Coffee

Chocolate cake absolutely has to be two things: dark and moist. To make sure it is sticky and dense I use buttermilk. Adding coffee to chocolate cakes really brings out the flavor in the cocoa.

Don't just wake up to coffee and toast, wake up to coffee on toast with this caffeinated breakfast spread that's reminiscent of your favorite milky latte.

This has the authentic taste of that old-fashioned ripple of fudge. You can swirl it through just about any ice cream you like. Try it in old-fashioned Tin Roof Ice Cream with chocolate-covered peanuts.

Mixing toasted coconut into your coffee grounds before brewing creates a pleasant coconut flavor without any added syrups.

These cookies bring back the memory of those malteds. Instead of syrup, I use freshly ground espresso beans (although instant espresso or coffee works) and unflavored malt powder — you can find it in supermarkets — which gives the cookies a warm, mildly vanilla taste.

A perfect marriage of two of the very things that represent my love of food and culture: espresso and flan. It doesn’t get much better than this. The toasty almonds add great texture and the espresso will subtly keep you energized.

Two warnings about these cookies: Don’t give them to young children before bedtime and don’t leave them lying around, if you want any left for yourself. These cookies are crisp on the edges and have a chewy middle strewn with pockets of soft chocolate. The espresso powder, as Kelsey (The Naptime Chef) noted, amplifies the chocolate, but not the sweetness, making it a grown-up cookie. When making any cookies, make sure to cream the butter really well—this aerates the cookies and integrates the sugar—but be conservative with your mixing once the dry ingredients are added.