Give Your Coffee A Scandinavian Twist With Just 2 Ingredients

Everyone has their go-to coffee order or a specific way they like to make it for themselves every morning. We are creatures of habit, after all — and it can be scary to try new things. But this thing really isn't that big. All it requires is two ingredients, and it will give your coffee a bit of a Scandinavian twist without venturing you too far into the unknown. According to Erin Hanusa, Scandinavian coffee includes two things: fennel and almond extract. It's not necessarily anything fancy, but something about it sounds a tad more sophisticated than, say, a cookie crumble frappuccino. 

Fennel is a staple in Scandinavian baking, where it used in fresh bread loaves and crisps. Almond extract is also often used in Scandinavian baking recipes like skorpa and cakes. While fennel may not be a standard coffee flavoring, almond is one of coffee's well-known complementary flavors. The reason they work is together is because the fennel has a slightly savory, dark licorice flavor that flatters its sweet flavors. You can pair it with a light sweetener, some almond milk or creamer, and a dash of cardamom if you want even more of a Scandi-twist. 

But, just like everyone has their go-to coffee orders, they also have their go-to coffee temperature. Some like it cold, and some like it hot — no matter the weather, although that can definitely influence it. Fortunately, it's relatively simple to give your coffee a Scandinavian twist no matter the case.

If you want your coffee quickly, hot is the way to go. All you have to do is take your coffee beans, grind them up nice and coarse, and mix them up with your fennel seeds, a dash of the almond extract, and brew however you usually would. It will work in a drip, pour-over, espresso, you name it. You can always brew the espresso and make an iced latte (just do it so the layers don't separate) — in which case you'd follow all the same steps.

Now, if you like a cold brew in the morning, it's going to take you a bit longer. But, that's only because of the wait time and not that it requires any more effort. Instead of mixing the ground coffee with the fennel and almond extract and going straight to brewing, you're going to pour a few cups of cold water over it and let it sit in your fridge for about 24 hours. Then, all you have to do is pour it through a sieve to strain it and it's ready to drink.

One thing to note is to be lenient with the almond extract. It's surprisingly strong, and you really only need about half of a teaspoon for every cup of ground. The fennel seeds are a bit more forgiving, but you shouldn't need more than a teaspoon of them either. You can also add a tablespoon or two of sugar, if you like it sweet.