International Coffee Day is brewing so let's raise a mug and celebrate the drink that keeps nations moving

Whether it’s a latte or a cappuccino that gets you going in the early hours, or picks you up in the afternoon, October 1 is the day to embrace the coffee bean. Coffee is a classic addition to sweet recipes and with a little digging, you can also uncover some wonderful savoury dishes too.

Sticky spare ribs

While coffee may seem like a strange thing to add to chilli, salad dressing, or even roasted vegetables, it’s a unique ingredient that lends itself to a number of alternative uses. Who knew spare ribs could be made better with a coffee and pepper rub? If you’ve never thought of cooking with coffee, here’s your chance to take the leap. Why not try the ‘coffee dry rub’ for an intense kick to the same old, same old BBQ ribs? Let coffee be the star of the show as you try this awesome yet unconventional recipe.

They pair nicely with sides including sweet potato fries and coleslaw. Ground coffee is one of the fundamentals in the dry rub mix for BBQ ribs, along with cocoa and black pepper. Grind a teaspoon each of sea salt, black peppercorns, sumac, ground coffee, garlic powder and cocoa powder and rub all over the ribs before cooking. You’ll taste the difference.

Coffee popsicles

Coffee is known to have over 800 aromatic compounds, with more discovered each year and this incredible array of flavours and smells make it versatile for many different recipes. But this coffee popsicle even had us surprised! Iced coffee popsicles: two favourite summer treats in one frozen package. These caffeinated pops offer a fun way to enjoy your afternoon iced coffee fix, in lollipop form! Before your break out the ice molds, there are a few guidelines to follow. First, use strong iced coffee to ensure the flavour comes through after freezing and secondly, try to cut down on the freezing time by refrigerating popsicles until very cold, before placing them in the freezer. This will help cut down a bit on ice crystal formation, which can make them taste watery. We love Coffee Planet's Ground Decaf which means the kids can enjoy them too.

Mini Tiramisu

These little guys are super easy to put together and have a layer of mascarpone cheese, ladyfingers and contain espresso. They are not only delicious but also a fun, quick way to enjoy a world famous dessert. The hard part is not eating them all yourself in one sitting. Mix a little sugar into some mascarpone to sweeten it up a bit but be sure not to over mix, as mascarpone cheese can break down and become really soft and almost watery.

For the espresso layer, dissolve some espresso powder in hot water, along with a little sugar. Layer the mascarpone, espresso and traditional firm ladyfingers in small jars and top with whipped cream. Light, easy to make, delicious and perfect for sharing.