A Cup of Joe

 

National Coffee Day is September 29. If you're like me, you like to enjoy a cup (or more) of coffee each morning. Coffee brings joy to people around the world. Most coffee beans are grown in Brazil, but 2 states in the U.S. do grow coffee. Hawaii's warm climate is optimal for growing coffee and a few years ago when we were visiting Hawaii we toured coffee farms. California recently got into the game and now has several coffee farms. 

There's good news for coffee drinkers - research now shows that moderate consumption of coffee (3-4 cups per day) is linked to a longer life span, plus a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and Parkinson's, according to Harvard Health Publishing. 

Coffee has become more varied in the last few years. The popularity of coffeehouses (Starbucks, Caribou, and when I'm in Manhattan - Radina's, or our local CakeBatterBatter) have made cappuccino, espresso, iced coffee, lattes and many others favorite drinks. With flavored coffee creamers and syrups you can make some of these specialities at home. 

I hadn't been a fan of iced coffee, but this summer I tried a couple of new-to-me ideas at home - Dalgona coffee and iced vanilla latte. So, now I often make an extra cup in the morning to enjoy later as a cold drink. 

Iced Vanilla Latte (claims to be Starbucks copycat)

Put ½ cup ice in large cup. Mix together 1 cup cold strongly brewed coffee, ¼ cup milk or cream, and 1 Tablespoon vanilla syrup. 

Dalgona Coffee is one of 2020's biggest food crazes according to Food Network Magazine. Whipped coffee has been around for centuries and traditionally requires lots of stirring/whipping/whisking. Make your own with your electric mixer the easy way. 

Here's what the instant coffee
and sugar look like after whipping

Combine 2 tablespoons each granulated sugar and instant coffee or espresso powder in a medium bowl. Add 2 tablespoons boiling water and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale brown and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Pour 1 cup cold milk into an ice-filled glass and spoon the whipped coffee mixture over the top just before serving. 

A coffee field in Hawaii

from an exhibit at the coffee farm

Scones for Spring

Scones are a popular treat at bakeries and coffee shops now. Although they sound very English, Scones are believed to have originated in Scotland between 1505 and 1515, and are named for the Stone of Destiny (or Scone), the place where Scottish kings were once crowned. We in the U.S. are now enjoying this crusty and tender quick bread as a royal treat with our tea and coffee. Our local coffee shop makes a wonderful scone with white baking chips and dried cranberries, it is my favorite. 

Making scones is similar to stirring together biscuits. They have similar ingredients - flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, milk, butter, and eggs. Scones can be loaded with add-ins for a boast in flavor. 

Some tips for scones are:
* Make sure the butter, eggs, and milk are cold. The cold fat gives baked products flakiness. 
* Work the butter into the dry ingredients until it looks like coarse sand with some larger particles, similar to pie crust dough. 
* Eggs add richness and help the dough rise. If your recipe doesn't include an egg, just add one and omit ¼ cup milk or cream in the recipe. 
* Juicy fruits can make the scones soggy. I like to use slightly frozen fruit and lightly dust it with flour. 
* Don't overmix, this can make the scones tough. 
* A new tip for me, and I tried it - Freeze the pan of scones for 30 minutes before baking to relax the gluten and enhance the flakiness of the fat. 

This recipe from the National Festival of Breads is good and can be adapted to be savory or sweet. I used ½ cup dried cranberries and ½ cup white chocolate baking chips. 

Signature Scones 

(makes 12 scones)

Ingredients:

1 cup white whole-wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

½ cup chopped dried or chopped fresh fruit

2 tablespoons granulated sugar or agave nectar

½ cup nonfat Greek yogurt, any flavor

¼ cup vegetable oil or olive oil

¼ cup 2% low-fat milk

1 large egg, slightly beaten

Directions: 

1.   Heat oven to 350 degrees

2.   In large bowl, combine all ingredients, stirring just until dough clings together. (Mixture will be sticky; if using fresh fruit, extra tablespoons of flour may be needed)

3.   On lightly floured surface, knead gently for a few turns. Divide dough in half; pat dough into two 6-inch circles. 

4.   Cut each circle into six equal wedges. Place 2 inches apart on a parchment paper-lined or lightly greased baking sheet. Brush surface with milk; sprinkle with sugar. 

5.   Bake 20 – 25 minutes or until lightly golden. The interior will be fully baked but not doughy, just a bit moist. Transfer to a wire rack; serve warm or at room temperature. 

National Coffee Day

Yesterday was National Coffee Day - a day to celebrate our caffeine habit and get a free cup of coffee at selected coffee houses. For many of us, Coffee Day is the way we start each day. My house offers a steaming pot of brew each morning, this week's flavor is Pumpkin Spice, anticipating the fall season. Yesterday's publicity of National Coffee Day reminded me of the coffee farms we toured in Hawaii. It was interesting to see coffee as a red bean on a short tree/shrub instead of a dark ground product in a bag.
Coffee is, and has historically been, one of Hawaii's main crops. The first coffee plant was introduced to Hawaii through King Kamehameha in 1813. In 1821, the first coffee tree was planted in Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii by a missionary. Thus, the exquisite taste of the cup of Kona coffee had begun. Kona coffee is grown in a 20-mile area that offers just the right temperatures, rainfall, and mix of volcanic soil to produce the distinct flavor. Today the largest coffee farm there has 4 million trees.
There are 715 small coffee farms in the state of Hawaii, some on each island. Hawaii is the only state in the U.S. which grows coffee.

Coffee trees grow in rows in rich volcanic soil that reminded us
of Oklahoma red dirt. 

The trees are not large, and are trimmed every other year or every third year. 

Beans, called cherries, grow in clusters along the stem.
They are harvested after about 7 - 9 months. Each cherry contains
two small beans. 

Beans/cherries may be strip picked with a harvester machine such
as this one or selective picked by hand taking only the ripe cherries. 

Coffee beans are sorted and separated then dried. Other processing includes
hulling, polishing, and roasting.

The folks at Eating Well have given tips for brewing the best cup of coffee. It gives us something to think about, maybe a change of the plastic-can-brand to the grind-it-in-the-store (or at home) varieties. What ever  your habits are, there are some tips you can use:
1. Buy fresh beans
2. Keep beans fresh at home. They suggest to buy only a 5-7 day supply at a time and keep them in a glass canning jar with a tight fitting lid.
3. Choose good coffee - 100% arabica beans.
4. Grind your own.
5. Use good water.
6. Avoid cheap filters.
7. Don't skimp on the coffee. Their formula is 2 level tablespoons of ground coffee for 6 ounces of water/coffee.
8. Beware of the heat, best temperature is 200 degrees.
9. Keep your equipment clean.

The simple cup of morning joe - gives us a lot to think about. Enjoy the brew.