As you walk in the front door of the Green Mountain Coffee® Visitor Center & Café one of the first things you will notice is our quote of the day board. A recent quote reminded me of a triumph for our town of Waterbury, Vermont: “At any given moment you have the power to say this is not how the story is going to end.”

Almost one year ago Tropical Storm Irene shocked our town where our visitor center and café is located at the historic train station. This past year has been one of rebuilding and perseverance for our small, yet vital community. We were fortunate to only have the train station basement flooded, however that was a tough blow in itself and forced us to close for four months during renovations. Being an employee of Green Mountain Coffee for some years now I can attest first-hand our perseverance to become a leader and trailblazer in the specialty coffee industry today. For many of us that determination drove us to do what we do best, and serve a great cup of coffee.

Although our visitor center was closed, for sixty-five days following the storm our team served free coffee to the community from the local park, rain or shine. We were transformed in to listeners, sympathizers, and cheerleaders to our fellow community members who often came to us covered in dirt, wearing masks, and sporting mud boots. We were looked upon to provide the metaphorical cup of coffee sought to start the day that helps us rejuvenate, focus, and revitalize. It brought a sense of normalcy in what was a turned upside down community. Our triumph during this time was to see a glimpse of a smile under a mask, and even a hug from a regular customer whose home had been devastated.

I am pleased to let you know that driving through the town of Waterbury today is as beautiful as it was before. Progress continues due to the efforts of many community members and other volunteers. We are proud to be part of such a great community that came together and chose how our story was going to end.

Cheers to Waterbury!

Pumpkin Spice fans, rejoice! That’s right, you can stop hoarding your beloved Green Mountain Coffee® Pumpkin Spice coffee and make room in the pantry for even more because it is now available for the season in K-Cup® packs! You know just as well as we do how great it is to have this autumnal favorite back in our line-up.

What is your favorite thing about Pumpkin Spice?  For us, it's the experience of drinking a fresh-baked pumpkin pie with every sip!

I want you to close your eyes for a second and imagine a place where the coffee is just as good as the scenery. I must admit that Vermont has both of these things. However, there are some places that offer scenery on such a grand scale that it is often humbling to witness.  I have recently returned from a long journey to Seattle, a place that many would consider the Coffee City of the United States, maybe even the world.

My coffee pilgrimage began when I touched down in Seattle at 12:24 AM. I must admit after a 5 hour and 50 minute flight from Newark I decided it was best to get some much needed rest before exploring the sights and smells of the Seattle Coffee scene.

By 10:30 AM I was ready to get my bearings and venture out to the closest coffee shop to order a heavily caffeinated beverage. After taking a photo of the view from my hotel room I walked just around the corner and found myself staring at one of the original Tully’s Coffee Shops. It was then that I knew I was in the right place! I immediately ran inside and ordered up a double shot of espresso and a 16 oz. mocha latte with skim milk.

Who doesn’t love a potluck?

It’s the trifecta of good things: Friends, mingling, and great food – the signature items that you bring plus a slew of dishes you’d have never thought to make yourself.  A buffet of creativity that you get to enjoy with your best buds.  Win, win, win all around.

Those are just some of the reasons why we’re excitedly packing our bags for this weekend’s Big Summer Potluck, an annual gathering of food lovers put on by The Ivory Hut and Three Many Cooks.  It’s three days jam-packed with schmoozing with old and new friends, workshops galore, and of course, dishes from some of the best cooks around – the hosts and attendees!  Some of our very own K-Cup^® Ambassadors will even be on the ground, taking the weekend in for all its foodie worth and sharing the K-Cup^® love.    

So, what does a coffee company bring to a potluck?  We do have a lot of spectacular recipes using Green Mountain Coffee^® varieties thanks to Bluebonnets & Brownies, so we have some options. 

