Coffee is rich without being overwhelming. Its bitter edge elevates a dessert from one-dimensional sweetness to refined sophistication. And coffee as a flavoring couldn't be easier to use. Adding it to custards, ice creams, cakes, and fillings usually consists of little more than grinding some beans and can even be as easy as opening a jar of instant coffee. Its intense flavor can be added to a dessert in a variety of ways.
Whole beans pack the most flavor.
For the most intense coffee flavor, I turn to whole beans, preferably espresso roast. Using whole beans that I crush or grind myself appeals to the purist in me. But more important, whole beans have more flavor than preground, since coffee loses its flavor and aroma exponentially after being ground. To extract even more flavor from the beans, I roast them in the oven for a few minutes to encourage their flavorful oils to emerge. If they're going into cookie or cake batter, I grind the beans finer.