Pumpkin Spice Latte Syrup

This is a decent homemade option to make your own version of the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte. I've gotten so used to drinking my coffee with no sugar that it tasted pretty sweet to me, but the nice thing about having made this syrup is that I can add as much or as little as I want. And if I want a little autumnal sweet treat with my afternoon coffee, I'm set!

The picture doesn't really show much of the actual recipe since the syrup is mixed in with my normal coffee with half-and-half. But I get to show off one of my favorite mugs, made by the lovely Shawna Pincus.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Syrup
Courtesy of Sugar Crafter



1 cup water
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons pumpkin purée
1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (or 3 cinnamon sticks)
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves

In a small sauce pan, combine all of the ingredients. Simmer over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes. Do not allow to boil.

Let the syrup cool to lukewarm, and then strain it through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth to remove some of the grittiness from the spices. Pour the syrup into a bottle or jar. Store the jar in the refrigerator, and use within a month. If the remaining spices settle to the bottom, just give the syrup a quick stir before you use it.

Mocha Chip Angel Food Cake

Excellent twist on angel food cake. It suggests being served with a mocha ganache, but we just added some vanilla ice cream. I'll add the recipe here since I'll probably give it a whirl sometime later. How you could go wrong with some mocha ganache, right?

I cannot find a link to this recipe online, but I got it from the Martha Stewart Everyday Food Magazine.

Mocha Chip Angel Food Cake
Courtesy of Martha Stewart Everyday Food Magazine



2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
12 large egg whites, room temperature
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup cake flour, spooned and leveled
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips (6 ounces)
1 recipe Mocha Ganache (below)

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, stir together espresso powder, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon water until powder dissolves.

In a large, wide bowl, using an electric mixer, beat egg whites on medium-high until foamy, about 1 minute. Add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form, 4 minutes. Continue to beat, gradually adding sugar, until stiff glossy peaks form, about 2 minutes. (If using a standard mixer, gently transfer egg-white mixture to a large, wide bowl for easier folding.)

Place cake flour and salt in a fine-mesh sieve and sift over egg-white mixture in three additions, gently folding with a rubber spatula after each addition. Gently fold in espresso mixture and chocolate chips. Gently spoon batter into an ungreased angel-food cake pan with a removable bottom. With a knife, cut through batter to release air bubbles, then smooth top. Bake until cake is golden brown and springs back when lightly pressed, 30 to 35 minutes.

Invert pan on a baking sheet; let cake cool in pan, 1 hour. Run a thin knife around pan and tube, then unmold cake. Serve drizzled with ganache. (Store cooled cake in pan, wrapped in plastic, up to 3 days.)

Mocha Ganache

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 ounces)
1/2 cup skim milk
2 teaspoon instant espresso powder

Place chocolate chips, milk, and espresso powder in a medium heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pot of simmering water. Stir until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. (Refrigerate up to 1 week.)

Coffee-Caramel Crème Brûlée

This is amazing. And while I was pretty happy with my first attempt at crème brûlée, this version made me realize that the other one was a little on the gritty side. This one was so smooth. And because I had had some practice using the brûlée torch, the caramelized sugar on top was a lot more evenly caramelized. Chilling the custards after using the torching also seemed to help make the topping more evenly crunchy.

I can't stress enough how easy these things are to make. You will wow your guests with very little effort.

Coffee-Caramel Crème Brûlée
Courtesy of Bon Appétit



2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
1/4 cup dark-roast coffee beans (such as French roast; about 3/4 ounce), crushed with mallet in plastic bag
1 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup water
2 cups half and half
8 large egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 teaspoons raw sugar*

Bring 1 cup cream and coffee beans to simmer in heavy small saucepan. Remove from heat; cover and let steep at least 20 minutes and up to 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Stir 2/3 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush. Boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber, swirling pan occasionally, about 11 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Add remaining 1 cup whipping cream (mixture will bubble up). Stir over low heat until caramel is smooth. Stir in half and half. Strain coffee-infused cream into caramel cream; discard coffee beans in strainer.

