Coffee and Walnut Creams

  

I have been busy developing and writing some new recipes for my cookbook which is due out the end of April.  Do you remember that there used to be a cookie called Coffee Creams?  With a crisp biscuit/cookie on the outside and a coffee cream filling inside.  They were rectangular.  You don't seem to be able to find them anymore.   With those in mind I have been trying to create a similar biscuit to enjoy. Darn it if these are even more delicious than the original!!!  (Love it when that happens!)  Oh well, back to the drawing board!

When I saw the contents of the latest Degustabox I knew that I wanted to bake something with some of the contents, one of them being a lovely looking instant coffee.  We don't drink coffee, but there is nothing to prevent us from eating it so far as I know!

Degustabox is a monthly foodie subscription service that sends out a range of specially selected foodie products. There's always a great mix of new products that I haven't tried before, as well as plenty of treats from more established brands. Each Degustabox costs £12.99, delivery costs are included in the price, and there is no fixed contract involved - you can cancel at any time. I love getting these boxes. Its a little bit like Christmas for me when the box arrives every month. Here is a little bit about the January box I received.

  

QUINOLA MOTHERGRAIN Express Split Pea  1 X £2.49

Ready Cooked Organic and Fairtrade Pearl Quinoa with Split Peas. 100% Organic and packed full of nutrients, delicious hot or cold. A perfect accompaniment to any meal or a nutritious filler to eat on the go. The whole Quinola Mothergrain Express range is gluten free and suitable for vegans.

  

ASPIRE Healthy Energy Drinks 2 X £1.45

Aspire is a healthy energy, calorie free, sugar free beverage, that is made up using good-for-you ingredients. Aspire's active properties includes a premium grade green tea (EGCG), that provides healthy sustainable energy and helps support weight management. It also has other beneficial extracts, such as Ginger and Guarana, as well as being packed with key essential vitamins too. Aspire is the go to drink that really does deliver on many beneficial factors, so start your 2017 the right way.

    

 

FINN CRISP SNACKS  Seeds & Sea Salt 1 X £1.89

 New from Europe's most famous thin crispbreads producer, FINN CRISP Snacks offer you tasty, crunchy Seeds & Sea Salt for healthy anytime nibbling. Delicious, with a satisfying aromatic bite, they are high in fibre with no added fat, so you can enjoy them with guilt-free pleasure!  MOREISH!

   

NATVIA Natural Sweetener 1 X £4.99

You can bake and cook with Natvia Stevia Sweetener.

Natvia is 100% natural.
Natvia is derived from the Stevia plant.
We use the very best 100% natural ingredients to create our unique blend of Natural Sweeteners.
Expertly crafted to complement coffee and tea.
Low GI makes it ideal for diabetics.  I have used this in the past as I am diabetic and it is a product I like.  It works very well for baking.

  

BOOST PROTEIN DRINKS  1 X £1.29

When you have a million and one things to do in a day, you might just need a little help to get up and go. Say hello to Protein Boost; 20g of protein in a handy little bottle that's brimming with good stuff to get you through the day with a price that leaves a smile on your face.

   

THE COLLECTIVE Dairy Live Yogurt 1 X £2.00

Our passion at The Collective is to provide the greatest dairy imaginable!

We hope you enjoy trying our ridiculously tasty gourmet live yoghurt with its double layer of fresh fruit compote either side of our signature thick and creamy yoghurt that melts in your mouth.
Perfect for brekkie, a snack or dessert, in fact it's pretty scrummy any time of day.
What's more they contain no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives, are vegetarian and made using the finest British milk from the West Country... great dairy, no bull!  I am especially fond of the Lemon and the Mango flavours!  ( A coupon was received for this product that I could redeem for a free yogurt at the shops.)

 

CHOSAN Hibiscus Drink, Fiery Ginger 1 X £

 Completely organic our Hibiscus with Fiery Ginger benefits from the natural goodness of hibiscus flowers and root ginger. 100% natural ingredients, no artificial additives, preservatives or colouring. Containing just 73 calories per bottle it provides an appealing alternative to alcoholic drinks at the same time helping maintain a balanced lifestyle

Inspired by African tradition Organic Hibiscus drink with Fiery Ginger is thirst quenching, delicious and low in both calories and sugar.

Our beverage is tailored towards consumers who are discerning about what they eat and drink, and who are open to trying something new. They are adventurous, with curious palates and a healthy interest in cuisine from around the world. They are looking for something different, something refreshing and something healthy that is low in calories.

Low in calories and sugar, high in taste.  This works for me.

  

FRUITELLA  30% less sugar 1 X £1.25 

Fruit lovers inspired Fruittella to create delicious sweets! Now Fruittella has squeezed even more fruit juice into every sweet.

Enjoy the unmistakable fruity taste, with 30% less sugar.

Try something special:
- Even more fruity juice
- No Sweeteners
- Natural flavours & colourings
- 30% less sugar

I could not try this as I am diabetic, but it would be a great occasional snack for children where it has less sugar and is natural.

  

 YUSHOI Snapea Rice Sticks  Coconut & Chili 1 X £1.79

Calbee UK, manufacturer of Yushoi Snapea rice sticks, the baked snack made using green peas, has added a further product to its range as it continues to encourage consumers to #EnjoiYushoi. The Coconut and Chilli flavour, Seasoned with sweet coconut, a hint of chilli and fragrant spices, this product brings a delicious yet sophisticated option to the range of Japanese inspired snacks.  As a snack that is high in fibre and a good source of protein, Yushoi keep you fuller for longer, and have only 87 calories per 21g serving. In addition, the Coconut and Chilli flavour is suitable for vegetarians and vegans, as well as being nut and gluten free, and has only amber and green GDAs on front of pack. 

