Cinnamon-Vanilla Bean Biscotti

Cinnamon-Vanilla Bean Biscotti paired with a mug of Vietnamese Coffee

I do have a list of things that I want to make, try, or perfect at home and it seems that with every cookbook I read or food show I watch, I keep getting further and further inspired and thus, my list grows longer. There's quite the range of items from classic, from global influences, classic dishes or even just different spices and blends I want to try. I also have a nice space devoted to just combinations of things that I think might work or that I'm curious about and I turn to it often, especially when I feel like I'm in a cooking rut.

My list lives in this super cute notebook with pictures of jams, jarred and pickled items on the front that makes me happy every time I look at it. Lately I've been on a roll with my list and in the last couple of weeks I've made a classic Rye Bread, Moussaka and Monte Cristo Waffles. Also taking up residence on my list (and for quite some time I might add) has been to create my own Biscotti recipe.

I had done a lot of research on Biscotti recipes and, to my surprise, they're quite simple to make. Mix flour with softened butter, eggs and sugar and then add in whatever else you want, including nuts and dried fruit or chocolate. You bake it once as a big log and then let it cool, slice, and bake it again to gt crisp individual biscottis. I decided to keep things simple on this run, just sticking with some vanilla bean, lots of cinnamon and a bit of allspice. I also found that using Turbinado sugar made for a nice crackly finish and hearty little bite. While I think I could use a little more practice on shaping biscottis, I love the irregularity of this batch and the taste, well, that speaks for itself.

Cinnamon-Vanilla Bean Biscotti 

- 2 eggs
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup Turbinado sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 2 TBS Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Allspice
- 1 Vanilla Bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out
- Pinch of Salt

Preheat the oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Using a stand mixer or hand blender, blend eggs, butter and sugar until well incorporated. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, Allspice, the Vanilla Bean Seeds and pinch of salt. Mix until well combined and then add half of the dry mixture to the wet mixture and blend. Add the rest of the dry mixture and blend until the dough just comes together. Roll out the dough into a flat log. Bake the dough on the parchment lined baking sheet until the dough is cooked through and just beginning to turn golden brown (about 30-40 minutes). Remove from the oven and let cool for about 20-30 minutes. Once it's cool enough to handle, but still a little warm, slice the log into 1 inch slices and bake for another 20-30 minutes, or until the biscottis are crisp and golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool before eating. Store in an airtight container.

Coffee For Less Flavor of the Month - Half-Caff

I'm currently in the middle of reading (and can't seem to put down) Ana Sortun's cookbook, Spice: Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean.  While flipping through it, I saw something that I thought would be a fun way to share this month's Coffee for Less Flavor of the Month, Half-Caff.  Usually I just groggily shuffle over to my kitchen when I wake up and in between yawns pick out a k-cup, toss it in my coffee maker, add water and press a button. Trusty coffee cup in hand, I start my day.  It's not long before my coffee disappears and I place my mug in the sink. Usually I think that this is the end of the road for me and my coffee cup but it seems I'm mistaken. Instead, what I should be doing is reading the silt on the bottom of my mug.

Say wha??

Exactly.  

Okay, well technically you should have Turkish coffee to this because its fine powdery texture produces a nice bit of silt at the bottom of a mug but humor me on this one.  Apparently, according to Turkish tradition, you can predict your future by drinking your coffee just until you reach that bit of dark silt at the bottom of the cup.  Once you've finished your coffee, you flip the cup over on to a plate, wait a minute or two and lift the mug to see what shape the silt made.  From there, you'll be able to predict your future based on whether it looks like the following:

Rectangle: You will receive some goods

Triangle: You will receive either a present or money

Circle: You will have good fortune

Cube: You will have a happy family

Bow: Some happy event is near

Star: You will take a short trip and make a good investment

Rising Sun: Your dreams will come true

American Football: You must sacrifice to win somebody's heart

Woman's Purse: (as opposed to a man's purse?) You will receive money in the near future

Palm Tree: You will meet new people

Key: You will move to a new home

Leaf: You will hear from an old friend or make a new one

Eye: Somebody is jealous of you

Butterfly: Be careful of a new friend

Ear: Be careful

A bunch of little dots: You are spending too much money

I love little traditions and superstitions especially when it comes to food. I just couldn't not share this!

Getting to this month's coffee flavor, I couldn't help but laugh when I opened the box.  A k-cup that is half regular and half decaf? For an always on the go person who relies strongly on that one (sometimes two) cups of coffee, I thought Coffee for Less was trying to tell me to slow down my intake and relax a bit.  I ended up semi-forgetting about it and brushing it off as something that I'd have no use for. "Half-Caff? Please, I in the mornings I need my caffeine on full force", I thought to myself. Then one afternoon I was so craving the comforts of a warm cup of coffee but didn't want to be up all night so I reached for the half and half instead.  It had just enough caffeine to give me some energy but not so much that I'd comprise my sleep. It was perfect. Guess the jokes on me.

