Meant to ‘bean’ with coffee

Down foodpath

The only time I have seen my dad enter the kitchen is to make his morning black coffee. Even if my mother was awake, my dad would always be the one to make the coffee. He’d be the only one to have it too, that was until I decided to join the club.

My sister stayed away due to an irrational belief that drinking black coffee causes people to become dark. It was a careless statement by an elder but effective enough to create a mental block. It was either milk coffee or nothing at all.

I, on the other hand, wanted to do everything my dad would do. From walking around the house shirtless and carrying heavy packages to having coffee as soon as I woke up, I wanted to do it all.

Soon, my day started with a cup of black coffee, followed by milk coffee with my breakfast. Followed by a cup in the evening. I loved coffee so much that it quickly became the only drink I enjoyed.

In college, coffee became a must-have, especially when I had to pull an all-nighter before exams. As an incentive, my mother would leave a flask of hot black coffee and a packet of biscuits on my study table. However, instead of helping me stay awake, the coffee made me sleep more peacefully.

When I started homoeopathy treatment for migraine attacks, my worst fears came true when the doctor told me to stop having coffee. But did I listen to her? Of course not, though I did limit the number of cups.

Over the years, no matter how late I was, I wouldn’t leave the house without my black coffee. It has become a way of life for me. Though it doesn’t keep me awake or energised, there’s something about sipping a hot cup of coffee that cannot be explained in words.

So the other day when my domestic help broke my French Press Coffee Maker, I was devastated. But I calmed myself, immediately ordered a new one and went on to make coffee the old-fashioned way (boiled hot water and added coffee powder to the pot and let it simmer). The aroma that filled the house was heavenly. Coffee can also be used to make desserts like cakes and ice cream.

As we gear up to celebrate International Coffee Day on October 1, here’s my recipe for a coffee cake.

Coffee Cake

Ingredients
* All-purpose flour, 2 cups
* White sugar, 1 cup
* Baking powder, 2 tsp
* Instant coffee, 1 tbsp
* Salt, 1/2 tsp
* Butter, 1/2 cup
* Egg, 2
* Vanilla extract, 1 tsp

Method
* Pre-heat the oven to 180-degree C. Grease the baking pan with butter and flour.
* Boil 1 cup of water and add the coffee powder. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes and allow it to cool.
* In a medium bowl, add the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Mix well.
* In another bowl, whisk the eggs and add it to the dry ingredients.
* Add the melted butter to the mix.
* Add vanilla essence and mix well.
* Add the coffee decoction to the wet ingredients and mix well. Don't leave any lumps.
* Pour it in the pan and bake it for 30 to 33 minutes. To know if the cake is cooked all the way through, insert a skewer or toothpick into the middle. If it comes out clean, it's good to go.
* Leave it to cool in the pan for five minutes and then turn it out onto the wire rack to cool completely before cutting a piece.