Sunday Coffee and Donuts

By Grace, 08/22/2021

Happy Sunday! I decided to make a fun Sunday breakfast: the classic coffee and donuts. I myself am reducing my cane sugar intake so applesauce donuts helped me in that mission by providing sweetness without a ton of sugar.

I chose Ethiopian to go with my applesauce donuts because this roast presents notes of fruit and citrus. I was surprised at the walnut finish I was getting alongside the donut, but it was so pleasant without bitter undertones.

Here’s the recipe for the donuts, enjoy it with fresh Ethiopian from Aperture, which we offer in whole bean bags at The O&A Coffee Car.

Baked Applesauce Donuts

  • 1/3 cup butter, softened

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 1 egg

  • 1-1/4 cups applesauce

  • 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1/2 cup raisins

  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

    Cream butter and sugar. Add the egg and applesauce; mix well. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cloves. Stir into creamed mixture just until moistened. Fold in raisins and nuts.

    Use a 1/4 cup measure to scoop the batter into a greased donut pan. Bake at 375f for about 20 minutes or until the edges of the donuts begin to separate from the sides.

    You can make a glaze using a few tablespoons of powdered sugar and a few drops of water.

So, I was enjoying the Ethiopian Roast today,…

By Grace: Co- Owner and Mom
08/16/2021

I went by the coffee car this morning on the way to the playground. The house is all out of coffee, and because of this I had consumed too much sugar for breakfast as a substitute for the caffeine. And since I had already had a ton of sugar I told Jim to give me just black coffee, any kind. He poured me a cup of Ethiopian and I drove away. Didn't touch it til we got to the playground.

The first sip I notice how juicy this coffee is. No burnt "nuttiness," nor tar oily feel. It's bright and smooth. It makes me sip and smile, instead of that weird, cringy, slurpy face most of us make when drinking black coffee. Some people call that flavor "punch in the morning" but I call it yucky. But back to my coffee. The first sip is juicy. I keep sipping. I start feeling like it tastes like an unsweet coca-cola, so maybe I'm getting notes of caramel and vanilla? Mixed with notes of cherry and blackberry. After a while I get some grapefruit flavors, and red tea notes. It's just remarkable the depth of flavor this coffee has. Nothing added to it, just pure drip coffee.

Then I have to put my coffee down and tend to the toddler who tripped and hurt herself. After hugs and kisses and a thumbs up, I get back to enjoying my coffee. Letting it sit allowed it to further oxidize (yep, coffee changes flavor as it interacts with the oxygen in the air). I then have to explore it a little differently: it has more of a bread feel. But not like I’m tasting wheat and yeast, I'm not sure how else to describe it aside from "bread-sy." Perhaps earthy? But not like dirt. It's very hard to describe except a very clean, bread-like flavor and texture.

I had a lid on my cup so I wasn’t able to get into the smell, sorry.

I imagine this coffee would pair perfectly with pancakes and maple syrup. Or an oatmeal cookie. It was gone long before I got home so I can’t play with pairings.

This roast is from Yirgacheffe in Ethiopia, Africa. This region is considered the birthplace of cultivating coffee. Its known for producing a very juicy flavor. We noticed that all the coffee we've tasted from Africa seems to carry this bread-sy feel. I wonder what it is that carries that flavor? I’m going to do a little digging around with proteins and tastebuds and all that chemistry stuff and I’ll let you know what I find, if anything.

Enjoy!