Biscochito Coffee

December 17, 2015

Nothing says the holidays in New Mexico like a fresh batch of biscochitos. I look forward to those anise dotted sugar cookies every year. In fact, it's pretty much the only time I eat those treats, so each bite seems laced with memories of unwrapping presents and lingering over cups of tea by the fireside.

Another way to enjoy that biscochito flavor throughout the holiday season is to lace your coffee with the anise seeds, something my family has been doing for years to add to the festive quotient of our morning cup of cheer. The fun in making you own holiday coffee blends is that you can create your own flavors (hello pumpkin spice and A ztec mocha coffees) and control the quality of ingredient. Most commercial flavored coffees are made with artificial ingredients and poor quality beans--yuck! You can also play with the strength of your flavors, from just a kiss of anise flavor in each sip to tasting the equivalent of one biscochito in each cup.

Don't forget to use good quality coffee here. I go for the Santa Fe-based Aroma Coffee's organic Black Lighting dark roast. Seriously, it has ruined me for other coffee. Once you try the good stuff, you can't go back to the so-so. This is an excellent last-minute gift as well since the prep work is virtually nada (you can keep the beans whole or grind them) and everyone appreciates a tasty beverage high on the festive quotient, but a welcome break from the heavier eggnogs and hot chocolates.

Ingredients:

12 oz quality coffee

2 oz anise seeds

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container. You can grind your coffee right away before mixing, or grind as you go with each pot you brew. Just make sure to get some anise in each batch you grind as it might settle to the bottom of your container. Don't hesitate to play with the proportions to find the perfect balance between coffee and spice for you. Brew as you normally would. Enjoy!

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Lavender Blue Corn Soap

December 9, 2015

For my latest entry in my kitchen gifts series, I decided to whip up a batch of lavender blue corn soap. This is the perfect gift for anyone who is not necessarily a big fan of the more seasonal soaps like my orange spice, peppermint hot chocolate, or pine and charcoal soaps (as if such a person actually existed...seriously, who doesn't love the warming scents of winter?). It's also an ideal gift for people to enjoy long after the holiday is gone; once all the other festive treats have been used, they can turn to this soap and the promise of spring.

Okay, I admit it: I got the idea for this soap after my favorite doughnut, a sinful blend of lavender and blue corn made by a local bakery. Blue corn has always struck me as a very New Mexican ingredient, so this soap always makes me feel like I'm gifting a little bit of the Southwest magic I live in. You can, of course, always substitute regular cornmeal if you can't find the blue kind. You don't have to get fancy with molds, either. You can simply use a muffin tin unless you want to get playful with your molds like I did with the soaps pictured.

For this recipe, I use a natural shea butter melt and pour soap base which I got here (remember how I like to keep my crafting simple? Well, a melt and pour solution gives you the fun factor of making your own soap without the more labor intensive and tricky ingredients like lye to work with). Make sure to buy the suspension formula for your soap base so that the blue corn is evenly spread out in your soap rather than sinking to the bottom. The lavender oil is an excellent antibacterial agent and nerve tonic, while the blue corn acts as a gentle exfoliate perfect for everyday use.

Ingredients:

16 ounces (1 lb) shea butter soap base

1/2 cup blue corn

100 drops lavender essential oil

Chop shea butter soap base into half-inch chunks and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for one minute and stir. Then continue to melt base in the microwave in 20-second increments, stirring between each heating until liquefied, about 5 minutes. Once the soap is melted stir in essential oils and blue corn. Pour into muffin tins (or other molds) and allow to set, about an hour. (You can speed this up by placing them in the fridge for about 20 minutes.) Remove soap from molds by gently inserting a butter knife around the edges of the muffin tin until the soap pops out. Wrap individually in parchment paper or tuck multiples in an airtight container. Store in a cool, dry place indefinitely. Makes about 6 small soaps or 4 medium sized ones. Enjoy!

Homemade Vanilla Extract

December 3, 2015

Today I have another entry in what is becoming my annual holiday kitchen gifts series (aka gifts from the heart). This is the time of year when we can become over-saturated with marketing ploys trying to convince us to buy! buy! buy! To which I say: no thanks.

I've never been one for malls or big shopping extravaganzas (with the exception of grocery shopping and some fond memories of girl days with my sisters when we were teens). This is also the time of year when we should be indulging in the gentle rejuvenation and restoration that the winter months invite, but instead are all too often pulled into the frazzled energy that can be the holiday buzz.

My anecdote to this frenetic energy has always been in making gifts, particularly ones that people can enjoy long after the last holiday cookie has been eaten and the final decoration has been packed away. Time in the kitchen soothes and relaxes while slowing down and making gifts is a wonderful way to meditate on all the love in your life.

Of course, you also want to make sure that whatever you are making isn't too complicated, otherwise you defeat the purpose of simplifying your holiday. I personally only make things that allow plenty of time for tea drinking and playing with my niece, so I don't I lose all the fun of hanging out in the kitchen.

This recipe for homemade vanilla extract fits the bill for easiness and deliciousness; it's a gift you can whip up in no time and that your friends and family with love receiving. The flavor of a homemade vanilla extract is so much richer and smoother than the store bought kind--and surprisingly less expensive. Genuine vanilla extract can be pricey and the imitation stuff is no good (just think of all the artificial flavors and coloring they use).

The only difference between making my Vanilla Bourbon and vanilla extract is the dose. One vanilla bean is strong enough to gently infuse a few cups of spirits with its flavor. More vanilla beans in less alcohol offer a concentrated flavor perfect for baking. I used organic Prairie vodka in this recipe, but you can play with the flavor of your extract by using rum or bourbon instead.

Ingredients:

1 vanilla bean per 1 oz vodka

Slice vanilla beans almost completely in half lengthwise. This ensures that the vodka can soak up the flavor from the little seeds on the beans' inside and makes it easier to remove the vanilla from the alcohol once it has done soaking (as opposed to slicing it completely in half). Place beans in mason jar and pour vodka over it (I used four beans for four ounces of vodka pictured below). Seal jar and let sit for a week, making sure to shake jar periodically. Then strain the vodka by pouring it through cheesecloth draped funnel into a clean jar. Store in a cool, dry place. Lasts indefinitely (though I doubt you will be able to keep it around that long!).