# Biccies to accompany a coffee



## humperdingle (Jan 26, 2012)

Hi, what do you guys like to enjoy with a nice coffee, or maybe offer to guests when enjoying a brew?

Some places will offer a 'gratis' nibble when buying a coffee, but what do you enjoy?

Or do you prefer to savour the coffee alone?


----------



## Monkey_Devil (Jul 11, 2011)

Lotus caramelized biscuits are delicious. They used to just serve caterers, so a lot of coffee places used them, but now you'll find them in the biscuit aisle. I promise you, they are addictive haha.


----------



## EN4CER (Jan 22, 2012)

Cinnamon Swirl


----------



## brun (Dec 26, 2011)

Border biscuits ginger and dark choc, also like mcvities dark choc, have you seen those new 'quirks' they look immense


----------



## Spazbarista (Dec 6, 2011)

Monkey_Devil said:


> Lotus caramelized biscuits are delicious. They used to just serve caterers, so a lot of coffee places used them, but now you'll find them in the biscuit aisle. I promise you, they are addictive haha.


They are known as Speculoos in the low countries. Flour and brown sugar, with a bit of spice. They do a spread version too:

http://www.chockies.net/epages/62049378.mobile/?ObjectPath=/Shops/62049378/Products/24014&Locale=en_GB


----------



## Monkey_Devil (Jul 11, 2011)

Expobarista said:


> They are known as Speculoos in the low countries. Flour and brown sugar, with a bit of spice. They do a spread version too:
> 
> http://www.chockies.net/epages/62049378.mobile/?ObjectPath=/Shops/62049378/Products/24014&Locale=en_GB


That looks so wrong, but oh so right









might have to order some. Don't know if i could live with myself ha.


----------



## oldman (Dec 1, 2011)

brun said:


> have you seen those new 'quirks' they look immense


I tried those on Monday. Quite nice, but a poor mans Mullino Bianco


----------



## humperdingle (Jan 26, 2012)

Monkey_Devil said:


> Lotus caramelized biscuits are delicious. They used to just serve caterers, so a lot of coffee places used them, but now you'll find them in the biscuit aisle. I promise you, they are addictive haha.


 These? http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=259874271

That's along the lines of what I was thinking... Something simple, but sweet... Just enough to cut through a strong espresso.


----------



## Monkey_Devil (Jul 11, 2011)

That's them, and the reasons you've just mentioned is why i like them







contrasts well, but doesn't feel heavy like eating a digestive.


----------



## mike 100 (Jul 15, 2010)

Sainsbury's Soft Ameritti lovely with espresso, the cantucci they do is for people with very strong teeth-- rock hard!


----------



## vintagecigarman (Aug 10, 2009)

You're meant to dip the cantucci in sweet wine as you eat them (ideally vin santo) to soften them! Magic! - but not ideal with coffee.

Sent via Tapatalk


----------



## jimrobo (Aug 5, 2011)

I'm more of a cupcake with espresso kind of guy!

My friend runs a cupcake company and an espresso with her oreo cupcake is a match made in heaven!


----------



## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

Would rather make my own sides for coffee..toying with cookies this weekend...or cinnamon swirls


----------



## SlowRoast (Sep 24, 2010)

I'm craving those Lotus biscuits now. Damn it. Shopping tomorrow though.







I loved the chocolate coated coffee bean I had at a Carluccio's on the side before. There was me thinking it was a chocolate mint ...


----------



## drk (Nov 22, 2011)

Viennese swirls aka melting moments when I go to North Tea Power!


----------



## Jugglestruck (Nov 17, 2011)

For me, the ultimate two nibbles are home made biscotti to this recipe;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/apricotandalmondbisc_86401

This biscotti is just wonderful and the perfect accompaniment to coffee.

My girlfriend would vote for my home made panettone, 30 hours to make but worth every minute.


----------



## golden1 (Jan 21, 2012)

Well, either amaretti biscuits (recipe to follow) or Chocolate Kisses, Baci di Cioccolato

Which are REALLY NICE.

I mean, really, really.

Here's how you make them.

For the Biscuit shells.

1/2 cup whole blanched almonds (or whole almonds. OR skip step #1 and #2 and use half a cup of ground almonds.)

1 tablespoon granulated sugar, plus about 1/4 cup | 50g sugar for rolling the cookies

1 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon | 190g All-purpose flour

1/3 cup | 35g Dutch-processed cocoa powder (use whatever you've got, buy Varhlrona or any 100% cocao will do)

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup | 225g unsalted butter, softened (IE, left out of the fridge of a few hours)

1 cup | 125g caster sugar (or just put a cup of granulated sugar in a food processor, on high for 30 seconds)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon rum (or any other strong alcohol of choice. Coffee liqueur works, vodka does not.)