But let’s be honest: when it’s 8 AM on Saturday and you’re in need of a revelation, what do you want?  Coffee – hot and caffeinated.  When it’s 3 PM in the summer after a full day of inspiring workshops, what do you need? Coffee – cool and creamy.  Iced, hot, and creatively mixed (we’re talking to you, K-Cup^®  Mixologists!) we’ll be bringing a pallet of Green Mountain Coffee^® K-Cup^® packs for Big Summer Potluck guests to enjoy throughout the day.     

If you can’t make it to Big Summer Potluck, don’t worry!  Follow the weekend activity on Twitter with hasttag #bsp3 and have your own potluck at home! What’s your go-to potluck dish?  Wild Mountain Blueberry™ Pound Cake is a showstopper with crowds!

Alright, let’s admit it: There are some things in life that just go well together. We here at Green Mountain Coffee® particularly enjoy the combination of cream and coffee (or a nice Brew Over Ice beverage) to help us deal with a particularly hot day. This Fourth of July we’ve decided to share a favorite way to enjoy coffee and or fruit flavored treats on a day that calls for cold refreshment. Introducing the Café Vanilla Pop and the Sweet Raspberry Tea Pop! We hope you will make these popsicle recipes a part of your Fourth of July celebration.

Café Vanilla Pop Recipe

• 1 Café Escapes® Café Vanilla K-Cup® pack, brewed using the 4 oz. setting
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 cup of ice

Stir sugar into hot coffee until dissolved.

Add ice & blend in blender.

Pour blended mix into popsicle mold, freeze and enjoy!

*Additions (mini choc. chips) Add handful before freezing popsicles.

Sweet Raspberry Tea Pop Recipe

• 1 Celestial Seasonings® Sweet Raspberry Iced Tea K-Cup® pack, brewed using the 4 oz. setting
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1 cup of ice

Stir sugar into hot tea until dissolved.

Add ice & blend in blender.

Pour blended mix into popsicle mold, freeze and enjoy!

- Psst - remember to check out our Fourth of July Storewide Sale for some great deals on these Popsicle ingredients!

One of the great things I love about working for an employee-friendly brand like Green Mountain Coffee® is the little things they do to keep us working folk happy. It's not just about the fun and laid-back environment of our office - which is to be expected if you've ever spent any amount of time around our group - but the fact that our bosses like to surprise us with treats to break up the work week is a great point of difference for the team.

Most recently, I found myself smiling with anticipation when my supervisor strolled past my desk with eight flat boxes of Jimmz Pizza from Waterbruy and shouted, "Pizza party!"

We all popped our heads up and smiled at the phrase, as it's one that many of us haven't heard in years. With pepperoni, cheese, peppers, onions, barbecue chicken, bacon, and sausage as toppings, the entire crew was suddenly in good spirits as we munched on our respective slices and joked around until every slice was gone.

While it might seem like a minor thing, something as simple as a pizza party can be the ideal way to stay engaged and feel appreciated. 

Despite the recent rains, I have been able to enjoy the sunny days Vermont has had in May to prepare my gardens for the summer and fall.

This past weekend, I got a brief reprieve from the weather long enough to head out into the backyard to weed and map out my garden plans. I turned on the radio just loud enough to hear at the garden below, put on my garden shoes and gloves, and began clearing away the brush that had accumulated over the past year.

I've only been trying my hand at gardening at home for the past couple of years, so I still consider myself somewhat of a beginner. In the past, my green thumb experience included watering my indoor spider plants occasionally and growing a couple of potted herbs. However, I've graduated to cultivating a small garden of Gladiolas, daisies, bleeding hearts, dahlias and an area for some strawberries - not bad for someone who couldn’t recognize the names of simple flowers before.

By about midday, I had the garden cleaned up and ready for planting. I spent about an hour or so transplanting flowers and plants that were given to me from my mother’s garden as well as planting some new bulbs I had purchased. I only hope the plants take and the bulbs come up.

