Wednesday, April 14, 2010

National Library Week Day 3: Coffee Jello & Disney Giveaway

Coffee Jello
Coffee Jello
Yeah, this isn't the stuff you get in the hospital.

It's National Library Week! This is the 2nd annual celebration on my blog. As I say, I'm putting the Librarian in the Food Librarian!

Last month, I had dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant, and my friend ordered Vietnamese coffee - a combo of espresso and condensed milk. I love Vietnamese coffee, but I can't handle caffeine so I just had a sip. I knew I wanted to make it in Jello form. Right away.

The Japanese also make a coffee jello - sweetened black coffee gelatin cubes or cups. Often, it is served with cream. But I wanted mine all mixed together so it can be served easy-to-eat finger jello style.

Coffee Jello
I made this with Starbucks VIA (Starbuck's new instant coffee), Knox unflavored gelatin, and sweetened condensed milk. Because the milk is sweetened, I didn't add any additional sugar.

Coffee Jello
This was a CROWD favorite at the library. My co-workers love all coffee and mocha desserts. I brought it out at 3 pm and it was a perfect pick-me-up! Of course, you can make them with decaffeinated coffee...but the coffee drinkers will just look at you weird and wonder why anyone would do that.

Coffee Jello
I used mini-cupcake liners to serve the coffee jello. These are about 1-inch squares.

Coffee Jello
The Librarian Action Figure (modeled after real-life librarian and author Nancy Pearl) can eat a whole plate of coffee jello.

All this week, I'm highlighting a library thing (usually a public library thing b/c that's my gig). Today, it's Downloadable Media. My favorite provider is OverDrive. You can download audiobooks and eBooks to your home computer and transfer them to a portable device (such as MP3, iPod, Sony Reader, Barnes & Noble Nook). Remember that crazy 30 days of Bundts I did in November? I wouldn't have made it through all that baking and blogging without downloadable audiobooks. Downloadable media is free, easy to use and there are never any overdue fines. See if your library subscribes to OverDrive on their website.

National Library Week Giveaway - Disney Products
I'm having 5 days of giveaways during National Library Week!

To celebrate Day 3 of National Library Week, I'm giving away the following to one lucky winner:
a. Two Disney kitchen towels
b. Two Mickey Mouse shaped egg or small pancake molds

Living in Southern California has some disadvantages (our seasons are: Fire, Flood, and Earthquake) but sooooo many advantages. And one is buying the Disneyland Annual Pass. So, I picked up these cute kitchen Disney-themed items for today's giveaway!

Cinnamon-Oat Pancakes & Mickey Mouse Eggs
I have a set of the molds and made this last year (post here). Enter the contest so you can greet friends and family with fun shaped food. :)

To enter the Day 3 Giveaway, simply leave a comment below (one entry per person) and I'll pick the winner from a hat (aka Random). Deadline for all contests: Monday, April 19, 2010 at midnight PDT. If your comment isn't linked to a blog where I can find you, please leave your email. Shipping to U.S. addresses only. Librarian action figure not included.

Also, don't forget to enter the Day 1 Giveaway: Cookbook and Chef Post-its and Day 2 Giveaway: Loaf Pans. Good luck with the giveaway, make some Coffee Jello, and see you back here tomorrow!
- mary the food librarian

Recipe:
Click here for the printable recipe

Coffee Jello / Coffee Gelatin
1/2 c cold water
2 cups strong coffee, hot. I used two packages of Starbucks Via. The coffee needs to be strong. This isn't the time for Sanka instant. :)
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
3 packages of Knox unflavored gelatin

1. Place 1/2 c cold water in a bowl.
2. Sprinkle 3 unflavored gelatin packets over the water. Let sit until the gelatin blooms, about 10 minutes.
3. Stir in the hot coffee and mix until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
4. Stir in the can of sweetened condensed milk.
5. Pour into glass pan. Thickness of finished jello depends on the size of the pan. I used a 7 x 11 pan but a 9 x 13 pan will give you thinner pieces and an 8 x 8 pan will give you thicker pieces.

