Pairing Coffee With Food

Goodies to go with Coffee

If you have a recipe for a coffee beverage, one that uses coffee, or just one that goes well with coffee that you'd be willing to share? Send it to us at info@thecaptainscoffee.com and if it passes the Taste Test Committee (otherwise known as Denny), we'll post it here for others to enjoy. We're looking for food pairings that will go with coffee, or any food or drink recipe that uses coffee. Thanks!

Pairing coffee with food is an art that should be enjoyed by all of us!  What's the best food to go with coffee?  Who knows?  But one thing's for sure: if you're into home roasting coffee, you'll love pairing coffee with food!

Just Maybe the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies in the World

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
• Grind oats in a food processor or blender until fine. Combine the ground oats with the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
• Cream together the butter, sugars, vanilla, and lemon juice in another medium bowl with an electric mixer. Add the eggs and mix until smooth.
• Stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture and blend well. Add the chocolate chips and nuts to the dough and mix by hand until ingredients are well incorporated.
• Spoon rounded 1/4-cup portions onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Place the scoops about 2 inches apart. You don't need to press the dough flat.
• Bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until cookies are light brown and soft in the middle.
• Store in a sealed container when cool to keep soft. For the best results, chill the dough overnight in the refrigerator before baking the cookies.
• Makes: 20 good size cookies.

Recommended coffee pairing: Colombian Popayan, Mexican Chiapas or Guatemalan Antigua, Guatemalan Decaf

Almond Biscotti

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups whole almonds
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon (optional)
• pinch of salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 rounded teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Spread almonds on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven for about 10 minutes.
• Remove and cool.
• Turn the oven temp down to 300.
• Mix dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In a small mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs and vanilla.
• Using a mixer (I don't think a hand model will work very well), blend the egg mixture into the dry mixture at low speed.
• In about a minute, a stiff, sticky dough will form. Continue mixing at low speed and add the almonds.
• After the almonds are well blended into the dough, turn it out on to a floured surface and fold it over itself a few times to distribute the almonds. Let the dough rest for a couple of minutes.
• Line a cookie sheet with foil, shiny side up.
• Divide the dough into two parts and shape into a logs about 12-14 inches long, and place on cookie sheet, spaced equally from each other and the sides.
• Bake at 300 for about 40 minutes.
• Remove from oven, gently remove from foil, and place the loaves on a rack to cool for a couple of minutes.
• Now slice the loaves on a diagonal (30-45 degrees) at about 1/2 inch intervals. Put the newly sliced pieces on the cookie sheet (one of the cut sides facing up) and bake again for 35 to 50 minutes, depending on how dark you like your biscotti.
• Remove from oven and place on wire racks to cool. Biscotti should be extremely crisp and brittle as glass.
• Store your biscotti in a container that admits air to keep them from softening.
• If you wish, you can make chocolate covered biscotti using dipping chocolate.

Recommended coffee pairing: Ethiopian Harrar, Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, or Kenya Decaf. Perhaps a Costa Rica or nice Indonesian coffee as well. Shoot, these are so good they go with any coffee!