Coffee Break

Sales of home coffee makers are soaring, but there's much more to coffee than cappuccino. Here are some ideas for enjoying this wondrous bean. Chocolate Mousse Cake With Coffee Anglaise and Cafe Culture:

"Coffee tastes best fresh, so grind your own beans or buy just enough to use for a week or two. Store coffee beans and ground coffee in a cool, dry place in an airtight container. It was recommended that you store coffee in the refrigerator or freezer, but this is no longer the case."

Coffee Anglaise: 800ml milk; 150g coffee beans; 9 egg yolks; 170g caster sugar. Combine milk and beans in large saucepan, bring to the boil; remove from heat, cover, stand 1 hour. Whisk egg yolks and sugar in large bowl, whisk in milk mixture. Return mixture to same pan, stir over heat, without boiling, until slightly thickened, strain; cool to room temperature. Cover, refrigerate until cold.

Chocolate Mousse Cake: 7 eggs, separated; 90g icing sugar; 30g cocoa powder; 3 tablespoons corn flour; 160g dark eating chocolate, melted; 1 ½ tablespoon water; 4 ½ cups thickened cream; 650g dark eating chocolate, melted, extra.

Preheat oven to moderate (180°C/160°C fan-forced). Grease 25cm x 30cm Swiss roll pan; cover base and short sides of pan with baking paper 5cm above edges. Beat egg yolks and icing sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until light and creamy. Transfer to large bowl. Fold in sifted cocoa powder and corn flour, then chocolate; stir in the water.

Beat egg whites in medium bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form; fold into chocolate mixture in tow batches. Spread mixture into pan; bake about 15 minutes. Turn cake onto wire rack covered in baking paper; cool to room temperature.

Cut out circle of cake large enough to fit 26cm spring form tin, using smaller pieces to fit, if necessary. Beat cream in large bowl with electric mixer until slightly thickened. Fold in slightly cooled extra melted chocolate in four batches. Pour mixture over cake base, refrigerate until set. Remove cake from tin, dust with a little extra-sifted cocoa, if desired; serve with one of cafe culture.

Affogato: place 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream in cappuccino cup or dish and pour over one short of espresso. Alternatively, use strong coffee made in a plunger. If desired, splash on some Irish cream liqueur.

Iced Mocha: Dissolve 3 tablespoons instant coffee granules in 3 tablespoons of boiling water; add ¾ cup chocolate topping and 4 cups milk. Pour into glasses; top with ice cream and drinking chocolate.

Spiced Iced Coffee Milkshake: Place ¼ cup ground coffee and ¾ cup almost-boiling water into a plunger; stand before plunging. Add 2 bruised cardamom pods; ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Strain; blend with ice-cream and milk.