Note: The combo of coffee and sweetened condensed milk is inspired by Vietnamese coffee. You can probably adapt this to use coffee or espresso, cream and sugar (be sure to dissolve the sugar in the hot coffee and gelatin). I find that 1 packet of unflavored gelatin will firm up 1 1/2 cups of liquid to finger jello "strength" (according to David Lebovitz's "How to Use Gelatin" post you can mold 2 cups with one envelope - but I feel finger jello needs to be stronger).

98 comments:

  1. I've never ever had coffee jello, even though I love both coffee and jello! I'm loving all the posts during National Library Week :)

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  2. Wow!! What giveaways!! Coffee jello sounds and looks delish:-))

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  3. Oh, my kiddos would love the disney items! Thanks for the opportunity to win.

    the.k.krew at gmail dot com

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  4. "you can make them with decaffeinated coffee...but the coffee drinkers will just look at you weird and wonder why anyone would do that" - Ahahahahaha.....

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  5. I love anything and everything coffee and the jello sounds like so much fun. The condensed milk must make this taste like nirvana...YUM!!

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  6. I love coffee, but I think that jello scares me a little! LOL!! I love Disney more, though.

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  7. I have to admit that when I read the title of this post I thought it sounded a little gross. But the pictures are so beautiful and it seems so simple. I think I'll be making it soon. I suspect my coworkers will get a real kick out of it. It's unlike anything I've ever made for them.

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  8. I know I'm excluded for this giveaway (Why do I have to live in Europe???), but just wanted to let you know that I think that mickey pancake and egg are super cute!! But then I do have a thing for anything Disney.... :D

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  9. OH MY GOD! I am Disney OBSESSED! I wanted these towels for Christmas, but sadly I never got them :( Hope I can win them here!

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  10. My co-workers would LOVE this at about 2pm everyday. Actually I'm surrounded by a few right now that would prob like some right this very second! :)

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  11. Oh wow! I'm not normally one for gelatinous things, but I might have to try this with the coffee I work with every day (my day job is as a barista trainer and customer-relations rep for a coffee roaster, Counter Culture Coffee).

    Kind of awesome! In a jiggly way…

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  12. I love coffee in any way, shape, and form so this looks like a great recipe for me! I was wondering if it needs to be refrigerated until serving it - or can it hang around for an hour or so if I bring it somewhere else?

    rdrhanlon@comcast.net

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  13. I am a huge disney fan! Growing up that is where my family and I always went on vacation. We would make the drive from my house to disney world every summer and we recently started going every Christmas. My brother and I always loved to eat the Mickey Mouse waffles and Mickey Mouse pancakes for breakfast when we went. So seeing those towels and molds brings back some fond childhood memories!

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  14. Jello and coffee...a perfect combination! I'll have to try it!

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  15. I'm a librarian! considering making these jigglers for my coworkers who drink coffee...

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  16. Oh man! I am seriously going to make this. Thanks a bunch!

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  17. Gonna be picking up the stuff for these today :)

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  18. Oh my gosh, that jello looks so good! polinium at gmail

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  19. These look awesome. I can't wait for an occasion to make them!

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  20. Wow - what a combination! I'll have to try this soon. We love Disney ~ thanks for the giveaway!

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  21. I love the Coffee Jello at Sawtelle Kitchen! I am going to make this. Thanks for inspiring me, once again. Love this post!

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  22. How much is that Disneyland annual pass? pjseeger at yahoo

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  23. Oh my goodness! I wouldn't have ever thought to combine coffee and jello, but I must try it soon!

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  24. WOW. Coffee jello. Sounds like it would be a hit for college students! These look amazing! and Disney? I <3 Disney, not as much as some of my friends, but I still love it!

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  25. Thanks for the great giveaway.

    Chris

    zekks at yahoo dot com

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  26. Mary, this is one of the most interesting things I've ever seen. A HUGE part of me wants to try it, but I'm pretty sure I'll be the only one eating coffee Jell-O. It might be worth it. Thanks for keeping things interesting!

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  27. Genius Mary! You always leaving me wondering "why didn't I think of that?" but that's why we read your blog! Those little cubes look like sticky chewy caramel. yum!