I realized later in the afternoon that I had neglected to put on enough sun screen and my fair skin was turning a bright shade of pink.

To relieve my skin from the sun, I ran inside and opened the refrigerator; first to feel the cool air and second to grab the iced coffee I had made earlier in the morning using my French press. I am particular about my coffee and enjoy the process of grinding and brewing it myself. This morning, I knew I would enjoy an iced coffee after gardening so I increased the ratio of coffee to water and added a few extra scoops of freshly ground Nantucket Blend®. This would ensure that after I added ice that I would not dilute the great blend.

That cup of iced coffee was the perfect conclusion to a day of hard work in the yard. The caffeine perked me up a bit so that I could finish cleaning up my garden supplies. Afterward, I grabbed my recent travel magazine, poured another refreshing Green Mountain Coffee® iced coffee and spent the remainder of the afternoon lounging on my back patio in the shade. Here's hoping the weather is nice next weekend so I can start on my tomato garden.

As a competitive runner, people usually assume that I'm some sort of superhuman fitness and nutrition guru who dedicates her entire day to becoming a healthier person. While eating like an athlete certainly takes work (I regularly fight urges to binge on some very sugary snacks, in case you're wondering), I'd be lying if I said that intense workouts and a rigid diet are my entire life. I think I've managed to find a relatively simple path toward a healthier lifestyle - one that doesn't require sweating profusely in the gym five times per day or eating chalky nutritional supplements on a daily basis.

With summer quickly approaching, several of my friends have asked me for some guidance about slimming down (swimsuit weather is almost here!) and incorporating more nutritious foods into their diets. And let me tell you - they were all stunned at the incredibly easy and straightforward advice I gave them about how I maintain a healthy and happy lifestyle every day. Here are some of my not-so-secret tips for success.

While many people feel like they need to run or jog several miles a day for an effective cardio workout, I've found that hiking and mountain biking are also enjoyable alternatives that fit nicely into my daily routine. On beautiful sunny days, it’s hard to make myself return indoors even after finishing a workout, so I’ll hike some local trails if I feel that more vitamin D and exercise are necessary. Similarly, I love exploring the beautiful back roads of Vermont on the weekends by bike. As long as you get outside and start moving, there's no reason you need to make a cardio workout feel like torture.

To be honest, I've tried cutting snacks and desserts out of my life and it just hasn't worked. Even if I manage to go a day or two without indulging, I typically find myself gravitating towards the junk food isle looking for sugary sweets. Once I came to terms with this inevitable reality, I learned to adjust my eating habits so that my snacks benefit my diet. I try to keep low-fat cheeses in the fridge along with an assortment of fruits.

However, my secret weapon to nutritional success is my Keurig® brewer. While it's great for brewing a hot cup of coffee in the morning, I primarily use it to enjoy a variety of my favorite hot tea flavors, such as Mandarin Orange Spice, India Spice Chai, Green Tea, Mint Medley and English Breakfast. Not only are these flavors rich in antioxidants, but they're also incredibly convenient to make and taste great - all it takes is the push of a button. 

I will admit – when I cross the finish line after a hard race, I often opt for a thick vanilla milkshake rather than tea.  Reward yourself!  A healthy lifestyle change doesn’t have to mean “die” with a t.  So, there you have it. It doesn't take much to lead a healthier lifestyle - all you need to do is make time to get outside and incorporate nutritional snacks into your everyday life in order to get off on the right foot.

Denise Henderson is the Manager of Corporate and Foundation Relations at Heifer International. Below, she is a piece she wrote about her recent experiences visiting Heifer projects for After The Harvest.org - the website for the documentary about food security in coffee communities. 

"For several years through a partnership with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (GMCR), Heifer International has been committed to fighting hunger and seasonal poverty in coffee growing areas, most notably in Mexico and Central and South America.

Through its work, Heifer conducts agriculture and livestock programs that enable farmers to achieve food security, improve yields and generate revenue by diversifying crop and animal production. Heifer applies improved farming techniques and helps farmers bring products to market through its community-based approach.

