Oak & Bond Coffee: New Year’s Recipes

Oak & Bond Coffee Company in Charlotte, North Carolina introduced us to their stimulating range of whole bean coffee, aged in barrels of: Bourbon Whiskey from Kentucky; Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa, California; and Scotch Whisky from Scotland. If Oak & Bond Coffee Co. improved the coffee experience from ordinary to extraordinary, how can we help start the New Year?

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“The coffee beans from Ethiopia appear very light. The fresh coffee grounds smell a little earthy. The grounds are a warm orange color. I smell the fresh roast. I can taste the Meyer lemon. The taste is refreshing!”

Last time we introducted to you recipes ideal for the holidays. With the New Year fast approaching, we decided to take the approach of out with the bad, in with the good. New recipes sounded good: Tiramisu and Coffee Egg Nog. The Tiramisu would feature Oak & Bond Coffee Co. Ethiopia Tigist Waqo whole bean coffee. And the Coffee Egg Nog would showcase the familiar Oak & Bond Coffee Co. Bourbon Whiskey barrel aged whole bean coffee. Since the Ethiopia Tigist Waqo was new to us, we needed to investigate this further with a solo flight tasting.

I asked everyone for their first impressions of the Ethiopia Tigist Waqo as whole beans, fresh ground and tasted straight. My mom: “The coffee beans from Ethiopia appear very light. The fresh coffee grounds smell a little earthy. The grounds are a warm orange color. I smell the fresh roast. I can taste the Meyer lemon. The taste is refreshing!” Lisa: “The Tigist Waqo coffee beans have an interesting color variation. Some beans are lighter than others. The coffee grounds are beautiful, kind of a chocolatey brown with a little reddish undertone. The fresh grounds smell earthy with a hint of sourness. The Meyer lemon is unexpected and activates my taste buds. The more I drink, the more the flavors come out and come together!” And me: “The Oak & Bond Ethiopia Tigist Waqo coffee beans have size and color variation. The fresh grounds show off a color like clove. I can smell a hint of something between charred wood and dark cocoa. The taste is a blend of roasted quality with cocoa, a little earthiness and Meyer lemon. The body is very light. This is deep and citrusy!” We also tasted the Ethiopia Tigist Waqo with a splash of unsweetened almond milk, after which we all agreed that while the experience wasn’t spoiled, the overall flavor spectrum was muted. Straight was best.

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The first recipe, Tiramisu, features Ethiopia Tigist Waqo whole bean coffee at 2/3 cup. Sweetness and coffee ratios can be adjusted to taste. All recipes were sourced from The World Encyclopedia of Coffee by Mary Banks, Christine McFadden and Catherine Atkinson.

Tiramisu:

• 1 cup mascarpone
• 1/4 cup icing sugar, sifted
• 2/3 cup Oak & Bond Coffee Co. Ethiopia Tigist Waqo coffee, chilled (can be adjusted for strength)
• 1-1/4 cups double cream
• 3 tbsp coffee liqueur (we used Kahlúa)
• 4 oz. Savoiardi sponge finger biscuits
• 2 oz. bittersweet or plain chocolate, coarsely grated
• cocoa powder for dusting

1. Lightly grease and line a 2-lb. loaf tin with clear wrap. Put the mascarpone and icing sugar in a large bowl and beat for about a minute. Stir in 2 tbsp of the chilled coffee. Mix well.
2. Whip the cream with 1 tbsp of the coffee liqueur until soft peaks form. Stir a spoonful into the mascarpone mixture, then fold in all the rest. Spoon half of the mascarpone mix into the loaf tin and smoothen the top.
3. Put the remaining chilled coffee and coffee liqueur  in a shallow bowl large enough to dip the biscuits. Dip one side of each biscuit into the coffee mixture, then lay flat on top of the mascarpone mix in a single layer.
4. Spoon the rest of the mascarpone mixture over the biscuits and smoothen.
5. Dip the remaining biscuits in the coffee mixture, and arrange flat on top. Drizzle remaining coffee mixture over the biscuits. Cover the tin with clear wrap and chill for at least 4 hours. Carefully flip the tiramisu out of the tin and onto a plate. Dust with cocoa powder. Sprinkle grated chocolate. Slice and serve.

