Healthy Bites: Perk up your holidays with coffee

Who says you have to drink coffee to enjoy your java? Coffee is becoming a popular ingredient in many recipes suitable for baking and cooking. Perk up your holiday entertaining and cook with coffee this holiday season.

Coffee is more than just a cup of Joe. Coffee in moderation can actually have some great health benefits. The latest research suggests your favorite morning beverage may enhance mental alertness, increase concentration, fight fatigue, reduce cavities, improve moods and lower the risk of Parkinson?s disease, Alzheimer?s disease and diabetes. Coffee is a great source of antioxidants and has been found to be a leading source of antioxidants in American diets.

So what can you cook with coffee? The natural acids and enzymes found in coffee help to tenderize meat and work well as a meat marinade. The flavor of coffee enhances the flavor of savory dishes. And coffee can create simply decadent desserts, especially when paired with chocolate.

To get the desired results using coffee in recipes, it is important to remember a few basic rules. Use the type of coffee recommended in recipes (instant or brewed coffee) and pay attention to the brew strength the recipe calls for. A strong brew strength versus a regular brew strength will give recipes a completely different taste.

A good rule of thumb for brew strength is regular brew: one tablespoon of ground coffee with six ounces of water; strong brew: two tablespoons ground coffee with six ounces of water

Frosted Coffee Dessert Drink

Serves 12

All you need:

3 cups cold strong brewed coffee (use twice as much coffee as you would when making a pot of coffee)

3/4 cup Stevia In The Raw

3/4 cup sugar

2 cups fat-free half-and-half

4 cups 1% milk

2 Tbsp. vanilla

Aerosol whipped topping

1. Mix coffee, Stevia, sugar, half-and-half, milk and vanilla together in large container (such as plastic ice cream container with lid). Put in freezer.

2. Take out of freezer 1 to 1-1/2 hours before serving and allow to thaw partially, to be able to spoon iced coffee slush mixture into serving glasses .

3. Spoon frozen coffee slush mixture into serving glasses. Top with whipped topping and serve immediately.

Nutrition facts per serving: 110 calories, 1.5g fat. 1g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 5mg cholesterol, 95mg sodium, 21g carbohydrates, 0g fiber, 10g sugar, 4g protein. Daily nutrition value: 4% vitamin A, 0 vitamin C, 15% calcium, 0 iron. Source: Hy-Vee dietitians

Talk to a Hy-Vee dietitian or go to www.hy-vee.com for more information. This information is not intended as medical advice. Please consult a medical professional for individual advice.