Coffee powder.

[hippywife]

What the heck is it? I mean I've never seen it, but I'm usually not looking for it in the store, and only come across it when I'm looking at recipes asking for it or espresso powder.

Is it just a very finely ground coffee? Can I grind the beans extra fine and use that?

[sazemisery]

1. I have 3 answers

I have had this question in the past. I have gotten 3 answers. Take your pick:

1. Instant coffe.
2. Coffee beans ground fine.
3. Used espresso grinds, dried and ground fine.

Take your pick. I usually just grind the coffee beans extra fine.

[hippywife]

3. It is kinda confusing.

I'm thinking I'd take your route. When we make tiramisu, I just mix some of Bill's left over coffee (he brews it so strong!) and mix some Frangelico in with it for the lady fingers.

:hi:

[The empressof all]

2. I think they are referring to finely powdered instant coffee

I use the instant espresso...which is actually quite good

[hippywife]

4. I've started buying some

organic fair trade Cafe Feminino Mexican Pluma beans that smell absolutely heavenly when Bill's grinding it for his coffee, and I don't drink coffee but I just love how this smells. I'm thinking of using that. Also have a little bit of organic fair trade espresso beans in the freezer I might grinding really, really fine.

I just have never seen the instant espresso in the store. I've not looked for it at WF but not seeing it anywhere else really.

:hi:

[grasswire]

5. I've had a negative experience grinding beans to use that way.

I used them in the filling of a Hungarian torte for an event. Someone said (not knowing that I had made the cake) that the filling of the cake was like eating coffee grounds.

So I suggest trying to find powder. You could even use instant coffee granules and grind them. You won't have the dark flavor, though.

King Arthur sells the stuff.

[hippywife]

6. I think that person who said that

probably wouldn't appreciate a chocolate covered coffee bean, either. :hug:

[cbayer]

7. I love chocolate covered expresso beans, but I would agree that ground beans

might not be best for tiramisu. I usually just make some really, really strong espresso and use that. But instant would work as well.

I just don't think that a crunch, even a small crunch, would be pleasing in a tiramisu. But please let us know how it turns out.

:hi:

[hippywife]

8. The little grinder we have

does grind it to a powder pretty much. I have to be really careful if I do it for him, because I tend to overdo it and end up with that consistency. LOL

I was thinking about this for the triple chocolate cookies video recipe on the ATK email I posted about yesterday.

:hi:

[cbayer]

9. You know what, it sounds great in a cookie. Give it a shot!

Yum! I used to put coffee powder (instant coffee) on ice cream as a kid and I still love that combo.

:hi:

[Duer 157099]

10. It has to mean something that dissolves

Even the greatest grinder cannot produce a powder that will dissolve unless the original material is soluble.

A fine powder of coffee beans will still be a fine powder that does not dissolve.

Me, I love eating espresso beans, but the crunch is part of the given.

I always assume coffee powder means instant coffee of some sort. Soluble in water, in other words.

[hippywife]

11. I took some of the coffee

that was ground last night and ground it even finer. It was dust. Mixed it with two teaspoons of vanilla and it did dissolve for the most part. Good enough for the cookies and no detectable crunch whatsoever.

[Duer 157099]

12. Yeah, I suppose depending on the use you can get away with it

As long as you realize that the stuff is still there, just very small.