Authentic British Scones

In the summer of 2007, my grandparents took their three daughters, three sons-in-law, three grandchildren, and one grandson-in-law on a trip to the United Kingdom to celebrate their 50th anniversary. It was an amazing experience–one that we would not have had without their generosity–and it’s fun to have eleven other people to reminisce with about our favorite sites and experiences.

On our first excursion into London, jet-lagged and trying not to start out the trip on a cranky note, the twelve of us descended on The Queen’s Head pub. I think I had a jacket potato (known, on this side of the pond, as a baked potato).

One of the first evenings of the trip, we ate at a fancy restaurant called Chez…Something (that’s how I know it was fancy), where I had some amazing creme brulee. Afterward, we went on a boat tour of the Thames. Throughout the trip, we took over 700 pictures, which would have cost triple the price of our then-new digital camera in film and processing. I think we took at least 100 on this boat trip. Later, I tried to label all the pictures with the names of what we saw, but we saw so much it all blurred together. I remembered the names of these two places, however.

Dexter had his first encounter with fish ‘n’ chips and warm Coke. I’m not sure, but he may count this as the greatest culinary experience of his life.

Harry Potter fans might recognize this scene, which in real life is known as Alnwick Castle. Nearby, it has beautiful gardens, including one garden of entirely poisonous plants.

My family isn’t known for being particularly adventurous, but we broke away from the tour for a day to explore the English countryside. We hopped on a train in York and headed to Thirsk. A helpful employee at the train station looked at my dad and said, “Why on earth would you want to go there?” We had a very specific reason–to visit the home and practice of the late Alf Wight, better known as beloved author James Herriot. When I was in high school and college, my parents really enjoyed All Creatures Great and Small dvds, read the books, and listened to the audiobooks as they drove me back and forth from college every other weekend. We got off the train at Thirsk with “find the museum” as a plan. It was pouring rain. If we had an umbrella, we just had one, so it didn’t make a huge difference. We ran to the closest building, a pub which had just opened. The friendly owner called us a cab, and we sat and sipped our warm, iceless Cokes. Our cabbie was friendly, and although we were completely clueless Americans, he charged us a very fair price for the ride. It was cool to see a place that we had only imagined. We decided to walk back to the train station, but bought umbrellas at Tesco for 2 pounds for the walk. Our train stopped for a good 45 minutes on the tracks on the way back to York because the train ahead of us had caught on fire.

Dexter reenacts the ever-entertaining, repeating story of when Herriot has to stick his arm up a cow’s you-know-what for some veterinary reason or another.

Dexter and I in James Herriot’s car.

I am almost certain this red door belonged to someone famous who is now dead. I’m thinking an author.We saw Edinburgh castle, which was one of the many delightful things we saw in Edinburgh, my favorite city in the UK. Later, we saw Anne Hathaway’s cottage (Shakespeare’s wife, not the actress) and explored Stratford-upon-Avon. I bought a mug there with Shakespeare quotes all over it. I thought it was silly at the time, but I use it all the time and remember the trip.When we were first married, people often said to us, “You can’t be married. You’re only 12!” I wanted to let these people know how offensive that was to a 21-year-old, but didn’t think it would help. I often wondered how many of them actually knew a 12-year-old. On this trip, as we were checking out of a hotel, the woman at the counter said to Dexter, “You can’t be married. You’re only 18!” We were flattered and decided we like British people a lot. However, in this picture at Stonehenge, I can see why people thought we looked so young.

We also saw the Roman Baths in Bath, where heroines went to socialize in Jane Austen’s novels. Later, we visited Winchester Cathedral  where Austen is  buried. I was looking and looking for her gravestone, but as I walked up to a plaque on the wall about her, I realized I was standing on it.

But, back to Edinburgh. Dexter and I split from our tour group and explored the city with my brother and sister. It was a such a fun day! What sealed the deal was the amazing tea (not just the drink, but the afternoon meal) that we had at the Scotland Institute of Art. They were having a buy one, get one free deal, so we decided to try it out. It was beautiful–and comes in a close second to the performance of Mary Poppins at Prince Edward Theatre in Soho where Burt actually danced on the ceiling for my favorite moment of the trip.

Thanks to the delectable afternoon teas I experienced in the UK, I came back to the states a scone snob. Don’t get me wrong–I still like those big, fruity cookies at coffee shops, but I snicker at calling them scones. Real scones are actually a lot like biscuits, just a little drier. Which makes them the perfect accompaniment to a quality cup of tea. (Or coffee, which British people seem to drink as much or more than they drink tea.)

I knew I couldn’t wait for another trip across the pond to eat real scones again, so I searched high and low for a trustworthy recipe. Lo and behold, Alton Brown came to the rescue. When you make these–and you really, really should–I recommend splurging for some clotted cream and Smuckers low-sugar strawberry jam, which are pictured below. You won’t regret it.

Me, in James Herriot’s kitchen with some fake scones.

(Dried Cherry) Authentic British Scones

slightly adapted from Alton Brown’s I’m Just Here For More Food

Ingredients

• 2 cups (270 g/9.5 oz) all-purpose flour (feel free to substitute a little whole wheat flour)
• 2 tsp. (7 g/.25 oz) baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. (5 g/.25 oz) salt
• 1/3 cup (64 g/2.25 oz) Sugar
• 6 tbsp. (85 g/3 oz) unsalted butter, frozen
• 3/4 cup (177 g/6.25 oz) heavy cream, chilled
• 2 (100 g/3.5 oz) eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup (85 g/3 oz) dried cherries, coarsely chopped (optional)

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 375*F.
• Whisk cream and eggs together.
• Pulse flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in the food processor 3 or 4 times. (If your food processor is broken like mine, you can sift it. I use one of these. You can also whisk it around probably still end up with scones.) Transfer the dry goods into a large bowl.
• Chop your frozen butter into cubes. Add cubes to dry ingredients and rub until about half the butter disappears and the rest is in pea-sized pieces. (Alton Brown suggests rubbing in the butter as you would rub a puppy’s ears. You can also use a pastry blender or a food processor, like I did, but the won’t be quite as flaky and delicious. *Also–see the picture of the unbaked scone above? You don’t want your butter chunks to be that big. Or they will melt and make a pool of butter on your baking sheet. Smaller pieces = the butter stays in the scone.)
• Make a well in the dry ingredient/butter mixtures. Pour the wet ingredients into the well and mix using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Stir in dried cherries if using.
• Knead the dough on floured parchment or wax paper. I prefer using a silpat.
• Roll into a 1-inch-thick round or rectangle. Cut into 8 triangles. You could also use biscuit or cookie cutters to make these into circles like most of the scones I saw in the UK.
• Place wedges or circles on an ungreased baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Sometimes, I use my baking stone.
• Bake scones for 23-25 minutes or until golden brown. Place on a rack to cool.
• Serve at room temperature with clotted cream and jam.

Look at the rest of my At-Home Coffee Shop Series!

I’m linking up today for the first time at Finer Things Friday!

At-Home Coffee Shop Series: Gourmet Hot Chocolate

Please welcome my friend Ambre! She’s a wife, stay-at-home mom, and lover of Christ who blogs about her passion for nutrition and clean living at Living As Of The Day. I was thrilled when she agreed to guest post because she has a reputation for taking hot chocolate seriously. I’ve tasted her hot chocolate handiwork and am eager to try my hand at the recipe.

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I have grown up surrounded by coffee. My single Mom volunteered at a church sponsored coffee shop on weekends while I slept on a mat on the back room floor. My Grandparents have had non-stop pots going my entire life.

I love the way it smells- so warming and comforting.

It’s taste on the other hand leaves MUCH to be desired. I hate it. It’s gross and makes my whole face contort unattractively if I’m forced to taste it “Just try it, Ambre! You can’t even taste it in this mocha!” Lies. I am like the Princess and the Pea: it doesn’t matter how many layers of other flavors you try to disguise it under, I. will. detect. it.

I love hot chocolate.

Really love it.

For the sake of making sure we’re all on the same page (listen up, Mom!), let me clarify what I mean when I say “hot chocolate”. I am in no way talking about anything that at any point resembled a powder. Ever. That would be cocoa. Cocoa lacks the butterfat necessary to even attempt to go toe to toe in a taste match with hot chocolate. Are we all together now? Fantastic!

I use to try hot chocolates at any coffee shop I came upon. This resulted in a fairly well developed palate (if I do say so myself!). If you’re a coffee drinker, then I know you are familiar with the difference between a gas station cup of joe and a fair trade mug of exquisite flavor and depth. The same differences occur in the land of hot chocolate. There are the afore mentioned powder packets one mixes with hot water and drinks because you are a kid and don’t know any better and then there’s the liquid chocolate spun into rich milk with a dash of chili powder and cinnamon topped with a swirl of whipped cream to be consumed with a deep sigh of contentment. *sigh* Um, I’ll be right back!

Eggnog Hot Chocolate

Okay, (cup in hand) where were we? Oh, yes: “sighs of contentment”.

So how do we go about creating these flavors and textures in our own kitchen when the fancy strikes? Is it even possible? Absolutely. Let’s step into the kitchen and I’ll show you how I go about it and try to give you a spring board for creating the perfect cup for your tastes.

Let’s start with the chocolate. Your finished product will never taste better than the sum of your ingredients. For this recipe, we are looking for stellar chocolate chips. By “stellar”, I am not talking about a chocolate from “that town” in Pennsylvania. Nope. That wouldn’t do at all! Buy the highest quality chocolate you can afford that didn’t cause the shed of blood and tears (I use Guittard). The second ingredient you will need is whole milk. I will repeat myself once: WHOLE MILK! If you choose to use a more watery version of milk I wash my hands of any responsibility and by all means, don’t tell anyone you got the recipe from me!

Found them both? Okay, then! Let’s go!

A Most Excellent Pot Of Hot Chocolate

½ cup chocolate chips (I use 60% cocoa)

1 Quart Whole Milk

1) Melt chocolate in pan until smooth over low heat stirring constantly. If you have a thin pan, use a super low heat, if you have a nice and thick/heavy pan, you can use a heat closer to medium. The goal is to NOT BURN the chocolate. I believe in you! If your chocolate seems to be balling up instead of melting add a 1/4 inch of your milk and stir til smooth.

Melt The Chips

2) Add a 1/4 inch of milk, if you haven’t already, and stir until smooth. This will take a moment as the cold milk will attempt to harden your chocolate again so you’re job is to get everybody on the same page aka to the same temperature.

Stir, Stir, Stir!

3) Add the rest of your milk and heat til hot (if you like to take temperatures in your kitchen approximately 105-110 degrees is what I shoot for) over medium heat. Basically, if you can comfortably hold your finger in the milk, it’s not hot enough. This is an important moment in the process. You will be tempted to walk away only for a moment to take care of something: DON’T !!!

My hot chocolate mantra is as follows:

“A watched pot never boils, but an unwatched pot Always Boils Over!”

Take my word for it and see it through to the end!

Hot And Ready To Serve!

4) Pour your mugs and enjoy!

Here are some ideas of things to add to the finished product to really take it to the next level:

• Peppermint oil- Make Peppermint Hot Chocolate to rival any coffee shops!
• Eggnog- My three year old suggested this and it’s amazing!
• Cinnamon and Chili- Mexican Hot Chocolate at it’s finest!
• White Chocolate Chips- go half and half with your chocolate chips and enjoy!
• Creme de Menthe- if you’re of age and looking for something  hot and spiked look no further!
• Salt- I kid you not. Give it a try! It’s yumma!

Let me know how you like it!  What do/did you do to give your hot chocolate a little extra kick?

At-Home Coffee Shop Series: Pumpkin Scones

I’m not a Starbucks person. Yes, I like coffee shops, but when given a choice, I’ll usually choose a local place over a big chain. (To me, comparing a local coffee shop to a Starbucks is akin to comparing Shorts to McDonalds. Okay. Maybe I’m exaggerating a little.) Starbucks isn’t all bad, however. They have a pretty awesome corporate responsibility policy (which, by the way, your local coffee shop would love to have but they don’t have the funds…so you should go support them) and they have recently cut trans-fats and high-fructose corn-syrup out of their pastries.

One day, Dexter and I were out shopping, and…it’s embarrasing to admit…we stopped at Starbucks for a latte. I promise, we were far from a (good) local cafe and there was a caffeine-muffled-by-hot-milk emergency. As we were standing in line, we both spotted the pumkin scones. They were frosted.

Frosted.

Being the good wife that I am, I looked at Dexter and asked, “Wanna get one?” He did. I wasn’t expecting much–a dry, cookie-like pumpkin brick with some too-sweet frosting that would just make me want to wash out my mouth with our latte when it was still too hot to drink. However, I took a bite and fell in love. It was moist and sweet and…pumpkiny. There was even some detectable nutmeg flavor!

Now, I’ll admit that we were already having a really good morning. Dexter wasn’t on-call at work, we were taking it slow, going shopping, and getting along really well. Dexter was telling me how cute I looked in my winter hat and being all hand-holdy. So, some of my scone-love might be due to general happiness.

When we got home, I searched online and found a person who claimed to have the exact recipes for Starbucks pumpkin scones. So I had to make them. And I left out the sugar and had to mix it in last. But they were still good. And then I made them again. And they were still good. And now you can make them, too.

If you want to eat these with French press coffee, I can confirm that that’s an awesome idea.

A note about the recipe: If you want the glaze to harden like it does at Starbucks, you should do exactly what the recipe says. I got all snobby and eyeballed the powdered sugar and milk and stirred it with a fork and then I was mad it wasn’t the same.

Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Scones

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups all-purpose flour
7 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
3 tablespoons half-and-half
1 large egg
6 tablespoons cold butter

Plain Glaze
1 cup plus 1 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk

Spiced Icing
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch ground ginger
pinch ground cloves

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon ginger in a large bowl.
3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin, half-and-half, and eggs.
4. Cut butter into cubes then add it to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry knife or a fork to combine butter with dry ingredients. Continue mixing until no chunks of butter are visible. You can also use a food processor: Pulse butter into dry ingredients until it is the texture of cornmeal or coarse sand.
5. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients, then form the dough into a ball. Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a 1 -inch thick rectangle that is about 9 inches long and 3 inches wide. Use a large knife or a pizza wheel to slice the dough twice through the width, making three equal portions. Cut those three slices diagonally so that you have 6 triangular slices of dough.
6. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes on a baking sheet that has been lightly oiled or lined with parchment paper. Scones should begin to turn light brown.
7. While scones cool, prepare plain glaze by combining ingredients in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed. Mx until smooth.
8 When scones are cool, use a brush to paint a coating of the glaze over the top of each scone.
9. As that white glaze firms up, prepare spiced icing by combining ingredients in another medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed. Drizzle this thicker icing over each scone and allow the icing to dry before serving (at least 1 hour). A squirt bottle works great for this, or you can drizzle with a whisk.Makes 6 scones.

Check out the rest of the At-Home Coffee Shop Series here!

At-Home Coffee Shop Series: Naturally Sweetened Banana Bread

Please welcome my friend Sarah! In my eyes, she’s a super-cool, famous blogger. Someday, when I attend a blog conference where she’s presenting, I’m going to lean to the person next to me and whisper, “Yeah, I’ve done coffee with Sarah.”

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For the past 3 years, I’ve been experimenting with different natural sweeteners in an attempt to cut out refined sugar from our family’s diet. It’s no small feat, especially since most natural sweeteners cost more than refined sugar, making it a costly transition. But thankfully you can typically cut back how much you use because the natural sweeteners are really sweet {so you won’t use as much in a recipe as refined sugar}. One of the easiest ways for me to cut out refined sugar is while making breads. So, I thought I’d pass along my banana bread with agave nectar recipe {which I adapted from Better Homes and Garden New Cookbook}.

Here’s the star of the show:

In a bowl, mash up two to three ripe bananas:

In another bowl mix 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup agave nectar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt:

Add mashed bananas, 1/3 cup butter, 1 tablespoon milk. Mix:

Then add 2 eggs, 3/4 cup flour and nuts {which are optional}. Mix well. Don’t worry about lumps, that’s just your banana and nuts:

Pour into a well greased bread pan {I usually use butter for greasing my dishes}.

Bake at 350* for 55-60 minutes. Here’s your end result:

Enjoy!

Recipe list:
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup agave
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2-3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup butter
1 tablespoon milk
2 eggs
nuts {optional}

Sarah is a wife, mother and follower of Christ. She is married to web genius and funny man Jonathan, and stays at home with her two daughters, Julia {3 yo} and Hannah {1.5 yo}. When not chasing after her hyperactive girls, she loves to cook, run, read and watch movies in her “spare” time. You can follow her adventures at Loved Like The Church.

At-Home Coffee Shop Series: Carmelitas

I’d like to introduce you to my friend and very first guest-poster, Leah. Leah is a wife and stay-at-home mom of three cuties who loves a great deal. She’s talented, entrepreneurial, adventurous, and hilarious. After you’ve enjoyed her post and decadently delicious recipe here, head over to A Momma on a Mission where she blogs about family life, frugal living, and making just about anything you can think of from scratch!

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Two and a half years ago, my husband and I found ourselves with hospital bills from having a baby and another set of bills from an unexpected shoulder surgery.  I was a stay at home mom at the time of our 3 year old daughter and 4 month old son.  Growing up, my mom (also a stay at home mom) was always doing a little something from home to help with the family’s income.  And having my dad be the entrepreneur that he is…. well starting little side businesses was just in my blood.

My husband and I decided to check with a friend who owned a local coffee shop and see if there was a need for some homemade goodies for them to sell.  Sure enough they were interested!  I whipped up a few different samples and we found a winner.  I set up my kitchen,  got it licensed, and a few short weeks later I was well on my way to making these “oh so yummy but terrible for you” Oatmeal Carmelitas.

We moved this last summer so I decided it was a good stopping point for me with this business as we were expecting our third baby.  I don’t think I had made them since this last July.  But thankfully this guest post was the motivation I needed to try them again, just a little “healthier” (can you call chocolate and caramel mixed together healthy? 🙂 ) so I could serve them to my family.  I was not disappointed!  Even with the changes I made- they are still delicious!

Here is the original recipe with the few changes that I made.