Whisk yolks, salt, and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in cream mixture. Strain custard into large measuring cup.

Arrange eight 2/3-to 3/4-cup ramekins or custard cups in roasting pan. Divide custard among ramekins. Add enough warm water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins or custard cups.

Bake custards until just set in center, 65 to 70 minutes. Transfer custards from water bath directly to refrigerator. Chill uncovered until cold, at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.

Sprinkle top of each custard with 1 teaspoon raw sugar. Using kitchen torch, melt sugar on each custard until deep amber. (Alternatively, preheat broiler. Arrange custards on small rimmed baking sheet; broil until sugar topping melts and browns, about 2 minutes.) Refrigerate custards until sugar topping hardens, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour (do not chill longer than 1 hour or topping will start to soften). Serve custards cold.

* Also called turbinado or demerara sugar; available at most supermarkets and at natural foods stores.

Fudgy Mocha-Toffee Brownies

I've packaged up all of these brownies in order to not eat them before I give them out as Christmas presents. These are fudgy indeed. But also light. They have a wonderful flavor, and the toffee chips on top give them a delicious extra flavor boost and some great crunch.

The batter is super dense. It was a bit of a challenge to mix since I chose to do it by hand, and I definitely needed some wet hands to press the batter into the pan. It also took a lot longer than the recipe called for. But oh my, they were worth the wait.

Edited to add: I don't know what was different about this time, but the brownie mix was far less sticky (though still very dense) and took a lot less time to bake (much closer to the recipe's baking time). *shrug*

Fudgy Mocha-Toffee Brownies
A variation on this recipe from Cooking Light



Cooking spray
2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
1/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/4 cup toffee chips

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Coat bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.

Combine coffee and hot water, stirring until coffee dissolves.

Combine butter and chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at high 1 minute or until butter melts; stir until chocolate is smooth.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine coffee mixture, butter mixture, vanilla, and eggs in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add coffee mixture to flour mixture; stir just until combined. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle evenly with toffee chips. Bake at 350º for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean near the edge of the pan. Cool on a wire rack.

Note: Store leftover brownies in an airtight container for up to a week or wrap tightly in aluminum foil and freeze for up to four months.

Coffee Cordials

Wow. These totally surprised me. I made them because they sounded interesting, I wanted to bring a hostess gift to a party I was going to, and I had all of the ingredients on hand. They're perfect little after-dinner treats.

The kids are a little annoyed that they can't have any since Jonathan and I have been raving over them, but oh well. Sometimes Mommy and Daddy need treats of their own.

Coffee Cordials
Courtesy of Everyday with Rachael Ray



1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons plus 1/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 large egg
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon plus 1 pinch salt
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
4 teaspoons whiskey
36 chocolate-covered espresso beans

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 375°F. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar and 2 tablespoons espresso powder at high speed until fluffy. Beat in the egg, baking powder, vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon salt at medium speed. Beat in the flour and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar at low speed.

Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Using a glass with a flat bottom, flatten the balls 1/3 inch thick. Bake, switching and rotating the pans halfway through, until just soft in the center, 12 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir together the remaining 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, 1/4 teaspoon espresso powder, 1 pinch salt and the whiskey. Using a pastry brush, coat the hot cookies with the glaze; press a chocolate espresso bean in the center of each cookie, then transfer the cookies to a rack to cool completely.

Pumpkin Spice Latte

This is awesome. And I can make it sugar-free, which makes my sister, who is currently on a sugar-free diet, extremely happy. Suck it, Starbucks.

Pumpkin Spice Latte
Courtesy of crockpot365.blogspot.com

2 cups milk
2 tablespoons canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp cloves, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, and a teeny tiny pinch of ground ginger)
1/2 cup brewed espresso or 3/4 cup strong brewed coffee
Garnish with whipped cream and/or additional cinnamon (optional)

Add the coffee/espresso and milk to the crockpot. Whisk in the pumpkin, spices, sugar, and vanilla.

Cover and cook on high for 2 hours (if everything is cold), about an hour if you're working with hot coffee/espresso. Whisk again.

