The flavor profile is slightly bitter and acidic. The color is dark brown from a nice roast. And yet, none of those adjectives do the beverage justice in its ability to completely relax the body while simultaneously stimulating the brain.

Culinarily, coffee has become a widely used ingredient for its potency, rich color, and versatility. Its natural enzymes allow it to tenderize meat, while its acidity brings out the flavor. Adding coffee to chocolate can cut through the heavy richness while bringing out undertones in the cocoa. Then again, just drinking it from a hot mug or with a straw over ice, along with the perfect ratio of milk and sugar, is the stuff dreams are made of.

A Brewtiful Blend

Dark vs. Light

Contrary to what you might expect, dark roast coffee has much less caffeine than light roast. The dark color and deeper flavor comes from roasting longer, which burns out caffeine.

Berry Delicious

Coffee is actually a fruit! The coffee bean that we know and love is actually the pit of the coffee berry!

L’chaim

A Harvard study has linked daily coffee drinking to a longer life span and a lower risk of Parkinson’s, Type II Diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

Tip

Coffee grounds contain nitrogen gas, which can get rid of foul odors like sulfur. Put a bowl of old coffee grounds in your fridge or freezer to keep food smells at bay, or fill a sock with it to make a portable air freshener.

Coffee Break Biscotti

Recipe by Estee Kafra

Biscotti is my treat of choice any day, anytime. I decided to see what coffee biscotti would do for my midafternoon snack. It was a great success! Coffee and biscotti — snack time’s ultimate shidduch. I love happy endings.

YIELDS 24 BISCOTTI

• ½ cup cold butter or margarine
• 1¼ cups sugar
• 2½ cups flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp milk or pareve milk
• 2 Tbsp instant coffee granules
• ¾ cup mini chocolate chips

Glaze

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tsp coffee granules, dissolved in 2 Tbsp boiling water

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

Cream butter and sugar until combined. Lower mixer speed and add remaining ingredients slowly, in the order they appear, just until a dough forms. Turn off mixer.

Divide dough in half. Form two logs and place them on a lined baking sheet. Bake for half an hour. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes, then slice with a sharp knife into rectangular pieces, on a slight angle.

Lower oven heat to 325°F (160°C). Place cookies on their sides and bake for another 7 minutes, then turn them over and bake for another 5–7 minutes, until toasted through. Cookies will harden more as they cool.

For the glaze: Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Keep mixing every so often to prevent the mixture from hardening. Drizzle over cooled biscotti.