In the past few months, I have had the opportunity to see the partnership between Heifer and GMCR in action, both in the field and here in the United States.

In February, I traveled to Honduras with a group of Heifer International staff. While visiting coffee farmers in Marcala, our group observed a distinct difference between families who had the good fortune of participating in a Heifer program designed to address food security and income, and those who didn’t. The families participating in the Heifer projects we visited were healthy and well fed.

In contrast, it was difficult to bear the sight of visibly undernourished residents and their animals that grazed on patches of grass wherever available…usually on the side of a narrow, crooked road with lots of cars and trucks going by.  We were alarmed when our driver screeched to a stop to prevent hitting a cow stopped in the road.

While we were able to see only a few coffee farmers, it was apparent the great struggles of many who provide one of our greatest pleasures – a good cup of coffee - must experience each year. I’m proud to be part of the Heifer-GMCR partnership working to end seasonal hunger and poverty in this part of the world.

In April, I was part of a delegation of Heifer International representatives who attended the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) event in Portland, OR. 

While at SCAA, we were awestruck by the collaboration beginning to form.  Global non-government organizations are beginning to consider collective impact and what it might look like to work together. Competing companies are joining forces to help their coffee producers, for the good of their farmers and their coffee supply chain. Individual agendas are being abandoned in favor of a collective approach to improve hunger and poverty during “the thin months.” It seemed that all are beginning to understand that there won’t be great coffee if there are no coffee growers.

We at Heifer are very happy to be part of the solution of addressing hunger in the coffeelands, and we look forward to our continuing relationship with those in the coffee industry who share the same ideals."

The spirit of volunteerism is a part of the culture at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. That spirit is alive

and strong with our Montreal based employees who participated in their first large-scale volunteer event a couple weeks ago.

The Défi Sportif is an international event that assembles athletes from the elite to newcomers, with all types of disabilities. This year the Défi sportif brought together over 4,000 athletes from over 15 countries for 7 days of athletic competition. The week long event culminated with the wheelchair rugby finals with Ontario Thunders taking the win.

GMCR sent more than 20 employees to volunteer at the event for the entire week. For some of these employees this was their first CAFE (or volunteerism) event! The GMCR Canada marketing team also got in on the volunteering by refereeing one of the high school soccer competitions. It is great to see the commitment to volunteerism from all our employees sites.

 And on top of sending employees, we donated all the coffee, tea and hot chocolate required to fuel the event’s athletes and volunteers! 

Congratulations for all the athletes and volunteers!

This past Friday night, my girlfriend Lena and I came to the realization that we were facing a relatively uneventful weekend. We both got off work and began calling our friends to see who would be interested in hanging out, but after a few phone calls we discovered that almost all of our friends would be out of town.

While neither Lena nor I mind having a quiet weekend to ourselves, we decided this would be the perfect opportunity to get away on our own excursion. Boston is only a short drive from our apartment in Vermont, so we thought it would be nice to spend Saturday in Beantown exploring some of the city's sights and sounds.

We loaded up the car with a couple of necessary provisions and hit the road early on Saturday morning - an impressive feat considering that neither of us are really morning people. However, I managed to rouse Lena out of bed with promises of a croissant (she can't resist breakfast pastries). After enjoying a hot cup of coffee, we felt awake enough to embark on our Boston journey.

Luckily, there wasn't much traffic on the highway, and we arrived just after 11 a.m. - the perfect time to grab some brunch by the waterfront.  We hadn't come to Boston with much of a plan for the day, so we used the meal as an opportunity to read up on some of the attractions and events available to us.

One item jumped out in particular - whale watching. Considering that Boston isn't that far away from Cape Cod, there were plenty of different cruises and tours available to catch a glimpse of those incredible mammals, so we headed over to the aquarium and booked tickets.

