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Sweet Partners
Matching Coffee and Dessert for a Perfect Ending

(Family Features) - Holiday meals deserve a special ending, and the right coffee can elevate desserts from the ordinary to the sublime. Many super- markets now offer a wide selection of gourmet coffees, and each has its own special characteristics that can complement your menu.

So how do you make a good match? First, consider the coffee itself. While many blends are made with Robusta beans, the best use only premium Arabica. Arabica coffee is grown in more than 30 countries, usually at higher altitudes, where it slowly matures and develops a complex, concentrated flavor.

After harvest, the beans are roasted to release that flavor. The level of roast — light, medium, medium-dark, or dark — dictates the intensity of each coffee and helps determine which sweets it will pair with best.

Light roasts are delicately flavored and sometimes have a floral or tea-like quality that enhances lighter desserts such as an orange-glazed pound cake. Medium-roast coffees have a fuller flavor that matches weightier desserts like cheesecake or apple pie à la mode.

Match chocolate éclairs or decadent brownies with a full- bodied, flavorful medium-dark roast coffee or espresso. And the bittersweet smokiness of a French roast or other dark roast coffee is the perfect foil for a luxurious bread pudding.

"If you have a really rich dessert, lighter coffees just get lost," says Millstone Master Blender Rich Bertagna, who suggests going to www.millstone.com for more pairing possibilities. "Your coffee has to have the flavor strength to stand up to your dessert."

Of course, you can indulge without the calories by selecting a flavored coffee instead. The aroma of Millstone's Holiday Peppermint or Caramel Truffle coffees creates a festive mood, and their taste delivers the satisfaction of dessert without the guilt.

What better way to celebrate?

Pound Cake With Orange Glaze
A delicious delight from chef Marilyn Harris.

6 eggs, room temperature
6 egg yolks, room temperature
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
1 pound unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 3/4 cups cake flour
Glaze:
3 cups confectioners' sugar
4 to 5 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Orange slices, optional

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease 10-inch tube pan. Combine eggs, egg yolks, orange juice and zest in medium bowl. Beat just to combine. Place softened butter in mixing bowl, and beat a full 2 minutes. (If you have a mixer with a paddle attachment, use it.) Gradually add sugar and continue beating 5 minutes. Slowly add egg mixture, beating additional 5 minutes. Add salt. Sift flour and fold in, 1/3 at a time. Be sure flour is well incorporated. Pour into prepared tube pan. Bake 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool completely on rack before removing cake from pan.

To make glaze, combine confectioners' sugar and orange juice, adding just enough to make thin frosting. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle over cake. Decorate with orange slices, if desired.

Serves 12

The Perfect Espresso

Espresso, which comes from the Latin word meaning "to press out," was once only available at coffee bars, but now you can make it at home in less than a minute. Here's how:

Make sure your espresso machine is clean and that you're familiar with its operation.
Select a medium-dark espresso coffee, such as Millstone's Espresso Mezzo, that has been slow roasted for a richer flavor.
Buy whole espresso beans from a supermarket that guarantees freshness, and buy only as much as you'll use in one week.
Grind your beans just before brewing. While aficionados prefer a burr grinder, a blade- or chopper-type grinder also works well, as long as you give it a shake or two to ensure even grinding.
To brew, begin with 2 tablespoons of ground espresso coffee and 1 1/2 ounces of fresh distilled or good-tasting tap water per serving. Follow your machine's brewing instructions. Remove the carafe immediately after the brewing cycle finishes.
Serve espresso in a warm demitasse cup with a rich treat like chocolate truffles on the side.

Coffee Tip

Use unbleached filters in your coffee maker for a cleaner flavor without the chlorine taste bleached filters can sometimes impart, says Millstone Master Blender Rich Bertagna.

SOURCE: Millstone Coffee