Coffee Cream Kisses

Coffee Cream Kisses are delightful little treats that combine the richness of custard with the intense aroma of coffee. Here’s how to prepare them:

Ingredients

• 250 ml of milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 50 g of sugar
• 20 g of flour
• 1 vanilla pod or a teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 or 2 tablespoons of strong espresso coffee or, depending on taste, instant coffee dissolved in a little water
• 200 g of shortcrust pastry (ready-made or to be prepared following your favorite recipe)
• Icing sugar for decoration

Preparation

1. Start with the coffee cream. Heat the milk in a saucepan with the vanilla pod split lengthwise to release its seeds. Bring it almost to a boil.
2. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until you get a light and frothy mixture, then add the flour and mix well to eliminate any lumps.
3. Remove the vanilla from the milk if you’ve used the pod, and slowly pour the hot milk over the egg mixture, stirring continuously to prevent the eggs from curdling.
4. Transfer everything back into the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk to prevent the cream from sticking, until it thickens.
5. Once the cream has thickened, turn off the heat and add the espresso coffee. Stir well until you achieve a smooth cream.
6. Pour the cream into a bowl and cover it with cling film in contact to prevent a skin from forming on the surface. Let it cool completely.
7. Meanwhile, roll out the shortcrust pastry to a thickness of about 5 mm and cut out circles with a pastry cutter.
8. Line tartlet or muffin tins with the pastry circles and prick the bottoms with a fork.
9. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and once the cream is cool, fill the pastry bases with the coffee cream.
10. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
11. Remove the Kisses from the oven and let them cool before unmolding.
12. Before serving, dust with icing sugar.

Curiosity

These little treats are perfect to accompany a coffee after dinner or for an afternoon break with a rich aroma of coffee. Variant: for an extra touch, you can add to the cream a small amount of coffee liqueur or grated orange zest for a contrast of flavors.