Chocolate dipping sticks

Everybody loves dipping biscuits into their tea, but whoever said that you couldn’t dip foodstuff into your coffee? After all, chocolate coffee is extremely popular wherever you go.
With these beautiful chocolate and marshmallow dippy sticks, you are ensured a colourful and tasty snack with your coffee. Whether you make them for the office or the family, there’s no reason why everyone can’t enjoy them; even if they drink tea.

Image: Link

Gingerbread Coffee House

Designed by Not Martha, these wonderfully cute gingerbread houses are designed to sit on the edge of your cup during the Christmas season.

With inspiration coming from 3-D cookies, you too can make these handy little additions to your coffee mug.

If you really fancy getting creative, you can try a great plethora of different sweeties and sprinkles to serve as roofing tiles for you and your loved ones.

Source: Link

Candy Cane Coffee

If you really want to indulge in some Christmas sweetness, then there’s nothing quite more festive than Christmas Candy Canes.

Originating from Germany, candy canes have been around since the eighteenth century and there’s nothing quite like celebrating that fact with a good cup of coffee.

If you decide that you don’t want to purchase some store bought canes, you can of course make your own in as little as an hour!

Coffee Spices!

As well as great food during the Christmas season, one of the great things that we look forward to is of course the range of beautiful smells we find throughout the whole season. If you so desire, you could of course add a few crushed seasonal spices into your coffee pot; adding not only a great taste to your mug, but too a sprinkle of Christmas spirit.
Perfect of course for ground coffee, a sprinkle of cinnamon sticks, allspice berries and a selection of cloves will go down a treat with family coffee lovers come Christmas day.

Irish Coffee

If you start getting a little tired this Christmas, or even a little fed up of all the fuss, there’s absolutely no reason why you and your fellow man can’t crack out the whiskey bottle and brew yourselves a good hot Irish coffee.

Originating from County Limerick in Ireland over the past 100 years, the drink has become immensely popular all over the world and is one of the most popular drinks during the Christmas period.
Sources also have it that Irish coffee must be made with classic Irish whiskey as it is triple-distilled, therefore giving much smoother taste and is not quite as smoky as scotch.

Remember however, no matter how you enjoy your coffee this Christmas, it is always nicer to share it with friends and family; the ultimate ingredient to anything in December.

Having being established since 1886 in one of the most picturesque towns in England, it could be said that with a large degree of confidence that Taylors of Harrogate are one of the most expert tea makers in the United Kingdom.

Via looking through our specialist tea range you will find a unique range of some of the most beautiful tea selections currently on the market; whether you are after some of the most exquisite blended teas, or the most calming herbal selections, they are all here.

For example, Mlensa Green tea is one of the most unique yet utterly satisfying tea’s in the range. Prepared according to an ancient and traditional Chinese tea making methods, the tea has an extraordinary amount of anti-oxidants within its leaves.

Although you can find powerful antioxidants in a wide range of tea, it is green tea where the true value of power of antioxidants are harboured; working to modify the metabolism in our bodies to detoxify the harmful chemicals that are often found.

Although green and black tea is in fact made from the same plant, Camellia sinensis, the process behind developing the tea is quite different.

Whereas black tea leaves undergo a crushing and fermenting process, green tea leaves are withered and steamed; helping them retain important polyphenols (the nutrients that search out cell-damaging free radicals to detoxify them).

Besides herbal and green tea of course, Taylors of Harrogate also offer a wide range of blended tea bags such as Earl Grey, an increasingly popular tea in its own right.

Although of course, Taylors of Harrogate are widely famed for their beautiful tea, they also have a wide range of luxurious coffee beans, which offer the perfect compliments to any Coffechino coffee machine.

If you care about where your luxury beans come from, then the great news is that Taylors of Harrogate also have wonderfully sourced Fairtrade Espresso Coffee beans.

As the company is a family one through and through, it puts fairness at the heart of its business ethos and has close trading relationships with all the growers, ensuring that they earn premium prices for the goods in which they produce.

By working with communities in Africa, Asia and South America, Taylors of Harrogate are also responsible for a Sustainable Sourcing Programme which works internally within the company, making sure that all tea and coffee is grown responsibly; ensuring that you can enjoy some of the best tea with the cleanest of conscience.

Of course, we all love coffee beans but if the mood takes you, we are also proud to stock a wide range of fresh ground Taylors of Harrogate coffee, which for the sake of simplicity and time are perfect solutions to a short working break or a quick cup early in the morning.

Which is your favourite Taylors of Harrogate tea or coffee? Let us know with a comment below!

Coffee And Walnut Layer Cake

from Nigella.com
Beautifully designed by the Queen of the Kitchen, Nigella Lawson, the cake encompasses the best of the world of coffee and nuts in this simply scrumptious layered coffee cake. Utilising both the finest espresso powder and rustic, old fashioned charm, it is a cake intended to sweep you back to your childhood! Let her know what you think by tweeting her @Nigella_Lawson. Check the recipe here.

