Recipes | Caffeine and You

“Fast Money” Chile-Chocolate-Coffee Coins

April 4, 2013 By Kate Heyhoe

“Fast Money” Chile-Chocolate-Coffee Coins

Makes 18 (1-inch) coins

by Kate Heyhoe

It takes longer to balance your checkbook than to make these spicy little chocolate coins. They’re laced with smoky chipotle chile, and topped with ground coffee beans and cocoa nibs. If you’ve got some cocoa powder handy, dust the coins with a hit for visual contrast. Each coin gives a small boost of caffeine and theobromine, from the coffee and chocolate.

Equipment is simple: a microwave oven to melt the chocolate, a small glass bowl, wax paper, and some measuring spoons and cups. I use Ghirardelli bittersweet baking chips with 60% cacao, but substitute your favorite brand.

This recipe makes 18 coins, and you can easily double it if you want more. As for variations: cinnamon instead of (or in addition to) the chipotle tastes just as good. Nuts? Sure, why not. Milk chocolate instead of bittersweet? Go for it. Crystallized ginger, dried cherries? Anything goes, but maybe not all on the same coin.

Ingredients

2 ounces (1/3 cup) bittersweet chocolate baking chips (60% cacao)
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chile
1-1/2 teaspoons very coarsely ground roasted coffee beans
1 teaspoon cocoa nibs
Cocoa powder for dusting (optional)

Line a small pan or flat surface with waxed paper. Pour the chocolate baking chips and chipotle chile into a small glass bowl (microwave safe). Melt the chocolate in a microwave at 50% power in 30-second bursts, stirring after each burst. You’ll need to do this 2 or 3 times, until the final stirring turns any last clumps into smooth, melted chocolate.

Using a half-teaspoon measuring spoon, scoop up some chocolate and drop it onto the waxed paper, to create 1-inch chocolate coins. Sprinkle a pinch each of coffee beans and of cocoa nibs over the top of each coin. Use the back of a clean spoon to gently tap the coffee and cocoa nibs into the melted chocolate, just enough so they stick when cooled. If desired, scoop some cocoa powder into a spoon and tap it onto each coin (over a sieve if you have one), just to leave an artistic dusting. Let the coins cool at room temperature until hard, or chill them for 10 minutes in a refrigerator. Peel the solid coins off the wax paper and serve at room temperature.

To store: Place the coins in layers, separated by wax paper, in an airtight container; or refrigerate up to 2 weeks.

Orange-Spiced Tea with Organic Lime-Maté Boost

March 4, 2013 By Kate Heyhoe

Orange-Spiced Tea with Organic Lime-Maté Boost

Makes 1 serving; about 120 mg caffeine

by Kate Heyhoe

If you prefer tea to coffee and savory to sweet, this is the bumped-up brew for you. One cup packs more than twice the caffeine of regular black tea, with a balanced citrusy taste that’s neither bitter nor sweet. The sophisticated flavor is one that’s good to sip on, and the brew surpasses coffee when it comes to the morning jolt.

The Guayaki Yerba Mate Organic Energy Shot is a bit pricey at over $3 for 2-ounces, but you can use part of a bottle and refrigerate the rest for up to 5 days. It’s handy for customizing your buzz level: 1 tablespoon contains 35 mg of caffeine. (One 2-ounce bottle = 4 tablespoons, or 12 teaspoons). I like the flavor, and it doesn’t have that faux-sweetener aftertaste found in other energy shots.

In this recipe, orange-spiced black tea (like Constant Comment) meets half a bottle of Guayaki’s lime-tangerine flavored mate energy shot, which injects 70 mg of caffeine to the tea. Assuming an 8-ounce cup of brewed black tea contains 50 mg of caffeine, then this bumped up brew boasts a minimum of 120 mg of caffeine – more than in a cup of coffee.

Recipe:

1 (8-ounce) cup brewed orange spice black tea [about 50 mg caffeine]
1 fluid ounce (about 2 tablespoons) Guayaki Yerba Maté Organic Energy Shot, Lime Tangerine flavor [70 mg caffeine]

Stir the maté shot into the hot tea. Enjoy it plain or add sweetener as desired.

Note: The caffeine content of tea depends on many factors, including how long it’s brewed and the type of tea leaves. This book uses 50 mg of caffeine as an average for black tea, but one 8-ounce cup can range from about 15 to 75 mg.

EXCERPT from Caffeine Basics:

Product Profile: Guayaki Yerba Maté Organic Energy Shot, Lime Tangerine

A 2-fluid ounce bottle sells for around $3
140 mg caffeine
35 calories
USDA organic; fair trade certified, vegetarian, kosher
Main ingredients: organic yerba mate, goji berry, acerola cherry, and ginger (with purified water, citric acid, organic lime and tangerine extracts)
Sweetener: organic evaporated cane juice
Contains: 1670% of Vitamin B-12 RDA, 100% of Vitamin C RDA; antioxidants
NO: GMO’s, High Fructose Corn Sweeteners, Preservatives, Artificial flavors or Colors.
Also comes in Lemon and Chocolate-Raspberry flavors.

Velvet Coffee Steak Marinade

April 4, 2013 By Kate Heyhoe

My secret ingredient: vanilla extract. Like plush velvet, the vanilla softens the coffee in this marinade, while the maple syrup and balsamic vinegar tame coffee’s bitterness. Coffee shines through, without being overpowering, and the ground beans add a nice visual texture. Got some flavored coffee beans on hand? Use them here, especially buttery ones like creme brulee-flavored beans.

Makes about 1/2 cup

3 tablespoons coarsely ground coffee beans
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

To use: Combine all ingredients. Marinate 2 pounds of steak (such as top sirloin or flank steak) 2 hours or up to overnight, refrigerated. Season steaks with salt and pepper before broiling, grilling or pan-frying.