Coffee connoisseurs enjoy the rich variety of beans and roasts available for consumption, as well as the numerous ways in which you can dress up your coffee drinks. However, chefs from around the world have been using coffee in other ways. The more coffee recipes that are created, the more it proves that coffee is not just a drink anymore. If you really love coffee, you may enjoy some of the following ideas about how to incorporate coffee in just about everything you eat.

Coffee in Appetizers

Coffee beans are frequently ground into splinters or powder and then used to create appetizers in the form of a cream sauce, a sprinkling across the top of the appetizer or as a glaze. You can experiment with coffee appetizers by mixing it with cayenne or chili pepper for an Aztec influence, or various syrups like maple to drizzle on a crepe. Just be careful with how you use it, because coffee has a very strong flavor and you do not want your appetizers to be overpowered by it.

Coffee in Main Dishes

Ground coffee works amazingly well as a rub for red meats. It provides an extra layer of roasted flavor to roasted meats, so long as you use it sparingly. It is also nice as a demi-glace when paired with a fruit reduction sauce such as raspberry or cherry. Steaks and lamb work best, although you could try it on more game-y animals like bison or deer (venison).

Coffee in Desserts

Coffee desserts reign supreme, as they are far and away the largest category of recipes available. This is due, in part, to coffee finding its way into desserts several decades ago (sometimes longer!). Tiramisu is one popular dessert that requires you to soak lady finger cookies in brewed coffee and coffee liqueur. Swiss cake rolls that use a coffee cream filling are another popular dessert. Any recipe that successfully combines chocolate and coffee for a mocha flavor is also worth trying.

Coffee in Alcoholic Drinks

There are several coffee-flavored and coffee-enhanced alcoholic beverages on the market now too. Many of these liqueurs and beverages are combined in a whole new category of both hot and cold drinks that you can enjoy separate from your meal or with it. Some people also indulge in these drinks as a post-meal digestion aid and stress-relieving drink. You can request that the drinks be made with regular coffee or decaf, or make them the way you want at home.

For more ways to use coffee, contact companies like Monin.