Add Some Orange Peel to the Coffee Grounds
There are two genres of coffee lovers: purists and whimsical people. I am (obviously) second and will drink almost any coffee, even the gasping one, with taste. It’s terrible for my boyfriend, but he sweetens his coffee like a hummingbird, so his opinion doesn’t count. Flavored coffee is fun and I love fun.
One of the easiest and most elegant ways to flavor coffee is to mix spices with ground coffee (or grind them with beans) before brewing. This will add flavor to your beer without adding particulate matter to the drink. (I never understood why Starbucks puts these little shakers with various powders next to sugar; the powder just sits on top of the coffee! Film forms! It’s useless!)
But spices aren’t the only thing you can add to the earth for fun and flavor. Orange zest – finely grated – gives coffee the vibrant fruity essence of orange without the acid that can be obtained from juice. It is especially tasty (and seasonal) when paired with cinnamon.
The amount of zest you should add depends on how you drink your coffee. If you like sugar and cream, a teaspoon of zest with 1/4 cup of ground coffee will do. If you go for black, I would only add half of that, and I highly recommend you try it with a little sugar. It really tastes best with sugar and cream – kind of like a spicy caffeinated cream. (Also, I doubt any black coffee drinkers will do this; it seems to go against their bargain.)
It couldn’t be easier: grate fresh orange zest, mix it with the grounds, put it in a coffee pot and brew as usual. Add 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon if you like. Or grate nutmeg. Or do both. (I did both.)