9 bhgrecollection.com | 8 | THE DISTINCTIVE LIFE® Volume 14 ROSE POWDER Give your next cup of coffee a sweet flavor and aroma with rose powder. Roses improve mood with their fragrant smell and beautiful color, so don’t just leave them in a vase. Add them to your lattes! Rose powder comes from crushed rose petals, and it has (you guessed it) a floral taste and tons of antioxidants. It’s easy to find at online specialty food stores and some brick-and-mortar gourmet food shops. CHICORY Do you want to reduce the caffeine in your coffee but keep its amazing taste? Chicory is the answer. Chicory is a root that has been crushed and used in coffee in the United States since the 18th century. Out of necessity during the Civil War, cafes in New Orleans opted for it to replace part of a cup of coffee with a cheaper ingredient. Today, it’s a popular addition to hot and cold brews, offering a dark and slightly sweet taste. LAVENDER If you love the smell of lavender but aren’t sure the herb goes well in coffee, try it, but first prepare yourself to get hooked. The floral and subtly sweet taste of lavender pairs beautifully with the bitterness of coffee. It imbues just the right amount of softness, not overwhelming the coffee's robustness. You can make a simple lavender syrup at home or purchase it at a specialty food store. MAPLE SYRUP Adding maple syrup is a delicious way to sweeten coffee without using sugar. Maple syrup offers a more earthy and rich flavor profile and is especially delicious in a latte or cafe au lait. For a super decadent delight, drizzle maple syrup over your foamed or frothed milk. Even though many people associate maple syrup with fall, it’s surprisingly splendid in coffee year-round. CINNAMON Cinnamon is an ingredient that goes well with hot or iced coffee, with milk or without. It adds a sweet spice that’s wonderful during cold months, but you can enjoy cinnamon in your coffee any time of year. Use cinnamon sticks or ground cinnamon, and pair it with chocolate or vanilla for an even more impressive brew. CACAO POWDER Make a mocha by adding a tablespoon of cacao powder to your coffee, along with your favorite milk. Cacao powder ramps up the decadence of a morning cup and is particularly delightful during the winter when coupled with a few drops of peppermint extract. Cacao is a dreamy and healthy ingredient that improves mood and heart health and reduces inflammation. GOURMET CUISINE HONEY If you’ve never added honey to your coffee, you may be surprised by your cup’s sweetness when you do. Honey is sweeter than sugar, so you don’t need to use as much to get a great flavor. Try a teaspoon of honey to start, and experiment with the many available varietals. There are so many honey flavors that can amplify your next cup of coffee, such as wildflower honey, orange blossom honey, eucalyptus honey, and macadamia nut honey. CHAGA MUSHROOM Mushrooms are nutrient-rich and packed with beneficial properties, but why put them in coffee? Chaga mushrooms contain an abundance of vitamins and minerals, and they have a subtle and earthy flavor that doesn’t overpower. Many packaged coffees have long included chaga in their ingredient lists, and you probably won’t be hard-pressed to find a cafe serving chaga cappuccinos. If you want to make your own chaga coffee, look for chaga powder, which you’ll find at many online specialty food stores. SAFFRON Saffron is a Middle Eastern spice many people have tasted in rice and chicken dishes, but it's not as well-known as a coffee ingredient. The most expensive spice in the world by weight, saffron is flowery and a bit grassy. It can come across as bitter or sweet, depending on your taste buds. But either way, it’s an ingredient that will bring your next cup of coffee to another level.
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