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Cooking On Deadline: Add a quick jolt of flavor with some instant coffee

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By J.M. Hirsch | Wednesday, April 23, 2008 2:18 PM CDT | () comments

It’s got to be good for something, right?

That’s the question I had about instant coffee. The answer: It might not be worth drinking, but instant coffee actually can be a quick cook’s secret ingredient, effortlessly adding deep, rich layers of flavor to all manner of sweet and savory dishes.

And don’t limit yourself to coffee. Instant espresso is widely available and packs even more flavor.

In many cases, you’ll need to experiment to determine how much coffee suits your tastes. Start small and taste as you add it. Too much instant coffee will produce bitter, off flavors.

The good news is that if you do add too much, it usually is easy to correct. A little sugar, honey, maple syrup or other sweetener usually will mellow the bitterness.

Here are some winners worth buying a jar of:

• Caramel sauce — Add a teaspoon or two to caramel sauce (a simmer of butter, cream, sugar and water). Or heat store-bought caramel sauce and stir in instant coffee. Try this over pancakes or drizzled on ice cream.

• Chili — Add a tablespoon or two during simmering. You won’t taste the coffee in the finished product, but it deepens the savory flavors of the dish, adding a wonderful richness.

• Chocolate cake — Mix a teaspoon or two of instant coffee in the milk for the batter for an exceptionally rich chocolate cake. It also can be added to chocolate frosting.

• Pancakes — Mix a teaspoon of either instant coffee or espresso in your pancake batter for a delicious accompaniment to your morning coffee.

• Butter — Soften a stick of butter in the microwave, then place it in a food processor. Add 1 teaspoon of instant coffee and pulse until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and refrigerate. Use on toasted bread or muffins.

• Cream cheese — Use the same method as above, but substitute cream cheese for the butter. For an 8-ounce package of cream cheese, add about a 1/2 teaspoon of coffee, 3 to 4 tablespoons of honey and 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder. Smear this mocha cream cheese on a bagel and sprinkle it with a bit of sugar.

• Seafood or meat rub — In a blender or food processor, combine 2 teaspoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon instant coffee. Process until well-combined, then use to dust or rub broiled or grill meat or salmon.

• Mocha shake — In a blender, combine 1 cup each of vanilla ice cream, chocolate ice cream and milk. Add 1 tablespoon of instant coffee and blend until smooth. Top with whipped cream and a cherry. Serves two.

J.M. Hirsch can be contacted by e-mail at jhirsch@ap.org.