Ladle into mugs, and garnish with whipped cream and additional cinnamon, if desired.

Peanut Swirl Brownies

These are pretty intense. I had one and thought I was going to have a buzz for the rest of the night. And I kinda did. So if you're the mood for a sugar rush, I'm your dealer.

Oh, and this recipe makes a ton. There's also a good reason she suggests you use a 12x18 pan... I made a full batch using a 9x13 pan, and that made very tall brownies. I think I'll half the recipe next time to have more normal-sized brownies. It'll also make not overbaking a lot easier. Because I had to do a little guesswork regarding the baking time, the outsides of the ones I made were a bit on the well-done side.

I have yet to make a pretty brownie, so I'm waiting to add a picture until I can figure out how to do so.

Peanut Swirl Brownies
A variation on this recipe by Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa)

1 pound unsalted butter
1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, divided
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 large eggs
3 tablespoons instant coffee granules
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 12x18x1 1/2-inch sheet pan.

Melt together the butter, 1 pound of chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water. Allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt. Add to the cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the remaining 12 ounces of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup of flour, then add them to the chocolate batter. Pour into the prepared sheet pan. Spoon the peanut butter over the top of the chocolate mixture and using a knife, swirl it through the chocolate mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes more or until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake! Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate, and cut into large squares.

Cappuccino Cheesecake

My mother-in-law sent me a link to this blog to show me this cheesecake. The blogger uses a very long-winded method for writing down the recipe she uses, so I transcribed it in a more understandable way.

Because my mother-in-law was worried that making such a large cake for a smaller gathering would mean too much leftover cake (and really, who but the Golden Girls can eat that much cheesecake without gaining hundreds of pounds?), I made this for Jonathan's family's February/March birthday party. And it was a HUGE hit. It especially made me me exceedingly happy that Jonathan, who is extremely picky about sweets, especially chocolate ones, said that it was the best cheesecake he'd ever had. Score.

We did decide that the cocoa powder on top as a garnish was not a good choice. I ended up inhaling some of it and coughed my way through the first couple of bites of my slice, and most other people had some trouble wearing it. So no matter how nice it may make the cake look, don't bother with it.

There is a lot of scraping down the bowl in this recipe, but really, it's so worth it. It made the cheesecake light and almost mousse-like. I definitely made sure to beat the cream cheese really well before adding anything else, which I think helped too.

I will say that figuring out if this cake was done was difficult for me since I don't have that much experience with making cheesecakes. I followed the directions, but when I went to take the cake out of the oven, it just felt way too jiggly. I even went to test it with a knife, as you would with a regular cake, which is why you can see a big gash in the middle of my cake in the picture. Do not do this. From what I've read online, it is perfectly normal for the cake to jiggle a bit when it comes out of the oven. As long as the entire top moves as one unit and doesn't look too goopy, it's just fine. And don't stick anything into it, you'll ruin all the work you've done already to make sure that it doesn't crack.

Definitely definitely definitely make sure you make this a day or so ahead of time. The cooling process is important to making sure the cake is solid and the flavors are mixed properly. When it first came out and even before I put it in the fridge overnight, I smelled a lot of the Irish Cream. I was a little concerned that it would end up overwhelming all of the other flavors in the cake. But once it came out of the fridge and was ready to be served, the flavors had clearly blended a lot more.

Cappuccino Cheesecake



For crust:
1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs (you can get chocolate wafers and grind them up)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

For ganache:
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 cups whipping cream, heated but not boiled

For filling:
16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup Irish Cream
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
2 eggs, at room temperature
Chocolate-covered espresso beans, semisweet chocolate chips and/or Hershey's Kisses, for garnish

To make crust: Mix together crust ingredients and press into the bottom of a springform pan. Bake at 350ºF for 10 minutes. Once the crust is done, turn the oven down to 325ºF.

To make ganache: Warm whipping cream over low heat until heated but not boiling. Cover chopped semisweet chocolate with heated whipping cream, and let sit for about 5 minutes. Whisk the mixture together until chocolate is completely melted and mixture becomes smooth. Set aside.