Coffee for Less is an online coffee superstore that sells everything from k-cups to coffee makers at discounted prices. The Coffee For Less Flavor of the month post is sponsored by Coffee For Less, however the opinions and reviews are all my opinion.  

Coffee For Less Flavor of the Month - Gingerbread

Is it too late to talk about gingerbread?  I mean, we're now firmly into the New Year, with just about a month of 2011 under our belts and the holidays being a distant memory, but can we still talk about things that are usually associated with that time of year or does that make me seem unseasonal and living in the past?  I hope the answers to those questions isn't a solid "yes" because this month's Coffee For Less Flavor of the Month is totally hitting the spot right now.

What a blustery and bone chilling Boston morning!  I haven't been outside yet but I can just tell it's cold and it's great to be inside with my hand curled around a giant mug of steaming coffee.  It's been a busy week and it seems I've been here, there and everywhere and it's nice to take in these quiet Saturday morning moments and just relax while writing today's post.

Getting to the coffee, the Gingerbread flavor is a delicious blend of ginger and spices and is very reminiscent of an actual piece of warm gingerbread cake.  The characteristic that I've noticed with all of the Green Mountain coffees that I've sampled is that the flavors don't leap from your mug and smack you in the face.  Instead, they are a nice smooth blend with subtle notes of flavor that just accentuate and compliment the coffee flavor.  It's sort of like when you add just a pinch of nutmeg to something.  You can sort of detect it, but it's not overpowering, which is a quality I've really come to admire.  I don't like syrupy sweet blends or those that appear to have mass amounts of synthetic flavors strung together resulting in a very artificial taste.  Instead, the emphasis is on the coffee flavor and then there is a suggestion of spice and ginger. It's quite nice, especially on such a cold morning.

On a related note, to all my coffee-lovers out there, has anyone had any good coffee lately?  Especially in the k-cup variety?  I'd love to get some recommendations! There's a whole wide world of flavored coffee out there and I know I'm barely scratching the surface.  I'd love your suggestions - thanks!

Coffee for Less is an online coffee superstore that sells everything from k-cups to coffee makers at discounted prices. The Coffee For Less Flavor of the month post is sponsored by Coffee For Less, however the opinions and reviews are all my opinion.  

Coffee For Less Flavor of the Month - Spicy Eggnog

Eggnog Coffee and this month's Cook's Illustrated, now that's a Sunday Morning

I have a very peculiar relationship with eggnog.  On one hand, drinking a glass of the incredibly rich and almost pancake-batter-like consistency kind of grosses me out and is not what I reach for when it come to celebratory holiday beverages.  But on the other hand, I love things that are made with eggnog.  Eggnog puddings and custards? Great, let me get a spoon.  Eggnog flavored ice cream? Sweet. Where's the jimmies?  But just drinking  a glass on its own is not my style.  That being said, I'm always suspect when it comes to eggnog and when I received this month's Coffee For Less flavor of the month (at my request, I wanted something holiday themed) I was a little weary.  Spicy Eggnog coffee? I wasn't too sure.

Before heading off to my parents for the holiday week, I took the time relax a little over a hot cup of coffee and this month's Cook's Illustrated that I had been far too busy to read.  The eggnog coffee paired exceptionally well with my cozy sweatpants on this chilly morning and I found the flavor to be great with traces of nutmeg and spice.  It didn't scream "eggnog" but it had just let you know it was there and it tasted rather festive on this holiday week.  I didn't get much "spicy" flavor from which the title of this variety indicates that I should but nonetheless, I thought this was a rather delightfully festive flavor of coffee and it appears now I can add eggnog coffee to my list of likes when it comes to eggnog.  Now off to run some last minute errands and to head to my parents. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Coffee for Less is an online coffee superstore that sells everything from k-cups to coffee makers at discounted prices. The Coffee For Less Flavor of the month post is sponsored by Coffee For Less, however the opinions and reviews are all my opinion.  

Flavor of the Month: Donut Shop

We made it.  It's the weekend and that makes me very...

You know what else makes me happy?  My morning cup of coffee.  I look forward to my morning cuppa Joe and in my book, Saturday morning coffee's are the best.  When there's no rushing around and I can sit in my sweatpants, warm cup of coffee in hand, putting off the start of my day just...a....lit...bit....longer...

Speaking of coffee, for the past three months I've been doing a "flavor of the month" featuring a new variety of k-cup coffee every month, sent by my friends at Coffee for Less.  Coffee for Less is an "online coffee shop" that sells everything you need to get your daily fix of caffeine (or decaf, if that's how you roll) and they even have their own blog.  This month they sent me Coffee People's Donut Shop variety which to me, is a reminder of how good cafe coffee should be.  Bold, but not bitter, smooth and rich, I have to say, I'm totally smitten with this flavor and insofar as regular unflavored coffee goes, this one ranks pretty high on my charts.  I always like to have a staple like this in my coffee collection because it's quite the crowd pleasure, sure to make even the pickiest of picky people happy.

Itchin' to know what the other flavors I tried are?  Click HERE, HERE, and HERE