‘Tis the season for gift-giving and merriment and, after the year we’ve all had, we deserve it!
Even if you’re unable to get together this holiday season, show your family and friends how much you care with some creative homemade gifts featuring Co-operative Coffee.
The classic combo
Is there someone with a sweet tooth on your list? Package up some homemade baked goods for a wonderful gift this holiday season! Coffee pairs so sweetly with cakes, squares and cookies, your options are nearly endless. Simply combine Co-operative Coffee into your recipe or package delicious baked goods with their perfect coffee accompaniment to create a tasty gift for someone you care about.
Try combining either Co-operative Coffee Colombia or Nicaragua blend with our fruit and nut coffee cake. The Colombia blend’s apricot aromas complement the fruity recipe, while the Nicaragua blend’s hints of honey and caramel pair well with the nuts in the cake.
Or try packaging our sumptuous Smores Squares or decadent Caramel Coconut Cookies with a bag of Co-operative Coffee. We recommend our dark Espresso Blend to cut through the sweetness and deliver a bold hit. Once baked, simply assemble both in a basket and bingo, the perfect (and most delicious) gift.
Coffee body scrub
Try using ground coffee in a number of body scrub recipes, the perfect gift for anyone in your life that deserves a little pampering. Just prepare the simple recipes, pop the scrub into a glass container and voila ‒ a spa in a jar!
Make a sweet body scrub by mixing a half-cup of coffee grounds — using your favourite Co-operative Coffee blend — with a half-cup each of brown sugar and honey
Or you can create a moisturizing scrub by combining a half-cup of ground coffee with a half-cup each of sugar and coconut oil.
If you’re feeling extra fancy you can add a few drops of a CO-OP GOLD PURE® Essential Oil such as rosemary for a revitalizing scrub, spearmint for an invigorating mix or lavender for pure relaxing bliss.
Cold brew tasting flight
Say “Happy Holidays” with an immersive Co-operative Coffee tasting experience. Know any (or many) coffee lovers? We have the perfect gift to satiate everyone from the novice coffee drinker to the true connoisseur ‒ a Co-operative Coffee Cold Brew Tasting Flight! Buckle up, it’s quite the journey.
To make your cold brew flight, brew your Co-operative Coffee blends of choice and assemble in five matching glass jars. Cold brew should be made by steeping one cup of coffee grounds in four cups of water for about 12 hours. Strain the next morning, and you’re good to go!
Not sure which blends to use? This is the journey we recommend:
- Start sweet with the caramel flavours of the Breakfast Blend.
- Transition from caramel to toffee with the Nicaragua Blend.
- Next, try the smoky chocolatey aroma of the Peru Blend.
- The Costa Rica Blend and its hints of rich dark chocolate is the perfect follow-up to Peru.
- Finish with the bold French Roast.
It’s a trip to coffee heaven.
Make sure to check out each coffee’s flavour profiles and complete your flight with handwritten tasting notes for each coffee.
Dry rub seasoning
Think outside the box with this unique gift for any of your meat-loving family or friends. Gifting a delicious dry rub for their next culinary adventure shows you care and offers a memorable gift that will keep on giving each time they pull it out of the cupboard. Pop the homemade dry rub into a mason jar and finish with a festive ribbon. Your homemade dry rub will be their favourite gift yet.
We recommend using our coffee dry rub recipe, which incorporates the roasted malt and smoky aromas from the Co-operative Coffee Costa Rica blend. It’s the perfect seasoning for a juicy flank steak. If the barbecue is in storage for the winter, try the dry rub on a beef roast or fry your steak in a cast iron pan.
Coffee essentials
If recipes feel a bit ambitious for your gift-giving this year, consider filling a basket or hamper with a selection of coffee essentials.
Start by choosing two or three different Co-operative Coffee blends. To ensure a range of roast varieties we recommend the Breakfast Blend, Espresso and Peru Blend. If you know your recipient prefers lighter roasts, swap the Espresso for Ethiopia Blend.
Next, you’ll want to select some delicious accompaniments. Add a couple packages of Co-op Gold Cookies and Co-op Gold Pure Chocolate. If your local Co-op Food Store has a treats counter, include festive candied popcorn or fudge.
Assemble all the goodies in a basket, and add a cheerful ribbon with festive accents like candy canes or holly.
For an extra special coffee basket, you could also include a Co-operative Coffee French Press. Either way, this coffee essential gift basket is a sure-fire way to win the holidays for your friends and family. Best of all, they can enjoy it well into the new year.
Whatever your gift-giving plans, make them happen with Co-op and Co-operative Coffee. Find everything you need to make these gifts at your local Co-op Food Store, and above all, have a very merry holiday season!