I was sitting outside a favorite coffee shop the other morning, I was doing a little bit of networking for my job, but after I talked to the few people that were there … six feet a part … I took time to enjoy my coffee and scone … and to ponder a bit.
Oh, how the world of coffee has changed in my
lifetime! When I was a little child, our
next door neighbor named Frankie drank coffee all day long! My mom used to ask her how she could drink
coffee on a summer afternoon. I can
answer that question now. I love coffee
and my husband loved coffee.
In 1977, we lived in a beautiful double A-Frame home
in the middle of 40 acres of standing oak.
Drinking coffee, sitting on one of the decks, was about as enjoyable as
any part of our lifestyle! It was also
in 1977, when coffee prices skyrocketed.
It was so expensive that old-timers were talking about grinding hickory
nuts and adding to the coffee to make it go farther. I guess that couldn’t be much different than
adding chicory root to coffee. I would
have liked it because I love coffee and chicory!
Coffee drinking became popular in America right after
the Boston Tea Party, for obvious reasons!
During the Civil War, plenty of coffee rations were provided to soldiers
on both sides. During World War II,
instant coffee was provided to soldiers.
My daddy used to tell a story of how he carried a little coffee pot and a small kerosene stove when he was on
Okinawa. He also had a frying pan. He
would tell us that when he could find coffee to brew, he felt closer to home. For the rest of his life, my dad drank coffee
out of mugs he brought back for wartime.
If you want to read more about that, click right here.
In my favorite vintage period, the 1950s, coffee was
commonplace in most households. Maxwell
House and Folgers brands were the most popular. Holiday parties often included “coffees”
complete with all kinds of sweet treats and good coffee. Silver coffee urns and
glass carafes were popular. Coffee houses emerged in London in the 1950s and
set a trend that found its way to New York City. Seattle became the hottest
spot for coffee shops in the 1970s. In
the 1990s, coffee shops started popping up in cities all over the United
States. I’ll never forget a trip I made
to Seattle when that was happening. I
couldn’t believe how exciting it was for me, a coffee lover, to zip from shop
to shop sampling different varieties and strengths of coffee. We had always dressed up coffee! We loved Mexican Coffee flavored with
cinnamon and Kahlua and Joe’s Christmas Coffee spiked with bourbon and stirred
with a peppermint stick … both topped with whipped cream! I returned home from
that Seattle trip, bought an espresso maker, and thus began the world of
International coffees in the Moore home!
My husband subscribed to a world coffee club, and we enjoyed a new
flavor each month, until we found our favorites. My husband died before k-cup makers hit the
market, but I’m sure he has one in Heaven, and I’m sure my dad is with him
enjoying every cup!
I’m going to share my recipe for biscotti today. It is one of my favorite things to dunk in
good coffee. We think of modern coffee
shops when we think of biscotti, but it dates to early Roman times. The twice baked cookie, dried to a crunchy
state, was initially used because of long storage. It was dipped in wine in those earliest
times. Other European cultures have
similar cookies. British have rusks; the French have Croquets de Carcassonne; and
Germans have Zwieback (which many moms use when their babies are teething).
Biscotti
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift all the dry ingredients together. Add the eggs and liquid ingredients to a big
mixing bowl and beat until frothy.
Slowly blend in the dry ingredients.
If you have bread making attachments for your mixer, use them. As the dough begins to stick together, drop in
the nuts. They need to be finely ground
… but any nuts will work.
When the dough has formed a nice ball, separate it in half. Form each half into a loaf and place it on a well-greased baking sheet. Parchment paper or a silicone sheet works better, but if you don’t have that, use a little extra spray on the sheet.
Bake for 20 – 25 minutes in the preheated oven. Stick a pick in the middle and make sure it
comes out clean. Remove from the oven
and let the loaves cool for 10 minutes.
Remove them from the baking sheet to a cutting board and cut the biscotti
into ½ or ¾ inch slices. If you want a
longer biscotti, cut them at an angle across the loaf.
Place the slices back in the oven and bake for 10
minutes. Turn each one over and bake
another 10 minutes. Let them cool on the
baking sheet.
** There are a few ways to adjust this recipe. You can use different extracts and flavorings
or add lemon or orange zest. Dip them in
melted chocolate or drizzle them with a frosting of your choice. Sprinkle chopped nuts or tiny chocolate
morsels. My favorite will always be
anise extract and dipped in chocolate!
I’m posting this as a part of my 2020 Vintage
Vegetable project. Click the menu tab
for other old recipes and stories! I’ll
also share with a couple blog parties so take a look at my list on the sidebar. Enjoy!