We boarded the boat around 2 p.m. and sped out into the Atlantic to the spot around the tip of Cape Cod where whales apparently love to congregate. It took us about an hour of traveling through the water to reach the spot, and once we arrived there must have been 10 humpback whales swimming in the area. We were lucky enough to see a mama whale with a new baby in the water as well, and the two were constantly coming up to the ship and splashing around in the water.

The ship lingered for about a half hour before heading back to shore, and I managed to capture some great videos and pictures on my phone. After so much time in the sun, Lena and I were plenty tired, and were pleasantly surprised to find that the boat offered Green Mountain Coffee® products in the snack bar. We grabbed a couple of cups and lounged in the shade as we sailed back to Boston. All in all, it was a fantastic day of whale watching.

Guys, can I take a minute here to talk about one of my favorite times of year? No, not summer antiquing - I'm talking about music festival season. While one of the year's biggest music events - Coachella - just passed back in April, many of the summer's most exciting extravaganzas of live music, artwork, delicious food, camping and comedy are just around the corner - Bonnaroo, Newport Folk Festival, Lollapalooza, Wakarusa, Sasquatch and Austin City Limits, among dozens of others.

While I try to get to as many of these incredible events as I can, the sheer volume of live music makes it impossible. Because of this, I have to pick and choose which festivals I want to experience each year. As someone who enjoys the outdoors, I tend to prefer the festivals that let me take advantage of the opportunity to spend a few days enjoying the sun and greenery, but I also like mixing things up with the occasional city jam every now and again.

This year, I'm heading down to Bonnaroo in the great state of Tennessee. For four incredible days, we get to disconnect from everything happening in the outside world and just listen to some of my favorite artists and bands. The event starts in just under a month, so I've already gotten to work organizing the necessary supplies.

Along with the essentials, a tent, food, sunscreen, lots of water, ice and summer clothing, I never forget to bring a whole heaping mound of Green Mountain Coffee® K-Cup® packs. Luckily the campground I am staying at provides electricity to each campsite so my Keurig® brewer can continue to function at the picnic table with nothing more than an extension cord - it beats searching for a decent cup of coffee every morning, afternoon, and night.

There's nothing better than a cup of Nantucket Blend® Iced Coffee to beat the summer heat during the early morning performances. However, it can get a little chilly at night - even in the middle of June in Tennessee - so it's nice to have some hot French Roast coffee to get me through the late night shows that sometimes cross into the wee hours of the morning.

Considering that we'll be sleeping in tents under the hot sun - not the easiest conditions to get any amount of rest in - the coffee is as much about the routine and taste as it is survival. However, no amount of roughing it will deter me from my love of my musical summers.

Despite the fact that I am a 23-year-old college graduate, I can't deny the fact I still possess a boyish love of games. Throughout my undergraduate career, my friends and I tore through just about every board and card game in the book during our weekly family game night (which we lovingly abbreviated to FGN) - Monopoly, Sorry, Uno, Risk, The Game of Life, Scrabble, Blockus and Taboo among many more. We even developed our own official/unofficial FGN rulebook in order to settle the inevitable disputes that would arise among our extremely competitive group of friends.

I bring up this particular aspect of my life because I recently got together with my remaining group of college friends to breathe some new life into the old FGN. We dusted off the Monopoly board and instantly it was like a junior year Wednesday night all over again. We started snatching up properties like it was going out of style.

I have to say, even though it wasn't the exact same crew that we had back in the day, it was great to reconnect in the name of  family game night. Before long, the same semi-good natured arguments had broken out, the old jokes were being relived (like when my friend Carlo famously threw Taboo across the room and stormed out of the apartment) and the refreshments were flowing free.

In fact, one of the most memorable aspects that reappeared during our update on FGN was brewing lots and lots of coffee. Back in college, family game night often crossed the midnight mark into the wee hours of the morning, so we made sure to keep our Keurig® brewer handy at all times. This time was no different - I was prepared with several Green Mountain Coffee® K-Cup® packs of Dark Magic® Extra Bold, French Roast and Colombian Fair Trade Select so that we could all get our favorite caffeine fixes.