Well, weren’t we so lucky? The Tiramisu came out perfectly and we had a whole Tiramisu to ourselves. If a little knowledge can be dangerous, then what kind of damage could we do with a whole Tiramisu? My mom: “I taste the Ethiopia coffee in the Tiramisu. This is a nice amount of coffee. The cream is not too sweet. I also taste the Kahlúa. This is the perfect balance. I like the Tiramisu best and then the Coffee Jellies. This is the right way to make Tiramisu!” Lisa: “Oh, the Tiramisu is very light. I taste the Tigist Waqo coffee and the Kahlúa. The coffee is so good in the biscuits; it’s refreshing. If we didn’t have the dark chocolate, this might be a little too sweet. The Tiramisu is the best of all the recipes we’ve made!” And me: “I would say of all the recipes we’ve made, the Tiramisu has the right amount of coffee. The Oak & Bond Ethiopia Tigist Waqo complements the dark chocolate very well. I pick up a warmth from the Kahlúa. The texture of the dark chocolate shavings on top of the Tiramisu adds nice texture. This is very smooth and light. The coffee-soaked biscuits give a rush of flavor. The Tiramisu would pair nicely with coffee or champagne!” The night was still young, and it was nowhere near midnight.

Next was Coffee Egg Nog, bringing back the Bourbon Whiskey barrel aged whole bean coffee at 1 cup.

“Oh, the Tiramisu is very light. I taste the Tigist Waqo coffee and the Kahlúa. The coffee is so good in the biscuits; it’s refreshing. If we didn’t have the dark chocolate, this might be a little too sweet. The Tiramisu is the best of all the recipes we’ve made!”

Coffee Egg Nog:

• 8 eggs, separated
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup Oak & Bond Coffee Co. Bourbon Whiskey coffee, cold (can be adjusted for strength)
• 1 cup bourbon, whisky, rum or brandy (we used Bulleit Bourbon)
• 1 cup cold double or heavy cream
• 1/2 cup whipped cream
• ground nutmeg for sprinkling

1. In a bowl, thoroughly beat the egg yolks, then slowly add sugar. Mix well.
2. Place in a large saucepan, and heat gently over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon.
3. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and allow to cool for a few minutes. Stir in the coffee and the bourbon. Slowly add the cream, stirring well.
4. Beat the egg whites until stiff and stir into the egg nog mixture until smooth. Pour into small glasses, and top with a dollop of whipped cream. Sprinkle nutmeg and serve.

To close the evening, we shared a toast with Coffee Egg Nog. We wanted to chase away the bad and welcome the good. My mom: “This Coffee Egg Nog isn’t heavy like what you find in stores. I can taste the bourbon but it’s not strong. The Bourbon Whiskey coffee adds a light flavor!” Lisa: “Oh, my, this is good. The warmth of the bourbon comes on with sweetness. The body of the Coffee Egg Nog is light and fluffy. The balance between the bourbon and the Bourbon Whiskey coffee is just right. The warmth feels nice. Next time I want to play with the ratio between coffee to bourbon!” And me: “I think the Coffee Egg Nog might do better with just a little more Bourbon Whiskey coffee. The bourbon itself is gentled down by the creaminess. This isn’t heavy at all. And it’s more refreshing than I thought it would be. This is a nice surprise of warmth from the bourbon and flavor from the Bourbon Whiskey coffee!”

“I think the Coffee Egg Nog might do better with just a little more Bourbon Whiskey coffee. The bourbon itself is gentled down by the creaminess. This isn’t heavy at all. And it’s more refreshing than I thought it would be. This is a nice surprise of warmth from the bourbon and flavor from the Bourbon Whiskey coffee!”

The Tiramisu might very well have been our best recipe. The Coffee Egg Nog was definitely the very best egg nog that we have ever tried. To be sure, I never liked egg nog. But this Coffee Egg Nog was worthy of thirds. Who’ll second that? Now that I think of it, I really enjoyed the Coffee Jellies with Oak & Bond Coffee Co. Cabernet Sauvignon barrel aged whole bean coffee. And the Coffee Panettone with the enhancement of Scotch Whisky barrel aged whole bean coffee from Oak & Bond Coffee Co. And the Granita di Caffé with another splash of the delightful Cab coffee. Why wait until New Year’s Eve or Day for a fresh start to chase away the bad and welcome the good? Which is good, better or best? The clock is ticking. Better make a move fast, and don’t drop the ball.

For more information about all the coffees and recipes mentioned, see my previous posts of Oak & Bond Coffee: Flight Tasting, and Oak & Bond Coffee: Holiday Recipes. Follow, like and comment. Cheers and see you in the Happy New Year!

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To learn more about Oak & Bond Coffee Company, and to order, visit Oak & Bond Coffee Co.

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