Perk Up Your Body and Your Mind with

(Courtesy of the National Coffee Association)

Did you know that coffee has benefits besides just tasting great? Coffee, your ‘best friend’ from college days when you pulled those all-nighters, really does enhance alertness, improve memory and reasoning skills and even helps put you in a better mood. And physically active individuals should know that coffee can improve physical stamina, reduce muscle pain and improve reaction time.

Try these tasty treats which are also good for you. Here are three

great recipes to start your collection. How’s that for using your bean!?

“The Power Lift”

Makes four 8-ounce servings

This coffee banana smoothie is a smart snack before a workout. Yogurt is a stellar source of calcium, the banana adds potassium, wheat germ kicks in extra vitamin E, and coffee contributes some vigor. All the way around, this is a healthful snack. Remember, research shows that caffeine improves physical stamina and may even reduce muscle pain. So enjoy it and then get moo-ving.

1 1/2 cups brewed coffee, cold or at room temperature

2 6-ounce containers plain low-fat yogurt (1 1/2 cups)

2 medium ripe bananas, peeled and sliced

3 to 4 ice cubes

2 tablespoons toasted wheat germ

2 tablespoons honey, or to taste*

* (Use more or less honey depending on the ripeness of the bananas.)

Place all ingredients in a blender container. Cover, and blend on high speed for 1 minute, or until smooth. Pour into 4 glasses. Serve immediately.

Per serving: Calories: 154; Protein: 6 grams; Carbohydrate: 30 grams; Fat: 2 grams; Cholesterol: 5 mg.; Sodium: 63 mg.

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Smart Start Milkshake

Makes two 12-ounce servings

This luscious Coffee Choco-Mint Milkshake is a great breakfast-in-a-glass to start your day. Research shows that the coffee in it enhances alertness, improves memory and can even help put you in a better mood and you get a calcium boost from the milk and ice cream.

Note: If you’re on a low-carb diet, just make the substitutions in parentheses.

1 cup brewed coffee, cold or at room temperature

1 cup chocolate ice cream, slightly softened (substitute low-carb ice cream)

1/2 cup low-fat (1%) milk (substitute low-carb milk)

1 packet Splenda™

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

Place all ingredients in a blender container. Cover, and blend on high speed for 1 minute, or until smooth. Pour into 2 tall glasses. Serve immediately.

Per serving: Calories: 258; Protein: 6 grams; Carbohydrate: 25 grams; Fat: 18 grams; Cholesterol: 98 mg.; Sodium: 153 mg.

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Seize the Day Café au Lait

Makes 1 serving

This mocha almond low-fat treat offers a perfect afternoon pick-me-up; the coffee will wake-you-up and the milk offers a calcium bonus!

2/3 cup low-fat (2%) milk

2 teaspoons chocolate-flavored syrup

1/8 teaspoon almond extract

2/3 cup hot, brewed French (or other dark roast) coffee

Grated chocolate, or freshly ground nutmeg, optional

In a small saucepan combine the milk, chocolate syrup, and almond extract until blended. Bring just to a boil over medium-low heat.

Pour the milk mixture and coffee simultaneously into a French café au lait bowl, or large coffee cup. Top with grated chocolate or freshly ground nutmeg, if desired. Serve immediately.

Per serving: Calories: 115; Protein: 5 grams; Carbohydrate: 16 grams; Fat: 3 grams; Cholesterol: 12 mg.; Sodium: 102 mg.

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Cappuccino Biscotti

Makes about 40 biscotti

These low-fat cookies are enhanced by the strong coffee that gives them great flavor. Enjoy one of these crispy confections with a cup ‘o joe or a low-fat latte for a guilt-free afternoon treat.

2 cups flour 5 tbl. brewed espresso, cooled

1 cup sugar 4 tsp milk

1/2 tsp. baking soda 1 large egg yolk

1/2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt 3/4 cup pecans chopped coarse

1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Stir together in a large bowl: the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon till mixed well. In a small bowl, whisk together the espresso, milk, egg yolk and vanilla. Add liquid mixture to flour mixture and beat till dough forms. Stir in nuts and chips.

Knead the dough on a floured surface till no longer sticky, then halve the dough. Flour your hands and shape each piece into a flattened log 12 inches x 2 inches and arrange the logs at least 3 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Bake 350° for 35 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes, then cut biscotti on the diagonal into 3/4” slices. Arrange biscotti cut side down on the sheets and bake 5-6 minutes on each side till they are pale golden.

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Heavenly Coffee Angel Food Cake

Makes 12 servings

There used to be a commercial for Choc Full O Nuts coffee that called it “that heavenly coffee.” You’ll find this coffee angel food cake heavenly—it is low in calories and low in fat, so you can splurge and top it with some low fat frozen yogurt. Coffee gives the traditional angel food cake a little extra zip.

1 cup sifted cake flour

2 tbl instant coffee, ground to a fine powder 1 tsp. cream of tartar

in a coffee grinder 1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups sugar 1 tsp. coffee extract (or

1/2 tsp. salt substitute almond extract)

1 1/2 cups egg whites (10-12 large eggs)

at room temperature

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 325o.

Sift the flour and ground instant coffee together onto a sheet of wax paper, then resift it with the sugar and salt onto a second sheet of wax paper.

In a large grease-free bowl of an electric mixer, add the egg whites and cream of tartar and mix on low speed till foamy. Increase speed gradually to medium and beat until whites are stiff and shiny, but not dry. Stop the mixer and add the vanilla and coffee extracts, whisking in once or twice by hand.

Carefully lift the wax paper holding the dry ingredients and sprinkle the flour mixture gently into the egg whites. Using a spatula, carefully fold the dry ingredients into the whites till just incorporated. Do not stir hard or the batter will deflate.

Very gently turn the batter into an ungreased tube pan and smooth the top lightly. Place immediately in the oven and bake for 45 minutes or till well risen and golden on top.

As soon as the cake is done baking, invert it (if your tube pan doesn’t have ‘feet”, hang the pan upside down over the neck of a bottle.) Allow the pan to hang upside down for several hours until completely cool. (If it cools right side up, gravity will make it sink and become dense.)

To remove from pan, slide a long thin knife around the edge of the pan and the center tube to loosen it. Top the cake with a plate, invert and lift off the pan.

Per Serving: 113 calories, 4 g protein, 24 mg carbs, 0 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol