spiced coffee

[helenjp]

I feel there should be a thread on this already, but can't find one...

I like to grind the contents of one cardamom pod in with my coffee beans for a warming spiced coffee that isn't too much fuss to prepare. The extra flavor without any sweetness is a bonus, too!

Next?

[Kyle_Larson]

Cardamon and coffee....so good. If you get bored and have a couple shots of espresso laying around, here's another good one.

1 tsp spoon honey

1 dash of cinnamon

1/2 tsp DaVinci Hazlenut syrup

2 ounces freshly extracted espresso

4 ounces freshly steamed whole milk

Add honey, cinnamon, and hazelnut syrup to the bottom of a six ounce cappuccino cup(traditional Italian). Add espresso and gently stir to blend with honey mixture. Add steamed milk and enjoy.

So good. It sounds really sweet, but it's actually quite balanced with the right espresso.

Edited December 1, 2004 by Kyle_Larson (log)

[phaelon56]

Hey Kyle... good to see you here! I recognize your name form some other coffee forums where I've been known to hang out on occasion.

I don't recall that we've had a thread dedicated to this. There has been a bit of discussion regarding spices as used in traditional Ethiopian coffee and most particularly in Thai iced coffee (cardamom is the key ingredient in that as well).

The cardamom sounds good. I think a bit of fresh cinnamon grated over the grounds before an espresso shot is pulled could also be very interesting.

Here's a weird one that's better than it sounds... the owner of the cafe where I work part time is very attuned to natural food and health products. She's really into the specific healing/helatful properyties of certain teas and sprinkles a certain Chinese tea on top of the grounds before she brews a pot of coffee. It's done with a light hand and the result is actuall quite interesting - it's like a subtle flavor overlay on top of the coffee flavor that's very distinct from it.

[helenjp]

Tea on top of coffee...hmmm...maybe one of the smoky fermented Chinese teas? Could be interesting...

But could I forego my usual topper...a shot of espresso poured into the top of my drip coffee, because it's never strong enough for me?

As for hazelnut flavors, it's a great sadness to me that hazelnuts have never caught on in Japan. I somehow can't see peanuts in the same light...

However, you have me thinking. It's possible that espresso, hot milk, and kinako (toasted soybean powder) could go somewhere...other than down the sink, that is.

[phaelon56]

maybe one of the smoky fermented Chinese teas?

I think it may in fact be one of those smoky fermented teas.

At this point I rarely rule out anything until I've tried it. I was very skepticla about brewer's yeast as a topping to sprinkle on popcorn ntil I tried it. Sounded bizarre but it was truly delicious.

[lovebenton0]

I like to grind a few shards of cinnamon stick with the beans. I like it better than using the ground cinnamon - although I do that also if not grinding the beans fresh. Toasted pecans and hazelnuts are also good this same way. And 1/8 tsp good Mexican vanilla added to the basket per pot is delightfully smooth, either alone or with any of the others.