Oatmeal Carmelitas

Base:
2 C. flour (I used whole wheat)
2 C. oats
1.5 C. brown sugar (I used 1 C. sucanat)
2.5 sticks melted margarine (I used 2 sticks of real butter)
1 tsp. baking soda
.5 tsp salt

Filling:
1 C. caramel sauce
3 TBS. flour (to thicken the caramel filling)
1 package chocolate chips (I thought about using fewer- but then realized- WHY? 😉 )

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350*.
Mix together all of the base ingredients and spread half of the mixture into a greased 9×13 pan.  Bake for 10 minutes.  While that is cooking, combine the caramel sauce and 3 TBS of flour.  Take the bars out of the oven, spread the caramel sauce evenly and then sprinkle on chocolate chips.  Top with remaining half of the base mixture.  Bake for an additional 17-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Allow to cool before cutting.  (Trust me this is very important!  I once took them directly out of the oven and was ready to leave immediately to deliver them to the coffee house.  On the way outside, the corner of the pan hit our van tilting the pan ever so slightly and the ENTIRE double batch of my Oatmeal Carmelitas ended up on my driveway that day!)

Enjoy!

(As a double bonus- these freeze really well!  Since our family did not need to eat an entire pan of these in 2 days, I cut them up and froze them individually so my honey and I can split a late night treat every once and a while.  So good!)

You can check out the rest of the At-Home Coffee Shop Series here!

At-Home Coffee Shop Series: French Press Coffee

Although Dexter has worked for Capanna for over four  years, we haven’t regularly brewed coffee at home until this fall. We used to have the standard Mr. Coffee machine. It was a bulky waste of space that all but desecrated the gourmet, locally-roasted coffee beans we put in it. (Seriously, the coffee was weak, but if we added more grounds they’d explode all over the inside. It was too hard for something that you’re supposed to do when you’re sleepy.)

Finally, when we moved into our house, the carafe to our coffee machine got lost in the shuffle. Instead of replacing it, we bought two coffee drippers at our favorite Des Moines cafe. We set the coffee dripper on top of a mug, put a paper filter inside, added a few scoops of coffee grounds, and poured hot water over the top. It worked fine, but we didn’t really like having to stand over them, waiting for the water to drip through so we could pour more water.

That’s why Dexter decided to ask for a French press, also called a press pot, for his birthday. Since October, we’ve been using it about every weekend to get our caffeine fix.

There are three main reasons we prefer French press coffee.

• It doesn’t require filters, so it’s eco-friendly and economical.
• Because it isn’t filtered through paper, the essential oils from the beans stay in your coffee and give it more flavor.
• You can make coffee for more than one person at a time, depending on the size of your French press.

We’re still learning about the art of French press coffee, so if you brew your coffee differently, that’s fine. We might even copy the way you do it if you tell us how. We enjoy the coffee we’ve been making this way, however, and you might, too. For more tips on how to brew a great cup of coffee, see last week’s At-Home Coffee Shop article.

• Put water on to boil.
• Scoop 2 tablespoons whole coffee beans into your grinder for every one cup of water you plan to use. We use about 24 oz. of water, so we use 6 tablespoons. If you don’t have a grinder, try starting with one tablespoon of coarse grounds per 8 oz. of water. Adjust from there to see how you enjoy your coffee.
• Grind your beans coarsely.
• Pour your grounds into the bottom of your French press.
• Let boiled water sit until it cools to between 195-205*F.
• Pour over water.
• Stir grounds into water if you don’t think they have all gotten wet. We stir with a chopstick instead of a metal spoon so we don’t damage the glass pitcher.
• Place lid on French press gently, allowing filter to sit on top of grounds.
• Wait 4 minutes.
• Press gently (or just use the weight of your arm) on the top of the French press until the filter is pushed all the way down. This should take about 30 seconds.
• Pour your coffee.

In case you were wondering, if you drink this alongside a chocolate croissant from your local gourmet bakery, it will be good. (I know that’s oatmeal in the picture…but if you have a choice, go for the chocolate croissant.)

For more tips on how to create good cafe treats at home, read the rest of my At-Home Coffee Shop series.

At-Home Coffee Shop: Tips for Quality Coffee

Photo Credit: flaivoloka

Have you ever made a pot of coffee at home and wondered why it didn’t taste as good as the brew from your local coffee shop? Here are six things to consider before you start brewing.

Choose your source. If you’re just drinking coffee for caffeine and want to cover it up with a flavored creamer, it probably doesn’t matter what kind of coffee you get. However, if you enjoy the flavor of coffee (or think you might if you got to drink the good stuff), you’ll want to think about your selection a little more. I recommend getting your beans from a local roastery. These coffee shops will likely sell arabica beans, which are grown at a higher altitude and are more flavorful than the robusta coffee beans that make up most bargain-priced grocery store brands. There are two types of roasting that a local roastery might use–hot air (or fluid bed) roasting and drum roasting. We prefer drum-roasted coffee because it allows the roaster to have more control over the roast, so the nuances of the different types of beans can be highlighted. Drum roasted coffee also has more body. Read this article for more information on the two types of roasting. The drum roasting process is explained here. Coffee tastes the best when brewed 3-7 days after it’s roasted. Frequently buying small quantities of fresh beans will result in the best tasting coffee.

