Earlier this year, we said goodbye to our beloved café and bar, Annex. This week, Curbed hit us with another wave of nostalgia, listing Annex amongst the fallen. We miss Annex’s vibrant energy; we miss our favorite space on Fulton Street to grab a bite before a shift or hang out with friends right after, to meet new people or see old friends. We have plenty of memories (and photos) of parties past, of course, and many of our beloved baristas can now be found working at Wine & Spirits. As the year comes to a close and we look back at all we’ve lost—and gained!—in 2020, we thought we might raise a mug to Annex, and bring some of those memories home.
These copper Annex mugs are the last of their kind; we don’t have too many, but just enough that if you lost your chance at one in the past, this is your time to snag one! The insulated camp cup keeps hot or stays cold, no sweat (quite literally). Pair it with Cafe Grumpy beans for the quickest throwback, of course, but we’ve got some recipes—as well as some other familiar mugs—pulled from the Annex itself that might even make you feel like you’re back in that sunlit corner, looking out over Fulton Street as you contemplate what book you’ll read next.
Annex Cold Brew
First, you’ll want to select the perfect beans. We all have our favorite blends, but Annex’s had to be the Heartbreaker and Momentum blends from Café Grumpy. Per Brittany Pellon, former Annex barista now flexing her beverage knowledge as the Assistant Manager at Wine & Spirits, “They lend themselves to a slow extraction method, and have flavors that shine in a cold brew.” We defer to the expert!
When it comes to cold brew concentrate, you’ll always want a coarse grind; this makes the filtering process easier, and results in the least bitter coffee. We grind beans to order at Provisions, whether checking out in-store or ordering online—no worries there.
For every 4 cups of cold water—and we mean cold—drop ¾ cup of coarse-ground coffee into a fine mesh bag or other enclosed filter. (If you’re in a hurry, you can always drop the grounds right into the water and filter toward the end, but we think you’ll be happier using a filter from the start.) Steep for at least 24 hours in your fridge, then serve diluted over ice. The dilution is important, whether with water or your favorite creamer; the concentrate on its own will have too strong of a flavor for most, so as Brittany says, “Dilute that bad boy!”
Gluten Free Egg Loaf
Annex’s cheesy egg loaf, made with gluten-free almond flour, was definitely one of their most popular offerings, and now you can make it at home! Of course, not all of us have miniature loaf pans at home, but this recipe can be used in a muffin pan just as well.
Ingredients
5 tbsp (71.5g) butter
⅓ cup (52.5g) almond flour
¼ cup (37.5g) milk
⅓ cup (37.5g) cream
7 eggs
10 oz (281g) feta cheese, crumbled
13 oz (375g) seasonal vegetables of your choice, diced
¾ cup (75g) Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450°F and grease a mini-loaf or muffin pan. In a saucepan, melt the butter on medium-high heat. While it’s melting, whisk together eggs, milk, and cream in a bowl. Set aside.
Add flour to the melted butter, whisking quickly into a roux and lowering the heat to medium-low. Let the roux cook for just under two minutes before slowly adding the egg, milk and cream mixture. Once it’s all incorporated, add the chopped vegetables and cheese, and stir well to combine.
Pour the mixture into your prepared pan, making sure not to overfill and to portion evenly. Bake for 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until tops are golden brown. Allow to cool, then enjoy!
