There's a love affair that exists between coffee and pastries, and in our case, Clever Baking is the Meg Ryan to our Tom Hanks (Sleepless in Seattle is back on Netflix. Do yourself a solid).
Each morning, I get out of bed and mosey on over to the cafe, unlock the door and turn on the lights, put on some tunes and pop a tray of fresh pastry dough into the oven. About 20 minutes later, I am confronted with the hardest decision a barista ever has to make before 7 a.m.: to eat or not to eat a blueberry scone. 
Clever Baking owner and head pastry chef Gabrielle Rose is the mastermind behind that irresistible combination of sweet and savory, that special someone for our coffees. As the days and months continue to blend together in a fog of uncertainty, I find myself craving fusion in every aspect of life (especially takeout). That's why we've asked Gabrielle to craft with a dessert recipe using our coffee. Let's just blur all the lines. I'm ready for it - no rules!
So without further ado, here's her recipe for no-bake Mocha Cookie Truffles using our La Victoria Instant or Good Vibes ground for espresso. We also asked her a few questions along the way because she's, like, the coolest.
Greater Goods: How do you drink your coffee?
Gabrielle Rose: Black and often! Our Hario V60 receives lots of affection.
GG: In 140 characters or less, tell me the Clever story:
GR: Clever is the bakery lovechild of two specialty coffee die hards! We started Clever in 2017 wanting to strike a tight relationship between baker and barista. While many bakeries offer a wide variety of sweets and desserts, we crafted a specific menu that is baked fresh daily by baristas and enjoyed with coffee, like scones, cookies, and breads.
GG: What’s the relationship between pastries and coffee, in your opinion?
GR: Like milk and cookies, baby. Gotta wash a blueberry scone down with the best.
GG: What’s the hardest part about your job? What’s the most rewarding?
GR: Hardest part? Trying not to eat the pastries. Most rewarding part? Eating the pastries. Wait... Was this a serious question?
GG: How have you been staying inspired during the days of social distancing? Any fun new hobbies (besides baking)?
GR: SOURDOUGH! (Ok, it’s still baking, but... SOURDOUGH!) Best. Bandwagon. Ever.
Ingredients
- 14 ounces of cookie sandwiches (a la Oreo)
- 8 ounces of cream cheese
- 2 tbsp of La Victoria Instant Coffee (or substitute 3 tbsp of finely ground Good Vibes)
- 12 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate
Instructions
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Use a food processor to process the cookies and instant coffee together (or espresso) until broken down into crumbs. Add cream cheese to the crumbs and process until evenly mixed and it forms a ball.
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Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to make 1-inch balls, laying them onto a wax or parchment paper lined plate or baking sheet. Place in the freezer for about 10 minutes, until firm.
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In the meantime, melt the chocolate using a double boiler method (in a bowl nested over a small water-filled saucepan over low heat). **Alternatively can microwave the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl at 30-second intervals, stirring in between.
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Dip each of the chilled balls into the melted chocolate to coat evenly. Place back onto the wax paper lined baking sheet. Sprinkle some ground coffee and place a coffee bean on the top of each ball (while the chocolate is still wet).
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Chill in the fridge for about 1 hour, until firm. Store in an airtight container! I’d recommend a shelf life, but... good luck keeping these puppies beyond a few days, tops. 😉