Choose your country of origin. Everyone has a different favorite source for coffee. I like Brazilian coffee, because I think the beans smell like chocolate. I also really enjoy Mexican Chiapas. Dexter prefers Peruvian and Tanzanian coffee. Some people consider Sumatran beans to be the height of gourmet coffee, while others think it’s unrefined. Talk to your roaster to find out what they recommend. Ask questions, sample everything you can, and pick your favorite. You may want to consider the political and economic condition of where your beans are coming from and choose fair trade coffee. To learn more about the coffee farming industry, I highly recommend JavaTrekker by Dean Cycon. It contains a lot of information, but it is a quick and interesting read.

Choose your roast. The lighter the roast, the more acidity the coffee will have. Lighter roasts also contain more caffeine and allow more nuances of the beans’ flavor to be tasted. Darker roasts will have less acidity, less caffeine, and a bold coffee taste.

Choose your grinder. The less time between when your coffee is ground and when it is brewed, the fresher the flavor will be. You can have your local coffee shop grind their beans for you, but you may notice a difference in flavor. If you grind your coffee beans at home, you have three types of grinders to choose from. Blade grinders are cheap and widely available. However, heat from the machine can burn the beans and the grind will not be consistent. Burr grinders provide a more even grind by crushing coffee beans between a rotating wheel and an unmoving surface. There are two types of burr grinders. The first, which Dexter and I own, is a wheel burr grinder. They are reasonably priced and quick, but can be loud and messy. Conical burr grinders grind more slowly, which produces an even grind with less noise and less mess. We’d love to own one of these, but you’ll shell out at least $80 and could spend much more. (source) I recommend starting with a wheel burr grinder and saving for a conical while you develop your coffee palate.

Choose your water. It’s best to use filtered water or good-tasting tap water. Bad tasting water will result in bad tasting coffee. Experts recommend avoiding softened or distilled water because they may diminish some of the flavor that is heightened by minerals naturally found in water. Water temperature is also important. Water that is too cold will result in coffee that lacks flavor, whereas water that is too hot could result in a burned taste. Coffee should be brewed with water that is between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit. We bring water to a boil and let it sit for a minute to cool before using it to brew. (source)

Choose your brewing method. I’ll be posting about this soon!

What are your tips for a quality cup of coffee?

Top Ten Coffee Shop Drinks You Should Know

Have you ever walked into a coffee shop and wondered what the heck all those things on the menu were? Here’s a crash course on some of the most mysterious and misunderstood drinks on coffee shop menus everywhere. You’ll find a little glossary of other coffee shop terms, compiled by yours truly, here. If you’re ever at a coffee shop when they’re slow, take the opportunity to ask your barista questions. Chances are they’d rather talk to you than sweep the floor. Also, feel free to leave any coffee shop questions you have in the comments section since I have some coffee shop experience under my belt.

1. Espresso (es-PRESS-o) – A strong flavored coffee made by forcing hot water through finely ground coffee beans. One “shot” of espresso is approximately one fluid ounce. It contains approximately 75mg of caffeine, compared to the 200-300mg of caffeine in the typical 16 oz. cup of coffee from a coffee shop, 100mg in 16 oz. of tea, and 35-40mg in a 12 oz. can of cola. (source) The light brown froth on the top of a shot of espresso is called the crema and contains much of the coffee’s flavor.
2. Macchiato (mah-kee-AH-tow) – From the Italian word for “marked,” a shot of espresso topped with a dollop of froth from steamed milk. This is different from the popular Starbucks drink, the caramel macchiato, which is a vanilla latte “marked” with caramel syrup.
3. Con Panna (kone PAH-nuh) – A shot of espresso topped with whipped cream.
4. Americano (uh-mare-i-KAH-no) – Hot water topped with one or more shots of espresso.
5. Latte (LAH-tay) – Espresso topped with steamed milk. A small amount of froth may be found on top of the drink. Most coffee houses offer skim, 2%, or soy milk. Sweetened flavors, such as caramel, vanilla, or hazelnut, can be added.
6. Breve (BREH-vay) – A latte made with half-and-half.
7. Cappuccino (kap-uh-CHEE-no) – At most coffee shops, this is a latte with extra froth on top. At pickier coffee shops, it will be 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk, and 1/3 froth.
8. Mocha (MOH-kuh) – A latte with added chocolate, or hot chocolate with added espresso. Most coffee shops offer regular and white chocolate. Flavored syrups can also be added. Many coffee shops will have menu items that combine chocolate and other flavors, such as a “s’more mocha,” which is chocolate and marshmallow, or a “turtle mocha,” which might be chocolate, caramel, and hazelnut.
9. Cafe au Lait (cah-FAY oh LAY) – Half coffee and half steamed milk.
10. Chai (chI) – This might be called a “chai latte” or even a “chai tea latte” on some menus. The funny thing is, “chai” means “tea” and “latte” means “milk,” so if you’re ordering a chai tea latte, you’re ordering a “tea tea milk.” It is a sweet Indian drink made with black tea, milk, and spices that may include ginger, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and black pepper. Most coffee shops, even in India, use a flavored syrup to make this. It’s still good, but it’s not too difficult to make a batch of homemade chai. I’ll be sharing how to do that soon!