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  28. jello is yummy!

    local_honee[at]yahoo[dot]com

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  29. Coffee jello....an interesting combination :D I think I will steer clear since I am not a fan of coffee tastes!

    I love the mickey molds and towels they are adorable! I am jealous of those close enough to visit Disney all the time!

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  30. Oh I love Disney. We're going to Disney World in three weeks and I can't wait!

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  31. Ooooh, I can't wait to try this!

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  32. I love coffee (espresso) and Jell-O and I think I might have even eaten them together (but not at once). Heck - there's a first time for everything.

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  33. Cute stuff-my little boy would love Mickey pancakes.
    amywilkey{at}gmail{dot}com

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  34. Omg coffee JELLO?! That sounds way too awesome for words *scribbles down recipe*

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  35. Coffee jello... hmmm... now that's what I call creative! I guess you could use water + unsw cocoa powder and make choc jello. Add instant espresso and you could call them Mocha Jello. You got me thinking... :o)

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  36. What a great idea! I want to try this asap!

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  37. Love the jello idea! And, we love our annual passes too.

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  38. yum, i love vietnamese coffee! i remember being younger and at family get togethers there being coffee jello made using those funky molds! fun and yummy!

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  39. I love all of your jello posts! I loved the broken glass jello (is that what they are called?). I will totally make these coffee jellos!

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  40. My 3.5yo and 2yo would thank you.
    The egg looks great, btw.
    Happy Library Week,
    berkeleyjo at yahoo.com

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  41. My daughter would love her pancakes Mickey shaped!!
    julieendo@gmail.com

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  42. I got as far as the information about downloadable media and was off to the races! Wow, I didn't know all that I can do through my King County Library System!! Thank you, thank you!

    I had Vietnamese coffee last year in Vietnam and fell in love with the stiuff; cold is the best way to drink it especially in such a hot country. (The Pacific Northwest isn't known for the high temperatures that California gets).

    I have now favorited you ~ again, many thanks.

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  43. Wow - coffee jello! So creative!

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  44. What a coincidence, I made the japanese version of coffee jello yesterday :)

    tseangela[at]yahoo[dot]com

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  45. LOVE coffee jello, one of my favorite things to eat.

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  46. I love jello - and my husband loves Vietnamese coffee! So this will be perfect! =) Can't wait to try it!

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  47. I love Vietnamese coffee too... would love to try this jello version...

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  48. Okay, I'm obsessed with Jello AND coffee and these look amazing! I'll have to try these for sure!

    maiar22@gmail.com

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  49. COFFEE jello. Kewl!! I wonder if I could do this with TEA!!

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  50. WOW! I am so making this! I never even thought of it. It combines me favorite things - jello (J-E-L-L-O!), coffee and Disney!!

    My co-workers will love me even more. ;) I wish i lived close enough to the parks to get an annual pass but alas, I have to settle for yearly (or thrice-yearly) visits.

    Thank Yoooou.

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  51. I've never had coffee jello but it looks like something I have to try!

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  52. The Librarian Action Figure cracks me up every day, love it!

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  53. i <3 jello & mickey.

    songes1 at gmail

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  54. I am missing your blog!

    That is so funny that you were inspired to make this after eating Vietnamese food. My mom makes coffee jello all the time (we're Vietnamese) and they were delicious! This is nostalgic to me!

    Happy National Library Week! xo

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  55. I'm not convinced by coffee jello...it looks really strange!

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  56. Ohh I've nevr seen coffee jelly before but it looks really good. A cafine hit in bite size form :)

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  57. Wow, I've never heard of coffee jello. I made lime fudge for the first time this year so now I can contune my adventure in food creation.

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  58. Coffee jello looks interesting. It's not something I've seen before.

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  59. The pancake and egg are so cute. I have tried to make a pancake that sort of looked like Mickey Mouse. Let’s just say the kids were not art critics and could recognize it.

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  60. OMG love the pancake molds, would be perfect for my banana pancakes!

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  61. NOT a fan of jell-o. But I am a Disney fan, even though I don't have an annual pass anymore. If I were to win the Mickey stuff, I'd give it to my daughter, who's a Disney aficionado.

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  62. Wow, that coffee jello sounds so interesting! I'm not usually a fan of jello but I'd totally try that.

