It doesn’t matter what the date is or whether it’s summer yet or not. The seasons have officially changed in my house. I know just by what I do. Like last night when I emptied the leftover cold coffee into a container instead of dumping it into the sink. It’s a signal to me that when I need a coffee burst in the afternoon I can go to the fridge and make myself an iced coffee.

Which I realize I can drink anytime of the year but somehow only do it starting somewhere near June and ending around mid-October. 

Why don’t I save coffee all year? I should. I think about waste a lot, as anyone who reads this blog knows. And cold coffee is so useful! Coffee shakes. Chocolate sauce. Mocha anything. Marinades for beef (together with herbs and red wine). Flavor enhancer for chili. Pot roast braising liquid. Tiramisu ladyfinger soaking liquid.

You can also pour some into ice cube trays or small plastic containers and freeze for future use. Say, for example, for this recipe:

Chocolate Mousse

1/2 pound semisweet chocolate

3 tablespoons cold coffee

2 large egg yolks

2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 large egg whites

ladyfingers or spongecake, optional

whipped cream garnish, optional

Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water. Remove the top an from the bottom pan and add the coffee to the melted chocolate. Whisk vigorously to blend the ingredients thoroughly. Whisk in the egg yolks and confectioner’s sugar. In a separate bowl, beat the whipping cream until thick. Fold thoroughly into the chocolate mixture. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold into the chocolate mixture. Spoon into 8 dessert dishes or into a larger dessert dish or springform mold, plain or lined with thin slices of spongecake or with ladyfingers.  Makes 8 servings