Coffee Crunch Recipes

Steps:

• Line a rimmed baking sheet with a nonstick cooking mat; set aside.
• In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, coffee, and corn syrup. Bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat to 300 degrees on a candy thermometer.
• Remove from heat for 10 seconds. Sift baking soda evenly over sugar syrup. Whisk just until combined. Pour immediately into the center of the prepared baking sheet. Let stand, without spreading, until cool, about 30 minutes.
• When ready to use, tap the crunch lightly with a spoon or knife handle to crack. Break into irregular pieces.

Steps:

• For the base: Line a baking sheet with parchment and put a 15-by-11-inch ring mold on top. Spray the parchment and ring mold with cooking spray.
• Melt the praline paste and white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) a saucepan of simmering water, stirring to combine. Fold in the feuilletine. Spread evenly on the bottom of the prepared ring mold. Sprinkle the crushed toffee pieces over the crust. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• For the mousse: Put the milk chocolate in a large bowl. Bloom the gelatin sheets in a bowl of ice water until soft, about 5 minutes.
• Bring the milk, coffee extract, salt and bloomed gelatin to a boil in a medium saucepan. Puree with an immersion blender until smooth, then strain through a fine mesh sieve over the milk chocolate. Let sit for 5 minutes, then stir with a rubber spatula to combine. Allow to cool to 90 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.
• Meanwhile, whip the cream by hand or with an electric mixer on medium speed until it holds a ribbon on the surface when the whisk is lifted.
• Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture in 3 additions. Pour over the feuilletine base and smooth evenly with an offset spatula. Allow to set, about 45 minutes, then wrap with plastic wrap and freeze the layered base overnight.
• For the cremeaux: Put the white chocolate and glucose syrup in a large bowl. Bloom the gelatin sheets in a bowl of ice water until soft, about 5 minutes.
• Bring the cream, milk and bloomed gelatin to a boil in a large saucepan. Strain through a fine mesh sieve over the white chocolate and glucose. Let sit for 2 minutes, then stir with a rubber spatula to combine. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface so it doesn't form a skin and cover the bowl with another piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Flip the frozen layered base over (still in the ring mold), peel off the parchment and place on another parchment-lined baking sheet. Run a hot knife around the edges of the layered base and lift the ring mold to remove. Let sit at room temperature until it can be cut, 15 to 20 minutes and no more than 30 minutes. Test by touching the center with your fingertip. If it leaves a fingerprint, it's ready to cut.
• Cut into 1-by-4-inch inch bars (or whatever size you want). Whip the cremeux to stiff peaks with an electric mixer on medium-high speed and place in a piping bag with a small plain round or star pastry tip. Pipe the cremeux in small dollops or rosettes on top of each bar.

Steps:

• Whisk the condensed milk, espresso powder, 1 tablespoon heavy cream and the salt in a large bowl until smooth. (The espresso powder may look speckled.)
• Beat the remaining 1 1/2 cups heavy cream in a separate large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Fold about half of the whipped cream into the condensed milk mixture with a rubber spatula until combined, then fold in the remaining whipped cream until no white streaks remain.
• Dot the mixture with the dulce de leche and sprinkle with all but a few teaspoons of the toffee bits; drag a rubber spatula through the mixture to lightly swirl.
• Spoon the mixture into a freezer-safe 9-by-5-inch loaf pan or 2-quart baking dish. Dot with more dulce de leche and sprinkle with the remaining toffee bits; drag a rubber spatula through the top to lightly swirl. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm and scoopable, at least 6 hours or overnight.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add 3/4 cup water, oil, egg yolks, zest, and vanilla; beat until smooth.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites on medium-high speed. With machine running, add remaining 3/4 cup sugar in a slow steady stream, beating until incorporated and stiff glossy peaks form.
• Remove bowl from mixer. Gently but thoroughly, fold beaten egg whites into batter, in two additions. Pour batter into a 10-inch tube pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Remove from oven, and invert onto a narrow necked bottle if your pan doesn't have feet. Let stand until cool, about 1 hour, before removing pan.
• Place cake on a serving platter. Cover cake with an even layer of frosting. Just before serving, sprinkle top and sides of cake generously with coffee crunch.

Steps:

• Prepare the fudge sauce: Set a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl. In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream, sugar, butter and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes.
• Whisk in the cocoa powder and cook for another minute or two, whisking occasionally, until the mixture is thick and glossy. Run the sauce through the sieve into the bowl, working out any lumps directly in the sieve. Stir in vanilla. Let cool completely, about 1 hour. (You should have about 2 cups.) About 30 minutes before you assemble the cake, remove the ice cream from the refrigerator to soften.
• To assemble the cake, spray a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan lightly with nonstick cooking spray. (This is just to help keep the plastic in place.) Press plastic wrap into the pan, making it as smooth as possible against the bottom and sides of the pan, leaving a 3-inch overhang on each of the two long sides.
• Spread one third of the softened ice cream (about 2 cups) evenly over the bottom of the pan. (If your ice cream is still too firm to spread, cut it into slices, arrange them in a layer and smooth using an offset spatula.) Lay 3 crackers over the top, breaking them to fit as needed. Top with 1/3 of the fudge sauce (about ⅔ cup), using an offset spatula to spread evenly, and half of the praline, patting into an even layer. Top with another 1/3 of the ice cream, 3 more crackers, 1/3 more fudge sauce and the remaining praline. Finish with the remaining 1/3 of ice cream and 4 more crackers. Use the plastic overhang to wrap the cake up tightly and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.
• To serve, unwrap the plastic wrap, then quickly rub the outside of the pan with a warm, moistened kitchen towel to loosen. Flip out onto a serving plate and remove the plastic wrap. Top with whipped cream and more chopped praline. Cut slices with a knife dipped in hot water. (If too hard to slice, let sit for a few minutes to soften.) Serve with the remaining fudge sauce, warmed, if desired.