Buttermilk Cappuccino Cake

from Serious Eats
For those who perhaps enjoy cake with a little less bite, then this Buttermilk Cappuccino cake may very well be the cake for you! A cake that is apparently easy to make and first tested out on a work colleague of Lauren Wiesenthal; it is the perfect place to start if you’re new to the game of baking! Let @seriouseats know how you got on! Check the recipe here.

Margaret’s Espresso Cake

by Liete’s Culinaria
A treasured family favourite of Sarabeth Levine, this cake really is one of the incredible gluttonies on our list and is certainly a cake that will not be soon forgotten! Made with espresso powder from instant coffee, the cake is surprisingly easy to make and is great for parties! @leitesculinaria would love to know how it tasted for you. Check the recipe here.

Mocha Icebox Cake

by Seven Spoons
With ecstasies of both coffee and chocolate, this is certainly one of our favourites on the list. A homemade cake recipe written by TaraO’Brady; the cake compromises of much cocoa along with one tablespoon of coffee granules, honey graham crackers, chocolate syrup and vanilla (heaven). Let her know how you got on via twitter @taraobrady. Check the recipe here.

Apple Crumb Coffee Cake

by Big Girls, Small Kitchen

The only cake on the list containing fruit, the apple crumb coffee cake as designed by blogger and chef, Cara; this cake is certainly one that is designed to bring the world of fruit and coffee together in this explosion of taste with Cinnamon, lemon juice and of course coffee all within this one delicious cake, you’ll wonder how you didn’t come across it sooner. Let @BGSK know how you got on eating it! Check the recipe here.

The question to win this amazing prize is:

How many Coffee Beans does it take to make an espresso?

a) 150

b) 42

c) 4

Please enter your answer and email below with the winner being contacted via email on the closing date of the competition on Monday 30th April 2012 at Midday.

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Terms and Conditions

Competition open only to people aged 18 years or over.
No employees of Coffechino or anyone else professionally related to the competition may enter,
Only one entry per person will be accepted.
In order to enter you must still be following us on Twitter and still ‘liking’ us on Facebook by the time to competition closes.
The competition ends on April 30th at midday. The winner will be notified that afternoon via Email. If you do not respond within 24 hours we reserve the right to choose another winner.
One entrant will win the above prize.
The prize is non transferrable and there are no cash alternatives.

Our coffee beans are sourced globally to give you the best taste and variety possible.  We have traditional espresso richezza coffee beans, blended with beans from South America and Africa.  We also have the distinctive Arabica which is blended with beans from Africa, South America and India.

Coffee beans come from a species of evergreen plant called the Coffea and they start their life as a seed in a berry, they are often referred to as a ‘bean’ because of their resemblance to a true bean.  The coffee berries are green when unripe, changing to yellow as they ripen, and finally transforming to a shade of dark red and then black once they are dried.  When the berry is ripe the beans can then be extracted and roasted.  It is the roasting process and the country of origin that results in the different flavours and aromas of coffee that we have available.

Our freeze dried instant coffee is a great choice for those in a rush but don’t want to compromise on quality.  It is popular due to its speed and ease of use to create a great tasting cup of coffee.  When compared to ground coffee, our freeze dried instant coffee has a longer shelf-life and weighs less.  The smooth and mild freeze dried coffee is created from hand-picked Arabica beans from the mountain sides of Columbia and is perfect for an aromatic all-day drinking coffee.  Our range of freeze dried instant coffee support the Children of the Andes, Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade.

We believe in equality in coffee production, which is why we stock a range of ethical/fairtrade products. We have tea, freeze dried instant coffee, coffee beans and ground coffee available which support the Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade.

The Rainforest Alliance certification means that the coffee grown satisfies the high levels of environmental and social performance.  It ensures that the farmers follow sound agricultural practices that protect forests, rivers, soils and wildlife while being good community neighbours, whilst also maintaining that workers have decent wages, dignified living conditions, access to health care and education for their children.  So whilst you enjoy your cup of tea or coffee, you can rest assured knowing that you are doing your bit to help protect the coffee farmers and their environment.

For the perfect complement to your hot drink we offer a range of chocolates and biscuits, from yummy Lotus caramelised biscuits, gooey mini marshmallows or for a bit of after dinner luxury, rolled chocolate wafers and mint chocolate crisp Neapolitans.  And, to transform your cups of coffee into a variety of different flavours we also stock Sweetbird coffee syrups, with cinnamon or gingerbread to chocolate or marshmallow, we’ve got something for everybody’s tastes.

For those people that enjoy a carefully made cup of espresso they will know that it is really important to have an authentic cup from which to drink the strong coffee.  Espresso cups are those little coffee cups that can be anything from plain porcelain to more ornate designs.  The cup makes a difference to enjoying an espresso – so if you take the time to make this spectacular beverage – make sure you have the perfect espresso coffee cups to serve it to your dinner guests or yourself for that matter.  We have selected a number of ranges of espresso cups for you to consider, we are not however recommending any one particular design but are hoping to show you how a cup can change the whole process of drinking espresso.

