sunday fika:: iced island biscotti + spiked iced mocha

Today has been a day of work.

Nic and I spent the morning and afternoon cleaning out the garage, interrupted only by a quick lunch break (the most amazing vegan pizza the world has ever seen) and a quick call to Nic's dad with a Father's Day greeting.

Cleaning consisted of::

Him - organizing tools and shit.

Me - organizing all of my Relay crap that tends to take over the garage (sorry, Nic.). Hey, at least I can count the 5+ hours I spent in the garage as work. Holla for 1/2 day of during the week!

We wrapped up the garage project just a few minutes ago and enjoyed a nice Sunday fika. Not a coffee break or a snack, but a Swedish fika - because we are two very cultured individuals.

{fika = a social institution in Sweden; it means having a break, most often a coffee break, with one's colleagues, friends, date, or family. The word "fika" can serve as both a verb and a noun. Swedes consider having a coffee an important part of the culture. You can fika at work by taking a “coffee break,” fika with someone like a “coffee date,” or just drink a cup of coffee. As such, the word has quite ambiguous connotations, but always including something to eat accompanied by a drink, such as cookies, cakes and even candy.}

You might recall that Maddie and I hosted a fika in Minnesota with for our friends a while back.

For our fika, we enjoyed iced island biscotti and spiked iced mocha.

Iced being the name of the game as it is absolutely disgusting outside, and it only promises to get worse tomorrow.




Iced Island Biscotti

You'll need::

• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 tsp lime zest
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil

Preheat oven to 325*

In a food processor, pulse oats, nuts, coconut, lime zest, orange zest, and salt until very finely ground. Pulse in honey and coconut oil until combined. 

On a lightly greased cookie sheet, dump the biscotti dough and press into a rectangle about 4 inches wide and 10 inches long. Using a sharp knife, carefully score the dough into 1.5 inch individual biscotti - but do not separate. 

Bake for 15 minutes, or until the bottom begins to brown. Check it towards the end, as the honey causes it to brown quickly. Remove from oven (leaving oven on), and let cool.

Once cool enough to handle, cut the biscotti and flip onto one of the cut sides. Cook for 5 minutes. Flip onto the other cut side and cook for 5 more minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool, handling very carefully as they may break easily when warm.

Prepare the icing.

You'll need::

• 2 tablespoons coconut cream (let a can of full fat coconut milk sit in the fridge for a while and when cool, remove two tablespoons of the cream that has risen to the top of the can)
• 1/2 tsp lime zest
• 1/2 tsp orange zest
• 1 tsp honey
• 1.5 tsp lime juice
• 1 tsp coconut oil

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and let chill in the fridge until it thickens.

Once biscotti are completely cool, spread some glaze on each one. 

Enjoy with some iced coffee!

Nic and I enjoyed our biscotti with spiked iced mochas. And although the flavors really didn't compliment each other, how can you pass on an iced mocha spiced with kalua?

Spiked Iced Mocha

You'll need::

• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons homemade kalua - if you are lucky enough to have awesome friends who make kalua
• 3/4 cup cold strong brewed coffee
• 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• ice

In a glass, mix cocoa powder, syrup and kalua until combined. Stir in coffee and milk. Add a generous portion of ice and enjoy!

And now that we are sufficiently liquored up, we are heading out in this torturous heat for a 20 mile bike ride. Because we are awesome like that.