Steps:

• For crust:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grind nuts with ground cookies and toffee in processor. Add 5 tablespoons butter; blend until nuts are finely chopped. To moisten crumbs, if necessary, blend in 1 tablespoon butter. Using plastic wrap as aid, press mixture onto bottom an dup sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Freeze 15 minutes.
• Bake crust until golden, about 12 minutes. Freeze crust.
• For ganache:
• Bring cream and corn syrup to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; whisk until melted and smooth. Cool to room temperature.
• For mousse:
• Whisk sugar, yolks, 1/3 cup water and espresso powder in large metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bowl to touch water); whisk until candy thermometer registers 160°F, about 3 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Add nutmeg. Using electric mixer, beat egg mixture until cool and thick, about 5 minutes.
• Beat 2 1/2 cups cream, liqueur and vanilla in another large bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold cream mixture and toffee into egg mixture. Spoon half of mousse into crust. Drizzle 1/4 cup ganache over. Using tip of knife, swirl mixtures together. Carefully spoon remaining mousse over; smooth top. Cover and freeze torte overnight. Cover remaining ganache; chill.
• Rewarm remaining ganache over low heat, whisking just until slightly softened but not melted. If necessary, let stand until firm enough to pipe. Spoon ganache into pastry bag fitted with star tip. Run sharp knife around torte pan sides. Release pan sides. Pipe ganache in lattice design atop torte. Pipe ganache in star shapes around border. Garnish with almonds. (Can be prepared 1 week ahead. Freeze until lattice sets, then cover and keep frozen.)

Steps:

• For the cake: Adjust rack in lower third of oven, preheat to 350 degrees. Sift the flour, 3/4 cup of the sugar and the salt onto a sheet of wax paper, set aside.
• In a small bowl using an electric hand mixer, beat the egg yolks with 1/4 cup of the sugar until the mixture is thick and pale in color. Add the water and continue to beat until thickened, about 4 minutes. Whisk the egg whites in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer just until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to whisk until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a steady stream, whisking until thicker, stiffer, glossy peaks form, about 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest.
• Pour the yolk mixture over the beaten egg whites. Fold the two mixtures together with a rubber spatula. Using a metal spatula, scoop up a third of the flour mixture and sprinkle it over the surface, fold in with the rubber spatula. Repeat 2 more times just until the ingredients are incorporated. Gently pour batter into an ungreased 10-inch round tube pan with removable bottom (like an angel food pan). Level the surface with the rubber spatula.
• Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until the top springs back slightly when lightly touched, and sounds spongy. Remove the cake from the oven and invert the pan over a long-necked bottle to cool for about 45 minutes. To remove the sponge from the pan, carefully slip a flexible metal spatula down one side of the pan and slowly trace the perimeter to release the cake. When the sides are free, push up on the removable bottom to release the cake completely. Tilt the cake, with the bottom still attached, and gently tap the bottom against the counter to loosen the cake. Rotate the cake, tapping a few more times, until it appears free. Cover the cake with a rack and invert, remove the bottom of pan. Let cool to room temperature.
• Coffee crunch topping: Generously oil a large baking sheet. Sift the baking soda onto a small sheet of wax paper, set nearby. Combine the coffee, sugar and corn syrup in a deep, heavy 4-quart saucepan. Place over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. When the mixture is clear and it begins to boil, increase the heat to medium-high and cook until the mixture reaches 290 degrees on candy thermometer. Toward the end of cooking, around 270 to 280 degrees, stir occasionally to prevent the mixture from scorching and becoming too foamy.
• Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. The mixture will foam up fiercely. While mixture is still foaming, pour it out onto the oiled baking sheet. Do not spread, just let it cool undisturbed for at least 1 hour.
• Break or crush into very small pieces by placing between 2 sheets of wax paper and tapping or rolling with rolling pin. Store in airtight container.
• Frosting: Combine cream, sugar and vanilla in a bowl and beat until the cream holds soft peaks.
• To assemble: Slice the cooled cake into 3 equal layers using a serrated knife. Spread whipped cream between each layer, carefully stacking the layers. Spread the remaining whipped cream over the top and sides of the cake. Refrigerate. Just before serving, generously sprinkle top and sides with coffee crunch.

Steps:

• In a large container, combine the coffee, milk and sugar; stir until sugar is dissolved. Spoon ice cream into a punch bowl; pour coffee mixture over the top. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Serve immediately.