Coffee is the morning ritual of choice and the very reason many people get out of bed. From a standard coffee maker, to a kettle pour over, to a Moka Pot or French Press, it matters not how your coffee is attained. And, it’s as much about the rich flavor as it is the warm, welcoming surge of energy it presents.

As you slowly sip your coffee to reveal robust toasty flavors a hint of bitterness gradually coats your mouth. You feel warm, energized and ready to seize the day. Savoring coffee is, indeed, one of life’s simplest pleasures. What if we had a way to make the experience even better? Intrigued? Keep reading!

Like pairing food with wine, coffee and confection combinations can improve enjoyment of both by accentuating flavors. The science of flavors is grounded in understanding how our taste buds work. In this post, we’ll explore the basics and make some coffee and confection recommendations to test out. If nothing else, it’s a great excuse to try some new treats!

Art of Taste

Taste and flavor preferences vary greatly from person to person and they can change over time inviting a world of flavor exploration and refinement. Did you ever wonder how we taste and why certain foods taste great together? Sweetness, saltiness, bitterness, acidity, and umami. Coffee has caffeine, and that produces a bitter taste. Higher levels of caffeine means more bitter. Bitterness is not a negative word when it comes to tasting elements. Instead, it is just one of the tasting elements amongst all of your senses. One of the biggest senses we use when tasting coffee is our sense of smell. The aroma when we smell those fresh grounds or pour that first cup impacts what we consider our taste buds. Ultimately, those two senses are different and if you were to hold your nose while drinking coffee, you might taste bitter notes or acidity instead of chocolate, caramel, or toasted nuttiness. At Lammes, we wanted to share some great pairing options. So whether you are hosting a coffee themed brunch or just want some sweet decadence to match your warm roasted coffee, we have you covered. While tasting, we suggest taking a sip of the coffee first followed by a bite of the chocolate and then repeating. Notice how the flavor of the coffee changes when introducing Lammes Candies chocolates.

Black Coffee

One of my favorite types of coffee is just simply made in the coffee pot with a classic like Folgers, a bag of grounds from Cafe Du Monde, or swinging by your favorite diner. There is just something satisfying about a classic cup of joe. Black coffee has a higher acidity level so it is best to pair with a darker chocolate. For a classic cup of coffee we suggest pairing our Dark Chocolate Longhorns. The rich dark chocolate enveloped with hearty pecans and chewy caramel make a perfect pair with a good ol’ cup of black coffee. Our Longhorns are what some might compare to a chocolate turtle, but the difference lies in the taste and products that Lammes Candies uses.

Espresso

Sabrina Carpenter has caused a resurgence of the word espresso with her popular song lyrics, “that’s that me espresso.” However, for those that have been loving this coffee choice from the start know how to properly make the perfect shot of espresso to give you a little extra boost for the day. Espresso has even more acidity than a normal cup of black coffee. So if you guessed dark chocolate would be the appropriate choice here, you are correct. For a shot of espresso, we suggest pairing it with Lammes Dark Chocolate Bar. This allows you to fully engage your taste buds with the acidity of both espresso and the dark chocolate.

Latte

The latte is my favorite coffee beverage and if done correctly it balances the perfect mix of espresso and frothy milk. If you have never had a latte, the recipe is very simple. 1 or 2 shots of espresso, depending on how much caffeine you need or want, combined with a large amount of steamed milk and a thin layer of milk foam at the top. The result is a creamy coffee beverage that is smooth on the palate. The fun thing about a latte is that you can add different flavors to get your favorite taste. Anything from caramel to lavender can be added to enhance the taste. Since the latte has a slightly sweeter profile due to the milk, we suggest pairing it with our Texas Trio. With our Texas Trio you get a variety of nuts that truly complements the creamy taste of a latte. In the Texas Trio you get 3 Longhorns that are filled with hearty pecans, 3 Choc’Adillos that are filled with the crunchiest almonds, and 3 Cashew Critters that are filled with soft cashews. Each item in the Texas Trio is engulfed in caramel and then covered with milk chocolate and pair perfectly with your favorite latte.

Cappuccino

I like to think of a Cappuccino as the fancier cousin to the latte, or at least that is what it wants you to believe. A cappuccino is a creamy, smooth, and balanced coffee concoction made with one shot of espresso and equal parts steamed milk and milk foam. It is sometimes topped with a light chocolate dusting to give it a slight mocha flavor. Having a cappuccino on a terrace in Europe is one of the greatest enjoyments in life. However, if Europe is not in your travel plans anytime soon, try picking up a cappuccino at your favorite coffee shop or check out a new coffee shop in your area. We suggest pairing a cappuccino with our Cherry Cordials. Our Cherry Cordials come with both dark and milk chocolate and are filled with a luscious cherry coated in a sugary liquid fondant filling. Pop one of our Cherry Cordials in your mouth and slowly let the chocolate and liquid mix together with the soft sweetness of the cherry and follow that up with a creamy cappuccino.

Cold Brew

If you have never had cold brew, then the first time trying it you may be slightly taken aback by how strong it tastes. That is in part to how the coarse coffee grounds steep in cool water for 24-48 hours before it is ready to consume. Cold brew is more smooth and less acidic due to it slowly steeping in water as opposed to using hot water, some even say it tastes slightly sweeter. Cold brew is one of those coffee concoctions that is readily available almost anywhere. You can pick it up from your local coffee shop, make it at home, or even pick up a container of it at your local supermarket. Since cold brew is smooth, we suggest pairing this with our Hawaiian Salted Dark Chocolate Caramels. This is a match made in taste bud heaven. The robust dark chocolate with sprinklings of Hawaiian Sea Salt on top that is filled with silky caramel is meant to be savored while slowly sipping on your cold brew.

That’s a Whole Latte Options

If you are feeling overwhelmed and don’t know where to start in your tasting journey pairing chocolate and coffee, we suggest starting with your favorite coffee. Or if you are feeling adventurous, we suggest something a little different; a Coffee/Chocolate Brunch Pairing with your best friends. This would be perfect for a weekend to get together with a group of your friends and host a little brunch combining the pairings we suggested, and you could even add in an Espresso Martini for a little extra perk me up. This is a great way to unwind after a long week and spill the beans with your besties. However, you prefer your coffee, make sure to add a little sweetness in your life with Lammes Candies.

Come visit us at one of our stores in the Austin area to peruse our collections. If you aren’t near Austin, no worries, we are able to now ship all of our products within the U.S, Canada, and various countries. Check out our items here or give us a call at (800) 252-1885.

-Your Friends at Lammes Candies