Coffee lovers everywhere appreciate their favorite aromatic, fresh-brewed coffee every morning, and many know exactly how to create the perfect cup. On the Big Island, adding locally grown, 100 percent Kona coffee not just into the morning cup, but also in sweet and savory recipes, offers a whole new platform for chefs and foodies.
During this month’s Kona Coffee Cultural Festival, the KTA Super Stores Kona Coffee Recipe Contest gave many worthy home cooks, professional chefs and students from the Hawaii Community College — Palamanui Culinary Arts program, an opportunity to showcase their culinary and presentation skills. Sweet and savory entries featuring pure Kona coffee were judged on presentation, harmony of ingredients, craftsmanship and design. Winners received cash prizes, gift certificates and bragging rights.
“This year we changed the categories to sweet or savory to give entrants a broader use of 100% Kona coffee, and it worked. Some really innovative creations challenged, in a good way, the judges’ score sheets,” said Claire Robinson, the recipe contest’s chairperson. “We want to extend a big mahalo to KTA Super Stores for being such a great, long-standing partner in this event.”
Here is a list of this year’s winners:
Professional savory
First: Angela Kenyon, of Kukio Golf and Beach Club, for Kona braised short rib lasagna
Professional sweet
First: Suzanne Bearth for Kona coffee sticky toffee pudding with Kona coffee creme Anglaise
Amateur savory
First: Sabine-Maeva Andresen for Kona coffee poke
Amateur sweet
First: Sabine-Maeva Andresen for Kona coffee toffee cheesecake
College culinary student sweet
First: Madeleine LeBourveau, of Hawaii Community College — Palamanui for tarte aux cafe
It was no surprise that Bearth, pastry chef, artist, cookbook author, and owner of the first bakery in Kailua-Kona, came away with first place in the professional sweet category. Her “Suzanne’s Edible Art Cookbook” filled with enticing recipes for cakes, cookies, breads, and even gelato, along with her beautiful illustrations, is a testament to her creativity. Here she shares her winning recipe.
Kona coffee sticky toffee pudding with Kona coffee creme Anglaise
Pudding:
1/2 pound chopped dates (about 1 1/4 cups)
1/2 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons Hawaiian honey
2 tablespoons 100 percent Kona coffee (instant freeze dried)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon Hawaiian vanilla
8 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature (1 stick)
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs (room temperature)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and arrange a rack in the middle. Place chopped dates in heat-proof bowl; pour boiling water over, then add the honey, Kona coffee, baking soda, baking powder and Hawaiian vanilla. Let soak for 5 minutes.
While the dates soak, cream the softened butter and sugar in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the eggs; beat until combined and smooth, then add the flour and salt. Stir in soaked date mixture and mix until combined.
Coat 8 ramekins or a pudding pan with butter and flour. Divide the batter evenly among ramekins and set them in a roasting pan. Pour simmering water into the bottom of the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the side of the ramekins or pan. Very carefully place the baking pan on the center rack of the oven. Bake until the center of each cake is just set and the cake tester inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean, about 40-50 minutes.
Toffee sauce:
6 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cream
1 tablespoon 100 percent Kona coffee (instant freeze dried), dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot brewed Kona coffee
Melt butter in saucepan; add brown sugar, cream and Kona coffee, bring to a boil. Boil 2-3 minutes until mixture is velvety. Serve warm sauce over warm cake, and top with Kona coffee creme Anglaise (recipe follows.)
Kona coffee creme Anglaise:
2 large egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon 100 percent Kona coffee (freeze dried instant), dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot brewed Kona coffee
1 teaspoon Hawaiian vanilla
Whisk all ingredients in small saucepan until smooth.
Place saucepan over medium low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is hot and thickens slightly, and a food thermometer reaches 180 degrees, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Madeleine Le Bourveau, a student in the culinary program at Hawaii Community College — Palamanui earned first place in the student sweet category, and shares her recipe here. It consists of three components: a creamy mousse, a baked tart shell and a silky citrus curd.
Tarte aux cafe
Kona coffee chocolate orange mousse:
¾ cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons freeze dried Kona coffee
¼ cup Kona coffee and tea toddy concentrate
4 egg yolks
Zest of an orange
3 Tablespoons white granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt
6 ounces dark chocolate
3 gelatin sheets
2 egg whites
Whip the heavy cream in a small bowl until stiff peaks form; cover and chill in the refrigerator. Combine the freeze dried Kona coffee with the cold toddy concentrate; mix until smooth. In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks, coffee mixture, orange zest, salt and 2 tablespoons of the sugar. With a whisk, whip over a double boiler until mixture has lightened in color and almost double in volume. This may take a few minutes or until the mixture is 160 degrees. Temper the dark chocolate in the microwave and add to the egg mixture. Bloom the gelatin sheets in water in a heat safe container. Once pliable, dump out the excess water and melt the gelatin over the stove on low heat. Add to the egg yolk mixture and combine thoroughly. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites in a mixer until foamy. Add the remaining tablespoon of sugar; whip until firm peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate egg yolk mixture in several additions. Take care not to overmix. Add the whipped cream in the same manner. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
Kona coffee sugar dough tarte shells:
1 1/2 pounds unsalted butter
8 ounces sugar
½ tablespoon salt
4 egg yolks
2 teaspoons freeze dried Kona coffee
½ teaspoon water
1 pound + 5 ounces cake flour
1 cup macadamia nuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the butter and sugar in a large mixer with a paddle attachment. Add salt, then egg yolks, one at a time. Combine the freeze dried Kona coffee and water in a small bowl, and mix until smooth. Add to the dough in the mixer. Lastly, add the macadamia nuts and the flour, take care not to over-mix. Roll out by hand until the dough has reached desired thickness. Spray tart shell baking dishes with spray-on oil; lay the rolled out dough over the top. Press the dough into the shells evenly. Bake for 8-12 minutes until slightly browned. Let cool before filling.
Orange lilikoi curd:
Zest of 4 oranges
1 ½ cups white granulated sugar
¼ pound unsalted butter
4 eggs
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup Lilikoi juice
1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt
Zest the oranges; place the zest in a food processor along with the sugar. Pulse until the zest is very finely minced. Using a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter. Add the zest and sugar mixture; mix until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure each egg is fully combined before adding the next. Lastly, add the juices and salt. Cook over low heat in a small saucepan while stirring constantly. Be careful not to overcook and curdle the eggs. Curd should thicken to coat the back of a spoon and should be about 175 degrees when finished. Remove from heat and let cool in small containers. Store in refrigerator.
To assemble:
Divide mousse among tart shells, filling evenly. On each serving plate, make a swoosh of orange lilikoi curd; top with a filled tart. Place a curl of orange zest on top of each filled tart, if desired.