#1 spread almods on a baking tray, and bake in a pre-heated oven @ 150-160 for 15minutes or so. You'll smell when they're done. Take them out and put them on cold plate to cool down.

#2 Drop the almonds into a food processor, add a table spoon of sugar, and blitz tghem untill you've got a nice fine powder. The sugar will absorb any oils that are given off, but you may need to srape down the sides.

#3 Sift together the Dry ingredients into a bowl. (Flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt)

#4 put the butter in a mixing bowl, add the cup of Caster sugar, and beat with the K-beater until Light and fluffy. Then ad the vanilla and rum, and beat untill light and fluffyer.

#5 scrape down the bowl, and add the dry mix, SLOWLY, beating gently. (down do this too fast, as you'll spread cocoa-flour all over the room.

#6 scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the ground-tasted-almonds, slowly, untill everything is mixed.

You'll end up with a large bowl of fairly firm dough.

Split this into two bowls, cover with cling-film, (and press that film down onto the dough. Dont let air get to it) .. and stick them in the frigde for 30 mins or so. whilst you clean the kitchen.

Now Line a baking sheet or tray with grease-proof paper / silicone sheet / cookie sheet (or two such trays)

Wet, then ring out a tea-towl. place on counter top.

Put the 1/4 cup of granulated sugar in a bowl put this to one side of moistened towel

Get one of the bowls of dough out of the fridge, and un-cover, and put to the other side of the towel.

the towel will help keep the mix at the bottom of the bowl cold, AND stop it moving around.

Now get a 1 teaspoon measuring spoon.

Scrape out 1 level measure worth . Roll it into a ball. Drop in sugar, place on baking sheet. (and if you want to be fancy, squash VERY SLIGHTLY with the tines of a fork, to leave 3 lines)

You'll find you get into a rhythm. You need them all to be more or less exactly the same size. and shape, and well, identical. You should leave a 2-3cm gap between biscuits too.

Once you've done one bowls worth, place in the center of a 150c oven, for 15 minutes.

Whilst they're cooking, do the other bowl.

You should get 72 or so shells out of this batch.

When everything is cooked, and cooled. make a chocolate ganache...

8oz | 225g bittersweet chocolate, chopped (or half 80% half 50% milk)

1 tablespoon | 15g butter, softened

3/4 cup double crean

2 teaspoons rum, grappa, cognac, or your favorite liquor (optional)

Put the cream in a double boiler. or in a bowl over some barely boling water.

add chocolate. and butter, and alcohol, and stir gently, until the chocolate starts to melt.

Remove from heat, stir Gently until everything is the same colour, and smooth, then leave to cool.

Pipe mixture onto a shell. Leave a little gap around the edges.

press another shell onto the mix, so that it *just* reaches the edge of the cookie.

eat one.

Enjoy.

Drink Espresso, and eat another.


----------



## Jugglestruck (Nov 17, 2011)

Great looking recipe. I've not worked in cups before, do you perchance know what these two are in grams?

1/2 cup whole blanched almonds

3/4 cup double cream

Thanks for your help and I shall give it a go.


----------



## Outlaw333 (Dec 13, 2011)

SlowRoast said:


> I'm craving those Lotus biscuits now. Damn it. Shopping tomorrow though.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


If you want to find these, you can buy them in bags from Whittards, they come in all different varieties, my favorite is the chilli chocolate.

To accompany a coffee though you can't go wrong with a lotus biccy, a match made in heaven!


----------



## Outlaw333 (Dec 13, 2011)

Ah yes I was however forgetting Biscotti!


----------



## SlowRoast (Sep 24, 2010)

I actually bought some Lotus biscuits today. I was surprised at how cheap they were!


----------



## SlowRoast (Sep 24, 2010)

Just saw the thing about chocolate coated coffee beans. Thanks!


----------



## humperdingle (Jan 26, 2012)

Got some of the Lotus biscuits today from Sainsburys... Blummin' lovely! Slight cinnamon taste, and very light. Perfect!


----------



## FDC (Jan 7, 2012)

Just enjoyed a 'I Dolci della Signoria' Cantucinni al cioccolato (a chocolate cookie!). Molto bello!!


----------



## golden1 (Jan 21, 2012)

Jugglestruck said:


> Great looking recipe. I've not worked in cups before, do you perchance know what these two are in grams?
> 
> 1/2 cup whole blanched almonds
> 
> ...


Sorry. I#ve been stuck in deepest darkest "the countryside" for 5 days, where "the internet" may as well have been another country, and even a cell phone signal was a luxury.

Plus i was nearly buened at the stake for witchcraft for pulling out an AeroPress..

One Cup is usually accepted as beeing 250ml, or 240ml.. So 3/4 of a cup is ~180ml.. or a 184ml tub.

1/2 a cup of almonds isnt quite 100g.. so get a 100g pack, eat a couple, and toast the rest.


----------