These espresso cups in the Guzzini range are designed by Queensberry Hunt Levien and are available as a set of 2 in green, red or gold.  Available for around £18 for two they will add a touch of contemporary class to a dinner party.

For the office these espresso cups are ideal for business meetings.  Customers will be impressed when served coffee in these cups.  First impressions are very important and to serve espresso in these great cups could help seal the deal.  The cups are by Present Time and retail at around £14 for the set.

LSA International has designed a very style espresso cup set – the Jazz range is perfect for dinner parties.  Guests will be impressed when they are served after dinner coffee in these cups and sauces.  They are extremely reasonably priced for a set of 4 at £28.

Wow – look at this striking red cup.  This is in true oriental design – Shanghai Espresso Cup and Saucer is available for approximately £7 per cup and saucer.  This is a beautiful cup for those special occasions when only a strong espresso will do.

We have highlighted here a few of the amazing espresso coffee cups that are available.  As is clear there is now no need to have your coffee in a plain white cup – there are some fantastic designs that will make an individual cup enjoyable and there are ranges that will impress in a business setting when sealing that important deal and there are some beautiful cups that will be perfect at home for after dinner coffee too.

People that make their own espresso will know that most coffee makers come with a Tamper included in the box – but they tend to be plastic and because they are plastic they do not provide the best type of ground coffee press.  Pressing the coffee when making espresso is called tamping the coffee and it is this process that improves the final taste.  By tamping the ground coffee it compresses and once hot water is poured through the pressed coffee the result is a stronger cup of espresso.

The better the Temper the better is will press the coffee – the more the ground coffee is compressed the better the taste.  So for those people that are still making the espresso with the original plastic tamper it may be time to look at purchasing a tamper.  There are lots of comments about coffee tampers including; a coffee tamper is a personal choice that will reflect how serious you are about making perfect espresso; a coffee tamper says something about your personality as a coffee drinker and ‘my beautiful wood handled coffee tamper was purchased with care and I know it will last my lifetime and beyond’.  The coffee tamper bought today could be the family heirloom for future generations of espresso drinkers.  Choose a coffee tamper with care, make sure it is of good quality bearing in mind that it should be strong and heavy enough to press the ground coffee compactly – you will not believe what you have been missing and will thoroughly enjoy your espresso coffee.  There are many tampers available ranging from £5 to over £100 – it will be down to personal choice but make sure that the chosen tamper is comfortable to use and most importantly that it will fit into the espresso machine coffee holder – check the dimensions before purchasing a tamper.  Remember that tamping the coffee is the most important part of the espresso process it improves the flavour and results in a delicious, strong, dark cup of espresso – exactly how it should be.

The morning cup of coffee has an exhilaration about it which the cheering influence of the afternoon or evening cup of tea cannot be expected to reproduce.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., “Over the Teacups,” 1891

Over second and third cups flow matters of high finance, high state, common gossip and low comedy.  [Coffee] is a social binder, a warmer of tongues, a soberer of minds, a stimulant of wit, a foiler of sleep if you want it so.  From roadside mugs to the classic demi-tasse, it is the perfect democrat.

Author Unknown

I believe humans get a lot done, not because we’re smart, but because we have thumbs so we can make coffee.

Flash Rosenberg

As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.

Author Unknown

Mothers are those wonderful people who can get up in the morning before the smell of coffee.

Author Unknown

This coffee falls into your stomach, and straightway there is a general commotion.  Ideas begin to move like the battalions of the Grand Army of the battlefield, and the battle takes place.  Things remembered arrive at full gallop, ensuing to the wind.  The light cavalry of comparisons deliver a magnificent deploying charge, the artillery of logic hurry up with their train and ammunition, the shafts of witch start up like sharpshooters.  Similes arise, the paper is covered with ink; for the struggle commences and is concluded with torrents of black water, just as a battle with powder.

Honore de Balzac, “The Pleasures and Pains of Coffee”

Why this astounding research is very interesting is because researchers have suggested that they believe there is a property in coffee that is responsible for the reduction in the risk of prostate cancer.  Caffeine – we hear you shout – but it is not the caffeine as the reduction of risk of prostate cancer was evident in both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee drinkers.  The reduction in risk has been linked to the antioxidant properties in coffee and coffee’s amazing anti-inflammatory properties that remain beneficial across the lifespan.   The benefits do not seem to be affected by lifestyle choices either.  Smokers, those who exercise and differing body weights of participants in the study all showed the same results – coffee helps to reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

There are a number of precursors that can increase the risk of prostate cancer including alcohol and diet and the cancer is quite prevalent in the UK.  The findings regarding the properties of coffee are extremely positive – but as with any research it will be necessary to wait for further tests to check its reliability and validity – but in the meantime we are going to continue drinking our coffee and hope that the medical profession will be able to identify the exact properties in coffee that reduces the risk of prostate cancer and maybe, just maybe find a preventative medication or a remarkable cure – that was there all the time in our ‘cup of coffee’.