And wouldn't you know, the rebirth of FGN once again crossed into familiar late night territory. After all, as anyone who has ever played Monopoly knows, it's not a game that goes quickly or easily - everyone was making deals and trades that prolonged the outcome well into the evening. Pretty soon, we had completely abandoned our other drinks in favor of cup after cup of coffee. Tired, yet still wired, we kept FGN going until my girlfriend Lena had emerged victorious - at 3:30 a.m. It was just like old times.

While I wasn't initially planning on moving in with my girlfriend, Lena, so young - even though we've been dating since high school - I've found that it's been a really great experience for both personal and financial reasons. I wouldn't recommend that everyone live with their significant other right out of college, it seems to be working for me.

I shouldn't be too surprised that the two of us make such good roommates - after all, we have a number of similar interests, including - what else? - coffee. I can recall one instance in college when Lena and I were preparing for a final exam - we probably each bought about six or seven cups of coffee that day. Needless to say, that caffeine binge cost us both a pretty penny at the local coffee shop, although when it comes to money, living in the post-college world has showed us both that undergraduate studies are nothing compared to professional life. 

More than just cheaper rent, Lena and I save an immense amount of money by splitting most of our costs right down the middle. In particular, we still tend to blow a lot of money on coffee every week, so sharing the cost of Green Mountain Coffee® and our Keurig® makes enjoying multiple cups a day (and we do) much easier on our bank accounts. Now we can pack up a couple of travel mugs full of our favorite French Roast or Donut House® K-Cup® packs before work - avoiding the trouble of running to the coffee shop several times a day.

There have certainly been some road bumps along the way, but I can safely say that moving in with my girlfriend has unexpectedly become one of the best decisions of my life.

You know, this spring's weather has been a bit perplexing to me. A few weeks back it seemed like warm, sunny days had arrived for good, but since then the weather hasn't been able to make up its mind if it's spring or not. One minute I'll be enjoying a beautiful, 70-degree day, and then next it's suddenly cold, damp and cloudy. All of this inconsistency has made it really difficult to enjoy one of my favorite seasonal activities - grilling.

But this past weekend I decided to hedge my bets on the weather and break out the old charcoal grill. With my eye on the sky, I rounded up the wife and kids and told them to get ready for the first delicious barbecue fare of the season. The second I mentioned grilling, the kids, Spencer and Sabrina were instantly asking to help.

I have to laugh every time the kids want to be included with the barbecue, because it's almost impossible to get them to participate when I'm cooking a regular dinner in the kitchen. If there's an oven involved, neither of them are anywhere to be seen, but mention "BBQ" and they're suddenly aspiring chefs. I can't blame the kids for their enthusiasm for grilling though - meat and vegetables cooking over an open flame is what I live for in the summertime.

With my wife's supervision, I set the little ones to work shucking corn, cutting veggies and brewing some delicious Half  & Half iced tea with our Keurig® Brewer . Meanwhile, I headed out into the yard to get the grill started - all the while hoping that our first barbecue of the season wouldn't be called on account of rain.

Luckily, the clouds cleared up immediately - just in time for the kids to run outside with a couple of pitchers of delicious iced tea. I got the fire started as Sabrina poured a few glasses of Sweet Raspberry and Southern Sweet Perfect iced tea. As the weather began to warm up, I remembered just how great a cold glass of iced tea is during a summer barbecue. In fact, both of those flavors reminded me of when I was a kid and it was my dad manning the grill - cooking up incredible burgers and hot dogs.

Seems that I wasn't the only person in my neighborhood impatient for the weather to clear up. As the evening wore on, I got some serious whiffs of grilled steak and chicken wafting down my street. It's official - barbecue season is finally here. Now we'll just see if Mother Nature is willing to play along.