What is your favorite coffee shop drink?

Find more Top Ten Tuesday at Oh Amanda.

Photo Credit

At-Home Coffee Shop: A Proper Cup of Tea

I am a “tea person.” I come from a long line of tea people.

The funny thing is that because I’m a tea person, I avoid ordering tea at most restaurants and coffee shops. Because there are a lot of ways to foul up a cup of tea. For instance:

• tepid water
• bad tea-bag-to-water ratio (giant pot of tepid water + 1 tea bag = crummy cup of tea)
• steeping tea too long or not long enough
• refilling a person’s bad cup of tea with more tepid water while the tea is steeping (and a “tea person” might not ever be able to move on if this happens)

Although I would love to live in the world of avid tea-makers and drinkers, having good tea run like water from the tap might take away from the calming ritual of making a pot of tea. It’s hard for the perfectionist in me to admit it, but there’s probably more than one way to make good tea. But, in case you’re looking to wow your family with a simple cup of tea on Christmas Day, here’s my way.

First, choose your tea.

My family really enjoys Yorkshire tea. I can’t vouch for its technical quality, but I enjoy Tetley for iced tea. My grandmother prefers loose leaf Irish breakfast tea. I buy any brand of fair-trade loose-leaf English breakfast tea, although I’m currently enjoying a bag of Numi tea. (Although I’m not refined enough to taste much of a difference, I kind of prefer Irish breakfast tea because I think it’s cool to be like my grandma. But I haven’t been able to find it both loose leaf and fair trade for a decent price.) I’m not a huge fan of flavored teas, but I have enjoyed loose leaf or Yogi lemon ginger tea both alone and mixed with black tea.

Second, choose your water.

Alton Brown told me that  my tea water needs to be freshly run–not having been sitting around in my fridge for a long time. I forget why this is, but you can trust A.B. Also, choose water that you’d enjoy drinking alone. Tea won’t necessarily cover up the taste of your water, but the water might make your tea taste bad. We have a Brita filter attached to our faucet, so I use water straight from that.

Third, boil your water.

Note that I did not write “heat up your water.” I also didn’t write “turn on your tap water so it’s really hot.” And sorry, Charlie–the spigot behind the bar at your favorite coffee shop will also not give you boiling water. My mom, who hasn’t taken up coffee as a condolence-prize hot drink, has decided that she’ll drink tea from a restaurant as long as the water is hot enough to inflict some serious pain if she dips her finger in it. Why is it important to have boiling water? Each type of tea (green, white, oolong, black, etc.) has a specific water temperature that allows the tea to give its maximum flavor. Also, after the tea has been boiled and cooled, oxygen has been removed which affects the flavor of the water. Still curious? Read this. Alton Brown also notes that if you are using tea bags, you might want to use water that is just below the boiling point because it won’t pull the bitterness from the tea dust into your drink. You can use the microwave (in my opinion), an electric tea kettle, or an old-fashioned tea kettle. We used electric for a long time since they were so convenient in the dorms. When ours conked out, we got a traditional stainless steel model because stainless steel doesn’t usually “just stop working.”

Next, measure your tea.

If you use tea bags, you’ll need one tea bag per 6-8 oz. of water. If you’re using loose-leaf, you’ll need one spoonful of tea per cup. My teaspoons are about the size of soup spoons, and my soup spoons are pretty much ladles, so I have one spoon that I somehow picked up from my mom’s old set of silverware that is normal-sized. My teapot holds 1.5 quarts (6 cups), so I use six spoonfuls. If I plan to serve all my tea at once, I’ll put my tea leaves directly into my teapot. If I want to keep the teapot full for a while and drink it throughout the day, I use a teabag (purchased or made from cheesecloth and string) or put my tea into two three-cup mason jars. You’ll want your teapot or other brewing container to be pre-warmed with boiling water (or at least really hot tap water) and then dried.

Then, steep the tea.

