14 recipes for spicing up food with coffee

No one thinks twice about coffee as a drink, but add coffee to a food recipe, and suddenly the dish is considered exotic. The truth is, coffee's roasted quality, bitterness, and acidity make it a perfect complement to sweet, bold, earthy, or nutty ingredients, ultimately yielding a taste combination that is surprisingly complex. After all, what would Tiramisu be without espresso? Mocha exemplifies the almost intuitive marriage of coffee and chocolate. And perhaps you've noticed more savory meat dishes that now list coffee as an ingredient on menus? They're all capitalizing on coffee's tenderizing qualities as well as robust flavor. In short, these 14 sweet and savory dishes showcase coffee's culinary versatility.

1.Jamaican Coffee Brownies with Pecans

They say to cook only with wine you would drink. The same ought to apply to cooking with coffee. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is regarded as one of the world's best due to its lack of bitterness and its overall smoothness and sweet flavor.

Suggested Wine Pairings for this Recipe:

• Blandy's Madeira Malmsey 15 Year
• Quinta Do Noval Porto Fine Ruby
• Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel Désirée Chocolate Dessert Wine

2.Tiramisu

The Italians knew what they were doing when they mixed strong coffee with the light yet rich custardy zabaglione.

Suggested Wine Pairings for this Recipe:

• St. Supéry Vineyards Moscato 2006
• Mount Horrocks Riesling Cordon Cut 2006
• Colosi Passito di Pantelleria 2004

3.Barbecue Chicken Hoecakes with Vinegar Slaw

The brown sugar and coffee barbecue sauce coating the chicken provides a gently sweet and slightly acidic bite.

Suggested Wine Pairings for this Recipe:

• St. Supéry Vineyards Moscato 2006
• Mount Horrocks Riesling Cordon Cut 2006
• Colosi Passito di Pantelleria 2004

4.Coffee-Rubbed Cheeseburgers with Texas Barbecue Sauce

In an unusual twist, coffee amps up the rub's herbal flavors as well as adding subtle texture to the traditional burger.

Suggested Wine Pairings for this Recipe:

• Artazuri Navarra Santa Cruz de Artazu 2004
• Altos Las Hormigas Malbec 2008
• Mettler Family Vineyards Petite Sirah 2005

5.Dark-Roast Coffee Gelée

Why serve coffee along with dessert when there's a grown-up version of Jell-O? The intense coffee flavor may not be everyone's, ahem, cup of tea, but for coffee drinkers who take theirs black, the bittersweet taste will be perfect.

Suggested Wine Pairings for this Recipe:

• Blandy's Madeira Malmsey 15 Year
• Quinta do Noval Porto Fine Ruby
• Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel Désirée Chocolate Dessert Wine

6.Short Ribs Braised in Coffee Ancho Chile Sauce

Coffee's roasted flavor acts as the perfect mellowing agent—as well as medium—for infusing the short ribs with much-needed flavor from the chiles.

Suggested Wine Pairings for this Recipe:

• Robertson Winery Shiraz Wolfkloof 2004
• La Crema Sonoma Pinot Noir 2007
• Seghesio Old Vine Zinfandel 2006

7.Affogato Mocha

This icy-cold version of a coffee cocktail is perfect for those of you who take your coffee with some cream and sugar.

Suggested Wine Pairings for this Recipe:

• Blandy's Madeira Malmsey 15 Year
• Quinta do Noval Porto Fine Ruby
• Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel Désirée Chocolate Dessert Wine

8.Coffee-Marinated Bison Short Ribs

Tenderizing meat with coffee makes sense due to coffee's natural acidity. And because beef is a hearty ingredient, it won't be overpowered by the coffee's flavor.

Suggested Wine Pairings for this Recipe:

• Paul Achs Blaufränkisch Altenberg 2006
• E. Guigal Hermitage Rouge 2002
• D'Arenberg d'Arrys Original Shiraz/Grenache 2005

9.Cappuccino-Fudge Cheesecake

This cheesecake is a showstopper: Not only is it visually arresting but the decadent combination of coffee and chocolate in a creamy cheesecake will have everyone scrambling for seconds.

Suggested Wine Pairings for this Recipe:

• Ficklin Tinta Port NV
• Allegrini Recioto Della Valpolicella Classico 2005
• De Bortoli Noble One 2005

10.Spice-Coated Rack of Lamb for Two with Arugula, Avocado, and Blood Orange Salad

The spice coating pairs coffee with cocoa, and along with cumin, garlic, and black pepper, the blend results in a very aromatic and tender lamb dish.

Suggested Wine Pairings for this Recipe:

• Folie à Deux Ménage à Trois Rosé 2006
• Heitz Cellars Grignolino Rosé 2006
• Heitz Grignolino 2005

11.Mocha Mousse with Sichuan Peppercorns

Coffee and chocolate go hand in hand, as do chiles and chocolate. Mix them together, and you get hints of spiciness, bitterness, and sweetness in a smoothly textured dessert.

Suggested Wine Pairings for this Recipe:

• Blandy's Madeira Malmsey 15 Year
• Quinta do Noval Porto Fine Ruby
• Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel Désirée Chocolate Dessert Wine

12.Coffee Fruitcake

Coffee rehabilitates fruitcake's tired image by adding depth to the spices and dried fruit.

Suggested Wine Pairings for this Recipe:

• Blandy's Madeira Malmsey 15 Year
• Quinta do Noval Porto Fine Ruby
• Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel Désirée Chocolate Dessert Wine

13.Jalapeño Cheeseburgers with Bacon and Grilled Onions

Coffee in a burger recipe? Surprisingly, using coffee in the glaze tempers Worcestershire's overtly sweet and sour flavors.

Suggested Wine Pairings for this Recipe:

• E. Guigal Saint-Joseph Vignes de l'Hospice 2003
• St. Amant Zinfandel Mohr-Fry Ranch Old Vines 2007
• Barton & Guestier Rose d'Anjou 2007

14.Candied Espresso Walnuts

The espresso flavor is plain as day in this caffeine booster of a nutty treat.

See More of Our Favorite Foods and Recipes:

• Our Favorite Chilis
• Our Favorite Vegan Recipes
• Our Favorite Ice Cream Cakes and Ice Cream Sandwiches