Looking for great barbeque recipes? Check out these flame broiled recipes with an interesting Coffee twist  from Green Mountain Coffee’s participation in the Safeway Barbecue Battle last summer.

Saturday is National Train Day.  As the proud residents of Waterbury’s historic train station, our Green Mountain Coffee^® Visitor Center and Café is celebrating in style – arts and craft, music by Steve Lotspeich, coffee – and it looks like a few folks from the Vermont rail will, too! 

This year, the Rail Section of the Vermont Agency of Transportation* is inviting passengers to board the Vermont Rail System’s historic passenger cars, and travel from the Essex Junction Station to our very own Railway Station in Waterbury, and back.  One you’re in Waterbury, there’s a slew of speakers, an inspirational  slide show of the repairs to our Vermont railroads post Irene, railroad exhibits to view at the Waterbury Station, and a chance to stretch your legs and perhaps catch a bite to eat at our Café, or take a look around our wonderful town.  Oh, and face painting by our very own Café team!

We hope you have a chance to stop by and enjoy the beauty of these trains.  It’s a great way to travel.

As the conductors say: All aboard!

*Not to brag but Vermont Rail Systems recently received national recognition by being named the US Shortline Railroad of the Year by Railway Age!

I don't know about the rest of you, but sometimes there's nothing better with a hot cup of coffee than a cookie. A really great cookie, where every bite offers a surprise. A crispy outer texture and a chewy middle are also must-haves. This is what I wanted when I started thinking about today's recipe featuring Green Mountain Coffee^®Fair Trade Island Coconut® Coffee. Island Coconut is one of my favorite Green Mountain Coffee seasonal flavors, second only to Fair Trade Pumpkin Spice (which, from me, love springs eternal). I dare say Island Coconut is my husband's favorite Green Mountain flavor, period. I was inspired to create a cookie that you would love, but also that he would adore, given it's his favorite flavor.

I gathered as many coconutty mix-ins as I could, and even went so far as to separate the Almond Joy Pieces - think M&Ms with toasted coconut and almond inside - by color, only adding the brown and cream colored candies. (There may have been discussion of my OCD behaviors as I separated out the blue candies from the brown and cream.) You coconut lovers are going to really enjoy that Fair Trade Island Coconut Coffee makes an appearance in both the cookies and a yummy glaze for the top. Don't skip the glaze! It's so easy to make, and really adds something special to your afternoon coffee break.

As you read the recipe, you'll notice that I say to refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 20 minutes. This is a recommendation I would make to you for any cookie dough, not just my recipe. Cookie dough bakes and tastes better if it is allowed to get cold again before baking. That's why those store-bought ready-made doughs taste so darn good and look so uniform when baking. Refrigerating your homemade cookie dough will get you the same delicious results. Let's just say if you place a plate of these next to the office Keurig^®brewer, you're going to be everyone's favorite co-worker. I hope you love them as much as we did!

Island Coconut Cookies

makes approximately 32 large cookies

Ingredients

For the Cookies

4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 1/2 cups of butter, melted (3 sticks)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup Fair Trade Island Coconut coffee
2 large eggs
1 cup Almond Joy Pieces
1 cup toasted angel flake coconut
1 cup cocoa dusted almonds, chopped

For the Glaze
1/4 cup Green Mountain Coffee Fair Trade Island Coconut coffee
3 tablespoons cream cheese
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions

For the Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Brew a cup of Green Mountain Fair Trade Island Coconut Coffee. Use the smallest setting your Keurig allows. I used my 4 oz setting. Allow the coffee to come to room temperature, placing in the refrigerator if necessary to speed up the process.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, kosher salt, baking soda and quick cooking oats. Use a whisk to combine the ingredients evenly and aerate the flour. Set aside.

