Ask Hilary
How do I get a REAL coffee flavour in my baking?
Sunday Times Food editor Hilary Biller shares some tips
If you find that even strong instant coffee dissolved in a little boiling water doesn't give your bakes the flavour boost you're after, try a double shot of freshly-brewed espresso - it really works! Be sure to cool it before adding to the mixture, though.
The experts have another tip - adding a pinch of spice such as cinnamon or cardamom, they say, really brings out the coffee flavour without impacting on flavour of the bake.
A NOTE ON COSTA RICAN COFFEE
"Costa Rica" coffee beans/ground coffee suddenly appears to have vanished off the supermarket shelves.
I asked the Checkers coffee buyer for an explanation: "We used to sell coffee beans from Costa Rica as part of the Foreign Ground Single Origin Coffee range, but increasingly it became a struggle to secure a constant supply - at a competitive price - so we no longer stock it. Should the demand for beans from Costa Rica increase, we will certainly look at re-stocking it."
It's interesting to note that Costa Rica supplies less than 1% of the world's coffee production.
• Stewing over a recipe? Baffled by an ingredient? Short on meal ideas? Hilary Biller answers your food questions. Send your queries to food@sunday.co.za..
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