My daily brew. Spiced coffee.

There are few things I look forward to in the morning than a good, I mean really good cup of coffee. I have recently started adding spices to my morning brew, and have found that it has elevated the flavour to the stratosphere. Here is my recipe for spiced coffee. I make it in a 500 ml cafetière, a double-layered stainless one that I picked up at Sainsbury’s, though any such will do. I also grind the beans and spices fresh. You can use allspice in place of the cloves and nutmeg if you do not have those.

I believe that there are health benefits to drinking coffee generally, and certainly cinnamon and cayenne have well documented health properties. I love to drink a pot of this before I go for my morning run.

• 30g or 1 oz or 4 scoops dark or medium roast coffee beans (in my spice grinder this fills it to the top of the metal basin where the blades sit)
• 1/2 stick of cinnamon (or equivalent amount of cassia bark)
• 5 green cardamom pods
• 2 cloves
• 1/16 of a nutmeg nut
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Boil the water. Grind the coffee and spices together at once, and let run until the spices have been fully ground. Sprinkle the cayenne pepper into the cafetière, then pour in the ground coffee and spices.

Pour in the boiled water, leaving room below the lip. Let sit for 2 minutes or so until the froth has subsided, and top up with a small amount of water before placing the plunger mechanism on top.

Let sit another 2-3 minutes, and then gently lower the plunger.

Optional Extras: “Cream” with coconut milk, collagen, and MCT oil

I love to use unsweetened coconut milk, a spoon of plain collagen and a spoon of MCT oil powder or oil as my creamer. Mix them first in the bottom of your mug with only the smallest amount of liquid, so that they come together like toothpaste, which helps prevent lumps. Then add liquid until you get the desired consistency and quantity.

Pour in the coffee and stir. Enjoy. A pure delight.

You won’t be going back!