When the oven is heated, place the angel flake coconut on a parchment lined baking sheet in an even layer and place in the oven. Bake for 7-12 minutes, checking often in the last 5 minutes of cooking. The coconut should toast to a spotty golden brown. Don't expect all of the coconut to change color.

Remove from the oven immediately if you see any pieces start to get dark brown. Turn the oven off again once toasted.

In the bowl of a food processor, place the cup of cocoa dusted almonds. Pulse repeatedly until the almonds are fairly small chunks.

In a medium bowl, combine the cooled coconut, cocoa dusted almond pieces and Almond Joy pieces. Mix by hand until evenly distributed, then set aside.

Melt the sticks of butter in a microwave safe bowl, then allow them to cool slightly. In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, combine melted butter, both sugars, vanilla, and coffee. Mix on low until combined, then add the two eggs. Mix on medium speed for 3-4 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Add flour mixture in increments, mixing on low after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl before you add more flour each time. When flour mix is completely incorporated, add the toasted coconut mixture and mix on low or by hand until the mix-ins are well distributed.

Place the entire bowl of dough in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes, though half an hour is better.

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Using a large cookie scoop, scoop 9 cookies at a time onto a parchment lined baking tray. Place the dough back in the refrigerator after you dish out each set of 9.

Bake for roughly 17 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown. Allow them to cool for a moment on the tray, then remove to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before glazing.

For the Glaze

In the bowl of a mixer or small mixing bowl, combine coffee, powdered sugar, and cream cheese. Mix on medium high until the cream cheese has completely mixed in and the glaze becomes fairly thick. Add more powdered sugar if you would like the glaze to be thicker.

When the cookies are completely cool, spread them out on paper towel. Place the glaze in a frosting bag or ziptop bag. Seal the bag by twisting to remove all the air, pushing all the glaze into one sealed corner of the bag for piping. Cut a very small tip off the corner of the bag, then pipe glaze onto the cookies in any pattern you like (I did a criss-cross zig-zag). Allow the glaze to set for at least an hour, then place the cookies in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for freshness. Serve alongside strong cups of Green Mountain Coffee Fair Trade Island Coconut coffee!

I often get asked by my family and friends, “Where can I get K-Cup® coupons?” or “How can I save money on my K-Cup® packs?” I drink a lot of coffee, so I found out awhile back that one of the best ways to save on K-Cup® packs is through our Café Express® Savings Club.  As a club member, every time you shop at Green Mountain Coffee® you’ll get great savings (15% off!)on Keurig® K-Cup® and Vue™ packs, bagged coffee, gifts, coffee makers & coffee accessories.

I shared this with the family and they were thrilled, especially Uncle Morty!  I’ll admit: To stop the “Where can I get K-Cup® coupons,” question, I’ve given Café Express® Savings Club memberships to my family and friends during the holidays.  It’s a special way to treat every coffee lover on my list throughout the year (and get major brownie points).

If you just want to purchase a few K-Cup® packs and save money with a coffee coupon, take a look at the Coffee Coupon Page or the Deal of the Week Page.  There are new deals every week, so check back often!

I don’t know about you, but I’m a comparison shopper.  Give me a few options, put them side by side, and let me see the differences.  From cars to electronics – and now brewers.  We just added a new feature to the Green Mountain Coffee® website to help you find the perfect Keurig® coffee maker for you. 

When you want to compare K-Cup® brewing systems, our new Keurig® K-Cup® Brewer comparison page is a great way  to compare the versatility and convenience of the Keurig® Mini Plus to the Keurig® B40 (Also known as our Elite), or help you decide which Keurig® brewer is the perfect gift for the home or the office.

If you’re a Keurig enthusiast looking for the latest in Keurig brewing technology and functionality, our new Keurig® brewer page is a great way to discover the innovative features in the new Keurig® Vue™ Brewing System, featuring the new Keurig Vue™ Pack line of single cup Keurig Brewed® beverages.

If only deciding what I’m cooking for dinner could be so easy…