Cappuccino Muffins
(Gives 12 large muffins)

3/4 cup of cake flour
1 1/4 cup of unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup of cocoa powder
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1 tablespoon of ground coffee
1/2 teaspoon of salt
6 tablespoons of soft butter
1 cup of sour cream
1 cup half and half
2 eggs
Zest of 2 oranges, minced
3/4 cup of finely chopped bittersweet chocolate

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Mix all the dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, mix the butter, sour cream, half and half, and eggs until smooth. Add the dry ingredients as well as the zest and chocolate until they are just moistened. Fill twelve buttered muffin cups, and bake until the tops are firm, which should be about 15 minutes.

Chocolate Coffee Beans
(Gives about 1 1/2 cups)

1 cup of coffee beans
4 ounces of milk chocolate
3 tablespoons of cocoa

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Place the coffee beans on a tray and roast them for about 8 to 10 minutes. Let them cool. Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie (double boiler) until it is very creamy. Pour the coffee beans into the chocolate and stir them until they are completely coated. Remove the coffee beans with a pierced spoon and allow the excess chocolate to drip off. Place the beans on a sheet of waxed paper, separating them so they do not stick together. Once the coffee beans have cooled sufficiently but the chocolate is still a little soft, roll the beans in your hands to form round balls. Then, roll each ball in cocoa and put them aside until the chocolate has hardened. These small treats are divine company with an espresso at the end of a meal.

Espresso Burnt Cream
(Serves 6)

2 cups of heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup of granulated sugar
1/2 cup of brewed espresso
3 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup of brown sugar
2 tablespoons of finely ground espresso

Preheat the oven to 300ºF. In a medium saucepan, mix the cream, milk, granulated sugar, and brewed Espresso. Place the mixture over medium heat for 3 to 6 minutes, or until warm; do not let the mixture boil. Remove from heat. In a bowl, beat together the eggs and egg yolks. Gradually whisk the beaten eggs into the heated mixture. Cook over medium heat again for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Pour the entire mixture into eight 6-ounce custard cups and place the cups in a shallow oven dish. Add water to the dish to halfway up the side of the cups. Bake for 34 to 45 minutes, or until the custards are set in the centre. Remove from the dish and let sit for 1 hour.

Turn the oven to broil. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly on top of each custard. Place under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes or until the sugar begins to melt; be careful not to burn it. While the brown sugar is still warm, sprinkle the top of each custard lightly with the ground espresso.

Tiramisu
(12 portions)

6 egg yolks
1 1/4 cup of sugar
1 1/4 cup of mascarpone cheese
1 3/4 cup of heavy cream, whipped so that it forms peaks
1 3/4 cup of cold Espresso
2 tablespoons of brandy
2 tablespoons of grappa (or brandy)
48 ladyfingers
Unsweetened chocolate powder

Using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and the sugar until the mix is creamy. Add the mascarpone and mix at low speed for 2 minutes. Add the whipped cream and set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix the espresso, brandy, and grappa. Dip 15 ladyfingers, one at a time, in the espresso mixture and arrange them on a 10-inch by 15-inch tray so that they form a 7-inch by 13-inch rectangle. Cover with half of the mascarpone mixture. Repeat the layers with the lady fingers dipped in espresso, then the remaining marscapone mixture. Using a sifter, powder the chocolate uniformly on the tiramisu. Cut the remaining 18 ladyfingers in two and arrange them vertically around the cake, the cut sides on the bottom. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Cut in squares to serve.