Christmas Coffee

Ok, so I've missed several Carnivals, and a coupla Chocolate Fridays, but boy, my house sure looks nice and Christmassy.  I finished almost all my shopping and I've got the menu almost all planned.  Heh.  Now all I have to do is sit back and wait for the guests to arrive.

This afternoon I'm experimenting with Christmas coffee flavors to serve said guests upon said arrival.  Well, and for myself, of course.  Heh.

I bought some of that peppermint flavored creamer to try.  Didn't care for it.  I tried an eggnog latte at my favorite coffee shop - loved that.  LOVED it.  I was hoping to find some eggnog flavored non-dairy creamer - for that touch of lactose intolerance that age created - but had no luck.  So I just bought a small carton of eggnog, and that's good for a splash.  I'll keep the peppermint and offer both to my guests at Christmas. 

The best of the best though, which will be served separately in its own pot, is this conconction I call

Chris(tine) Cringle Coffee
Add to french press:
6-8 whole cloves
1 stick cinnamon
3 whole nutmegs
Appropriate teaspoons coffee

Allow to brew for 5 minutes, stirring gently midway through.  Remove nuts and cinnamon stick and press.  Add 1/2 stick cinnamon to cup, and pour in coffee.  Add a dollop of whipped cream if desired.  Sprinkle ground cinnamon on top.

If you're going to use a drip coffee maker, add the cloves, cinnamon and nutmegs to the basket with the coffee grounds.  After the coffee is made, remove them, rinse, and add to the carafe so the flavor can continue to be released.

I used a good strong coffee for this, as the cloves add a strong flavor. You need a rich coffee to stand up to the spices.  I tried a french roast, and an espresso, and I liked the french roast best. The whole nutmegs added a very light flavor, maybe they need to be cut in half for a stronger flavor, but I preferred it not be overwhelming.

Enjoy!

Comments

[Steve Griebel]

I'm trying to find the original Hickory Farms "Christmas Blend" coffee, too. I ordered their Christmas Celebration thinking that they probably changed the name, but it isn't anything like the Christmas Blend that I remember. The original had a nice touch of cinnamon, and other subtle flavors that made it a great flavored coffee. The Christmas Celebration is a non-flavored coffee. Does anyone know where I can find a "taste alike" coffee to Christmas Blend?

[Karen Bonar]

i am trying to locate Christmas blend coffee from Hickory Farms. Can't find. Can anyone help?

[Karen Bonar]

Coffeemate makes an eggnog liquid creamer. It is wonderful but only available aroung Thanksgiving and Christmas. I just stock up. I still have some from Christmas.

[Captoe]

Hey there, found you by way of Dubious Wonder's Carnival. I'll be trying the coffee recipe!

I bought a "Wintry Blend" coffee at Trader Joe's a couple of weeks ago, but the flavor is really heavy in peppercorns, gak, it's a smallish gak, but gak all the same.

Also, I got a Chai-eggnog-latte at Starbucks, the flavor was pretty good.

[Katxena]

Look carefully at your eggnog container -- not all eggnog is made with milk. The non-dairy versions have a lot of scary unpronouncable stuff in them, and they tend to be overly sweet, but they might work very well as a non-dairy eggnog creamer.

[Christine]

Heheh, you won't regret it, D! But you can do this with a drip coffee maker too. You just need to allow the spices to interact sufficiently with the hot water ... not just a chat, but a good long conversation ... so that the flavors come forward. Merry merry!

[David]

Well, I've been wanting an excuse to get a French press...

;-)