Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Cookies and Coffee - what could be sweeter?

Who doesn't love a good double chocolate dipped donut and a coffee from Tim Hortons?  However, Italians can't get enough of their biscotti & espresso. I came across an article by Lindsey Goodwin, a writer for About.com, and she shares some of the most popular coffee and baked good pairings, so grab your Cinnamon Buns and a freshly brewed Columbian (coffee that is) and read away.....

Biscotti - Perhaps the most popular baked good to enjoy with coffee in the U.S. outside of doughnuts, biscotti comes in flavors and varieties to suit nearly any palate. Almond is classic, but cherry, chocolate and other types are also well worth trying. Full-flavored biscotti is also great with espresso.

Cakes - Cake and coffee is a classic pairing. Carrot cake is fantastic with Colombian coffee.

Caramel Flan - The rich, salty-sweet flavor of caramel flan works well with Indonesian and Guatemalan coffees.

Cinnamon Buns - The caramel and chocolate notes in Colombian and Guatemalan coffees are a natural fit for cinnamon buns.

Coffee Cake - Danishes and coffee cake pair well with most coffees, but light- or medium-roast Hawaiian and Nicaraguan coffees are particularly good.

Croissants - You can pair unadorned coffees with croissants, but why not take a cue from the French? Café au Lait pairs so much better!

Doughnuts - Different types of doughnuts pair well with different coffees. Many coffee-and-doughnut lovers swear by milk and sugar with pretty much any type of coffee and any type of doughnut. Smooth, sweet Costa Rican coffee is especially well suited to pairing with doughnuts.

Muffins - Like doughnuts, most muffins work with most coffees. Some find that Costa Rican and Mexican coffees are especially good with muffins.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies - Light- to medium-roast Nicaraguan and Kona coffees are ideal for pairing with the lighter flavor of oatmeal raisin cookies.

Scones - They're not just for tea! Fruit scones are great with winey coffees from Yemen, Kenya and Haiti. Unflavored scones are good with Costa Ricans and maple raisin scones are perfect for Kona or Nicaraguan coffee. Citrus scones are great with Mexican and Ethiopian coffees.

Shortbread - The buttery, dense flavor and texture of shortbread is delicious with Costa Rican or Brazilian coffees, or with a Caffé Breve.

Sweet Breads - Zucchini bread with nuts is amazing with Colombian. Banana nut bread is great with Costa Rican, Kenyan or Kona coffee, and pumpkin bread with nuts is incredible with Colombian or Costa Rican coffee. They're all great with Espresso con Panna.