Make some delicious, flavored coffee stirs (recipe below) to go in your basket. If you don. t have the time to make them, why not use those old-fashioned stick candies that you see in gift shops? They come in a variety of flavors, including butter rum, berry, and other interesting flavors. Just remember that some flavors don. t go too well with coffee- such as blueberry or green apple. However, these flavors would go great with tea. Peppermint sticks would go great with hot chocolate.

Coffeehouse Spoons

6 ounces semisweet chocolate pieces
4 ounces milk chocolate pieces (or white, mint, etc. chocolate)
flavorings of your choice (extracts, such as rum, almond, mint, etc., or spices such as cinnamon)
20 plastic spoons

1. Place a piece of waxed paper on a cookie sheet large enough to hold 20 to 24 of your plastic spoons. Place semisweet chocolate pieces in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until the chocolate begins to melt.

2. Immediately remove from heat; stir until smooth. Dip spoons into chocolate, tapping the handle of the spoon against the side of the pan to remove excess chocolate. Place spoons on waxed paper; refrigerate for 30 minutes or until chocolate is set.

3. Place milk chocolate (or chocolate of your choice) in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until chocolate begins to melt.

4. Immediately remove from heat; stir until smooth. Place the melted chocolate in a small, heavy self-sealing bag. Using scissors, make a small cut in the corner of the bag; drizzle on or both sides of the covered spoons, making a decorative pattern. (Small dots, zigzag lines, circles, etc.)

Note: The above 2 steps can be reversed if you like! Get 6 oz.. of white chocolate to cover the spoons and 4 oz.. of chocolate of your choice to use to decorate the spoons. Also, don. t rule out various flavored chips- raspberry, butterscotch, etc.

5. Refrigerate spoons for 30 minutes to allow chocolate to set. Wrap each spoon separately in clear or colored plastic wrap. Use ribbon to tie off plastic wrap. Store in a cool dry place until ready to give as gifts.

6. Place chocolate covered spoons in a new coffee mug and give along with other homemade goodies.

1. Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine coffee granules and hot water in a small bowl. Stir in vanilla and next 2 ingredients, and add to flour mixture, stirring until well blended.
2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly 7 or 8 times. Shape dough into a 16-inch long roll. Place roll on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray, and flatten roll to 1-inch thickness.
3. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove the roll from the baking sheet to a wire rack, and let cool for 10 minutes. Cut the roll diagonally into 30 (1/2-inch) slices. Place, cut sides down on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 more minutes.
4. Turn cookies over and bake an additional 10 minutes (cookies will be slightly soft in the center but will harden as they cool). Remove cookies from the baking sheet and let cool completely. Yields 2 * dozen.
   

Note: Biscotti looks beautiful fanned out in baskets or wrapped in plastic wrap and tied off with ribbon.

Click here for a printer-friendly recipe

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine vanilla and next 3 ingredients; add to flour mixture, stirring until well blended (dough will be dry).
2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly 7 or 8 times. Shape dough into a 16-inch long roll. Place roll on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray, and flatten roll to 1-inch thickness.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove the roll from the baking sheet to a wire rack, and let cool for 10 minutes. Cut the roll diagonally into 30 (1/2-inch) slices. Place, cut sides down on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 more minutes.
4. Turn cookies over and bake an additional 10 minutes (cookies will be slightly soft in the center but will harden as they cool). Remove cookies from the baking sheet and let cool completely. Yields 2 * dozen.
   

Click here for a printer-friendly recipe

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine the vanilla and next 2 ingredients, and add to the flour mixture. Stir until well blended (dough will be dry).
2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly 7 or 8 times. Shape dough into a 16-inch long roll. Place roll on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray, and flatten roll to 1-inch thickness.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove the roll from the baking sheet to a wire rack, and let cool for 10 minutes. Cut the roll diagonally into 24 (1/2-inch) slices. Place, cut sides down on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 more minutes.
4. Turn cookies over and bake an additional 10 minutes (cookies will be slightly soft in the center but will harden as they cool). Remove cookies from the baking sheet and let cool completely. Yields 2 dozen.
   

Click here for a printer-friendly recipe

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine water and next 3 ingredients; add to flour mixture, stirring until well blended (dough will be dry)
2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly 7 or 8 times. Shape dough into a 16-inch long roll. Place roll on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray, and flatten roll to 1-inch thickness.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove the roll from the baking sheet to a wire rack, and let cool for 10 minutes. Cut the roll diagonally into 24 (1/2-inch) slices. Place, cut sides down on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 more minutes.
4. Turn cookies over and bake an additional 10 minutes (cookies will be slightly soft in the center but will harden as they cool). Remove cookies from the baking sheet and let cool completely. Yields 2 dozen.
   

© Copyright 1999-2000 Kim Tilley