, room temperature 1 teaspoon pure vanilla paste or extract 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Espresso Frosting: 1/4 cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting

practice:

1. For the crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush bottom and sides of a 9-inch-long, 3-inch-deep springform pan with butter. Blend cookies and granulated sugar in a food processor until fine. Add butter and salt, beating constantly until texture resembles wet sand. Press mixture evenly into bottom and center sides of prepared pan. Bake until crust is set and dry, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cool completely. (Crust can be wrapped loosely and kept at room temperature for up to 1 day.)

2. Mousse: Place both chocolates in separate tumbler-proof heatproof bowls set over (but not in) a pot of water, stirring occasionally, until pea-sized clumps remain. Remove from heat; stir until chocolate is completely melted. Allow to cool to room temperature. Stir 1 egg yolk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla into each bowl, just to combine.

3. In a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on low speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar; increase speed to medium-high and beat to soft peaks. With motor running, gradually add granulated sugar and beat to stiff, smooth peaks.

4. Add 1 cup of meringue-to-chocolate mixture to each bowl. Divide remaining meringue mixture evenly between mixture, folding gently until no streaks remain. Whip butter with confectioners' sugar until soft peaks. Divide evenly between chocolate mixture, folding gently until no streaks remain.

5. Pour the bittersweet chocolate mousse into the crust and smooth the top with a spatula. Gently pour the milk chocolate mousse over the bittersweet mousse, smoothing the surface.

6. Espresso Frosting: Whip cream, espresso powder, and confectioners' sugar to stiff peaks. Sprinkle evenly over milk chocolate mousse in pan, smoothing top. Refrigerate until set, at least 8 hours. (You can loosely cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.)

7. To serve, sprinkle lightly with cocoa powder and run a thin knife around edge of pan to loosen; unlock pan and lift sides to remove. Transfer pie to a serving plate or cake stand and cut into wedges.