Doing more with: leftover coffee

I seem to be able to down a cup of black coffee faster and faster lately, but still, there are days when a small amount of that morning elixir remains at the bottom of the pot. Leftover coffee isn’t just found in the home, though. If you’ve ever sprung for one of those big boxes of coffee for your office buddies, you’ve probably found yourself with some cold remnants sloshing around when the party’s over.

Good coffee should never go down the drain, so here are a few ways to use it:

• Freeze it in cubes to avoid diluting iced coffee, or for making frozen coffee drinks in the blender.
• Make a coffee granita or sorbet.
• Even coffee can be made better with pork fat. Whip up some red-eye gravy with ham and biscuits. Coffee can also be a good base for a beef marinade.
• My favorite chocolate cake recipe is this one from Ina Garten, which uses brewed coffee in the cake and instant coffee in the icing. You can also just add a splash of coffee to your favorite brownie or chocolate cake recipe to enhance the flavor and add moisture.

What are your favorite uses for leftover coffee?

Permalink: http://news.fredericksburg.com/frontburner/2011/04/12/311/