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  63. I've never tried or even heard of Vietnamese coffee, but that Jello is so intriguing. I really want to try it. Great blog, I'm glad I stumbled across it!

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  64. I never would have thought to put coffee and jello together, I think I may have to try this recipe!

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  65. I grew up having coffee jello with whipped cream made by my Finnish mother! Love it! Thanks for posting it. It brought back wonderful memories of the 60's and 70's. Think I'll make it this weekend. :-) Yum.

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  66. I grew up during the 60s and 70s eating coffee jello that my Finnish mother made. I love it! Your blog brought back great memories. Think I'll make it this weekend. Yum!

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  67. I made the coffee jello today! Sooooo yummy! Reminded me of coffee ice cream in a way....creamy, sweet, and coffee are so perfect together! My hubby and I are loving it!!

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  68. I don't drink coffee either but use it extensively in baking. I will give this interesting jello recipe a try too
    annmao929 at gmail dot com

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  69. these are great and remind me of home (an orlando girl)! I'd love to try that jello too sounds delicious!

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  70. I love coffee desserts!!!

    lelinhacastro@ gmail . com

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  71. Bea would love these! Wish I could go to Disneyland with you more. ;(

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  72. I don't like coffee but I love coffee ice cream or candy. Weird. This jello sounds right up my alley!

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  73. The jello is interesting. I don't have the guts to try it out though. :|

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  74. I really miss living in SoCal. I never thought I'd become a Disney junkie, but...well, I did.

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  75. The coffee jello is fascinating! I may need to make this...

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  76. Okay. I will admit, at first I was a little weirded out by the coffee jell-o but the more I read your post the more intrigued I became. I now MUST make these. I am definitely a coffee drinker and considered trying Vietnamese coffee the other day when I went to my first Vietnamese restaurant. But I was too chicken. I will have to go back now. Thanks for posting!!!

    PS. I love the pictures of the Mickey mouse cutters. Very colorful and creative!

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  77. Coffee jello! I always try to come up with unusual treats to make, but that tops my ideas by a mile. :)

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  78. Coffee jello sounds interesting. It looks like something I should try.

    amberenson@juno.com

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  79. guess I didn't win - but I did make the coffee jello tonight!

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  80. The coffee jello looks awesome, can't wait to try it, but I'll make mine decaf. i can't stand the caffeine and worse my 10yo is a coffee junkie too. thanks for talking about Overdrive. My whole family uses it for audio books and we love it, but when I suggest it to people they look at me like I'm crazy. Of course we like ebooks also since the don't require space to store and don't make dust, so Overdrive is awesome.

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  81. These are fun! I used 8 Tbsp of French Roast and they taste just like a latte in a cube. I like to call them "Coffee of the Future". The texture is sort of strange to begin, and then it's just coffee deliciousness. Thanks for the recipe. I'll be using it a lot this summer.

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  82. Absolutely a great recipe! I have always been addicted to coffee jelly and I am really happy that you took your time to share this with us. I will put this in the cold coffee I would make from my new espresso coffee maker Kudos!

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  83. I normally dislike jell-o with a passion greater than J.C.'s, but these are not the typical jell-o treats I'm used to seeing. PLUS, I do need to start eating more gelatin to help my arthritis. Technically, it's doctor-recommended/doctor-approved!

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  84. Oh.my.gosh! They used to have this at my favorite Japanese restaurant and they are soooo delicious. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I can't wait to make some!

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  85. The ladies at my church make coffee jello with an (sweet red bean paste). So yummy :) ~Linda

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  86. This is such an original idea.....quite brilliant. Your co-workers must love you!

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  87. I just had to comment. I just made the coffee jello yesterday evening and had some with breakfast this morning. It was delicious! And a huge hit with my houseguests.

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  88. I'm looking forward to trying this recipe.

    Thanks for the giveaway opportunity.

    Lora

    readingcoach AT yahoo DOT com

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  89. Thank you! Coffee jello is so good and I don't even like coffee! I put this up on my blog, giving you credit naturally. http://bakeyourfaceoff.blogspot.com/2011/03/no-bake-monday-coffee-jello.html

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