Nice.  I have had their snacks before and they go down really well.  ☺

  

CRABBIE'S Alchoholic Ginger Beer 1 X £1.39

With a legacy dating back to the 1800s, John Crabbie took over his father's business in 1827. Originating in Edinburgh John used the port of Leith to source his ingredients from around the globe.

Today the essence of Crabbie's Alcoholic Ginger Beer still uses John's recipe and the highest standard of quality ingredients. Made from real Asian ginger Crabbie's is crafted and steeped for six weeks with exotic spices. The Crabbie's craft is a sense of pride and the recipe is a company secret. Crabbie's Ginger Beer is available in Original and Scottish Raspberry. Best enjoyed chilled served over ice.

  

POPCHIPS Ridges, Crazy Hot 1 X £1.99

Created in California and now popping in the UK, Popchips are a naturally delicious line of popped potato chips.  Never fried. Never baked, Popchips are popped with heat and pressure for a snack so delicious you won't even notice it's (we hesitate to say) healthier. No wonder it's winning awards (and acclaim) as the fastest growing crisp company in the UK.  It's time to give your taste buds a spanking with new Popchips ridges, available in four cheeky flavours, all with big crunch for ultimate satisfaction.  They also make Bacon flavoured.  I  am not overly fond of really spicy things.  I would have preferred the bacon, so gave these to a friend who does like spicy things and they were enjoyed.

  

CHIA SHOTS 2 X £0.66

We bring chia to you in its simplest form. Pure, clean and sun ripened.

We let our chia ripen naturally in the sun and use gravity-fed irrigation to achieve the highest level of nutritional quality. We guarantee the levels of omega 3, fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals in every seed we produce, with full traceability right back to the paddock the seed was grown in. Black and white chia seeds are nutritionally identical, the only difference being the seed coat colour.

We recommend two chia shots (15g) of chia, every day. Sprinkle onto your muesli or cereals, into your salads or smoothies, or add to your baking.

 

PIPS REAL HOT CHOC CO 1 X £

 Artisan Real Hot Chocolate, hand made in Wales using real Belgian chocolate and all-natural ingredients. Gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free, but packed full of delight for everyone!

Because Pip uses real chocolate in his recipes, the sugar level is significantly lower than normal powdered hot chocolate, but the taste is far more natural and the mouth-feel is exactly like eating a good bar of chocolate. But warmer.

Available to buy for yourself (or others if you really wanted), or wholesale for serving fresh in cafés and coffee shops! What Pip really wants is the same love to be given to hot chocolate as we get in artisan coffee blends and micro-brew beers, etc. It's not an instant life, we need to take time to enjoy the better things. Even if that is just a few minutes to make a delicious drink.  YUM!

   

WE ARE LITTLES flavour infused instant coffee 1 X £ 

We Are Little's and what we do is pretty simple. We source great quality Arabica coffee and infuse it with awesome flavours from the natural world.

We are here to #LivenUpYourCup and show you that instant coffee doesn't have to be boring.

No surprise this was the product I decided to highlight with a recipe!

 

Like I said I have been busy developing new recipes for the cookbook which is due out the end of April and this is one of the things I have been working on.   I was really pleased with the way they turned out! 

 

Crispy and buttey double layered biscuits/cookies, flavoured with coffee, rolled in chopped toasted walnuts before baking and sandwiched together with a delicious coffee buttercream icing.  These were really,  REALLY nice.   Happy to say these made the cut!  (A little preview of some of the tastiness you can expect in my new book!)

*Coffee and Walnut Creams*

Makes about 20 double cookies

Printable Recipe 

These delicious cookies are very reminiscent of the cake by the same name.  Deliciously moreish!  Fabulous with your mid morning cuppa!

For the biscuits:

250g of butter (1 cup) at room temperature

190g of white sugar (1 cup)

110g of soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup, packed)

1 large free range egg

pinch salt

350g plain flour (2 1/2 cups)

2 tsp baking powder

4 heaped tsp of dry coffee powder dissolved in 60ml of hot water (1/4 cup)

(2 tsp of this mixture will be used in the cookie itself and 2 TBS in the filling)

115g of chopped walnuts (1 cup)  (you will not want them to be too coarse, but also not really fine)

For the filling:

130g of confectioners sugar (1 cup icing or powdered sugar) sifted

4 TBS butter, room temperature

2 TBS of above mixture (coffee)

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5.  Line several baking sheets with baking paper.

Cream together the butter and both sugars.  Beat in the egg and 2 tsp of the coffee mixture.   Sift together the salt, flour and baking powder.  Stir into the creamed mixture to combine well.  Roll the dough into walnut sized balls.  Place the chopped walnuts in a bowl.  Roll each ball into these and then place on the baking sheets, leaving 2 inches of space between for spreading.  Flatten to about 1/3 inch gently.   Sprinkle any remaining walnuts over top and lightly press to adhere.  Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or just until the edges begin to brown.  Let stand on the baking sheets for several minutes before scooping onto wire racks to cool completely.

Beat all of the filling ingredients together until smooth.  Spread onto half of the baked biscuits on the bottom sides and then top with the other half of the baked biscuits, with the bottoms facing the filling.  Store in an airtight container.

Note - you may have some coffee mix leftover.  Just add boiling water and enjoy a cup!

Many thanks to Degustabox UK for sending me this box. I have to say I really look forward to getting my box each month. There are always lots of things in it to enjoy and new products to try out. I highly recommend. You can also tailor the boxes to your own likes and dislikes by filling in your own Taste Profile. If you like the sound of the January 2017 box, you can obtain yours now here . Do check out the Degustabox web page for more information and details.   I can also offer you a discount code this month.  Just use OWCFI  and get your first box at a reduced price!​

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Bon Appetit!