After you’ve poured your still-boiling water over the tea leaves, set a timer. If you steep the tea for under 3 minutes, it will be pretty weak. If you steep it for over 5 minutes, it will be too bitter. I set my timer for 4 minutes because I like strong tea, but I want some wiggle room in case it takes me a while to stop snuggling with my puppies and get to the kitchen. I pour my tea through a strainer (or cheesecloth if my strainer is dirty) from my teapot into cups or my mason jars into my teapot.

Finally, enjoy your tea!

If you take cream and sugar, the Brits will tell you to put the cream in your cup first. They say something about bacteria happens. However, science is not on their side, so you can do it however you want. I usually drink my tea with just a little skim milk, but I’ll put in just a bit of sugar if I want something more desserty. You can drink your tea out of just about anything. The cuter my mug, the more I enjoy it. I prefer my tea out of the Shakespeare mug I bought in Stratford-upon-Avon when my grandparents took their ten children and grandchildren to the U.K. in ’07. However, tea probably tastes best in a bone china cup. Tiny silver spoons, authentic British scones, and clotted cream won’t hurt either.

Check out the rest of my At-Home Coffee Shop series here.

Coffee Shops

Photo Credit: Gareth Weeks

I love coffee shops. Especially cool, local ones like this or this or this or this that know what they’re doing when it comes to coffee.

When Dexter and I were dating (at the stage where we didn’t call it dating…we were just hanging out as friends), we spent a lot of time at a particular coffee shop. I remember the first time he asked me out for coffee. We were talking on AOL Instant Messenger like we did every night (can you tell this relationship started in highschool in the early 2000s?) when he asked me if I wanted to “go out for some coffee or tea or something.” I shot away from the computer and ran up the stairs to ask my parents for permission. I practically rolled back down the stairs and typed in a “yes,” thankful that my breathlessness wasn’t audible to Dexter.

The next day, he picked me up in his really gross, homeless-man’s-home truck, and we spent about three hours sitting in uncomfortable chairs at little Sticks tables, in perfect happiness. As we drove back to my house, Dexter’s truck could barely shift gears. After a suspenseful but short ride, Dexter had to wait around my house for his mom and step dad to come help him with the truck. I don’t think that’s the way he had envisioned it going.

We got past that adventure and had many more coffee dates in the future. After one, he asked me to be his girlfriend. I said no. We got past that, too. A few months later, he asked me the same question at the coffee shop, and I said yes.

Now that we’re married and enslaved by debt, we’ve decided to cut back (but not eliminate) trips to the coffee shop.

Pros to the coffee shop:

• No dogs, which for us means barking, no whimpering about needing a trip outside, and no 65 lb furry creature wanting to sit on your lap and lick your face while you’re trying to have a conversation.
• No mess to clean up–someone else makes the coffee and the pastries, so my counters and dishes stay clean.
• No junk on the table. I don’t know about you, but our kitchen table is a junk magnet.
• Variety of choices. Say the word and you can have coffee, tea, cider, chocolate, sweet, plain, hot, or cold in a matter of five minutes. At home, that kind of variety requires a trip to the grocery store, which is not the ideal start to a relaxing coffee date.
• No work required. Sometimes, I think making coffee and pastries is therapeutic and relaxing. Sometimes, I am so tired that the prep work makes it hard to enjoy sitting down with my husband and a cup of coffee.
• Fresh roasted coffee…maybe. Depending on where you go, you might get old coffee shipped from out-of-state, OR you might get some small-batch roasted quality joe. And if you buy it here, it might be roasted by an extremely handsome man.

Cons to the coffee shop:

• Ethical ingredients. Not all coffee shops have fair trade coffee and tea. I can’t think of a single one that uses cruelty-free dairy products. And, unfortunately, the chocolate your coffee shop uses is probably tainted.
• Money. There are some inexpensive options at coffee shops. Like coffee. And tea. But unless you’re careful, your bill can add up quickly.
• Comfort. Many coffee shops are crowded, so seating choices are limited. At home, your seating choices are only limited by the furniture you own. Also, at home, you won’t have loud obnoxious groups making noise that interrupts your conversation–unless you invite them over.
• Privacy. Want to have a conversation about your marriage while having a cup of coffee? It’s a little awkward when you have a law student to your left and a bored-looking teenager to your right.
• Too much variety. Sometimes, only having a few things to choose from is nice. You might need a training session with your local barista just to figure out what everything on the menu is.
• Ingredient control. Avoiding high fructose corn syrup and trans fats? Some coffee shops offer pastries without these additives, however, it’s often difficult to find out what’s really in those baked goods.

In the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing some tips I’ve learned that can make your at-home coffee shop experience a little more authentic. Hopefully, it’ll help you save money, eat and drink ethically, and enjoy delicious, coffee-shop quality treats.