To make filling: Put softened cream cheese in mixer and beat until very creamy, scraping down the sides from time to time. Gradually add the sugar. Scrape down the sides. Add cornstarch. Mix together Irish Cream and espresso powder, and add to the mixer. Scrape down the sides.

Add eggs, one at a time, making sure each is incorporated well. Scrape down the sides. Add the ganache, and scrape down the sides one more time. The mixture will be very loose, so carefully pour it on top of the crust in the springform pan.

Bake for 30 minutes, then turn off the oven and leave it in there for another 30 minutes. Make sure you do not open the oven during this time. After the hour has passed, let the cheesecake cool to room temperature and then refrigerate overnight.

Before serving, garnish as desired.

Mocha Ice Cream

The Simple Chocolate Ice Cream recipe that came with my Cuisinart ice cream maker is definitely a favorite in our household. As I was food shopping this morning and contemplating what I would be making for dessert tonight for our weekly dinner with my brother-in-law, I decided to see if I could take our favorite chocolate ice cream recipe and turn it into Mocha Ice Cream. The result? Big success.

The coffee flavor is subtle, but as Ina Garten always says when she's making anything with chocolate, adding coffee definitely brings out the chocolate flavor even more. I figure too that if you want a more intense coffee flavor, you can just add more ground coffee (I only used 1 tablespoon).

Mocha Ice Cream

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch process preferred)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1-1/2 cups whole milk
3-1/4 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons ground coffee

Place the cocoa and sugars in a medium bowl; stir to combine. Add the whole milk and use a hand mixer on low speed or whisk to combine until the cocoa and sugars are dissolved, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream, vanilla, and ground coffee. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Turn machine on; pour mixture through fine-mesh sieve into freezer bowl, using a wooden spoon to push through as much of the liquid as possible. Let mix until thickened, about 25 to 35 minutes. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours. Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving.

Creamy Broccoli-Stuffed Chicken Breasts and Coffee Ice Cream

Today is my husband's 30th birthday. We were away last weekend, celebrating with our friends in the Poconos, so tonight's dinner was going to be a bit modified anyway... But Mother Nature decided to give my husband a giant snowstorm for his birthday, so the meal has become even more modified. I had the makings for a meal that I didn't get to a couple of weeks ago -- Creamy Broccoli-Stuffed Chicken Breasts. And for dessert, a non-egg-based coffee ice cream to go with the delicious One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes that my mother-in-law made for him while caring for our son last weekend.

I will be back to comment on the chicken after we've had it, but the little taste I had of the coffee ice cream as I was putting it away in the freezer was really good. Definitely less intense than the other coffee ice cream I've made. And I'm definitely going to try topping it with the chocolate sauce I still have in my fridge. Or may use some of those extra chocolate-covered espresso beans I still have somewhere in my pantry.

Edited to add: The chicken was really tasty. Definitely a good meal to make when you're having guests who like simple, non-spicy food.

The ice cream was a different story... It tasted too much like Kahlua. I'm either going to omit it or use less the next time.

Edited to add (4/7/12): I took the Kahlua out of the ice cream, which helped, but I think I should also cut down on the almond extract. It tastes more like almond extract than coffee with the 2 teaspoons. I've adjusted the amount in the recipe below. Here's hoping that's better.

Creamy Broccoli-Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Courtesy of Kraft Foods

1 package (6 ounces) Stove Top Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1 cup water
6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 1/2 pounds)
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed, drained
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) 98% fat-free condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 400ºF.

Combine stuffing mix and water in large bowl. Let stand 5 minutes. Meanwhile, pound chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. Add broccoli to stuffing; mix lightly. Spread onto chicken to within 1/2 inch of edges; roll up starting at one short end of each.

Place, seam-sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish. Mix soup and milk; pour over chicken. Top with paprika and cheese.

Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is done (165ºF).

**********************************************************

Coffee Ice Cream
A variation on this recipe by Cuisinart

1 1/2 cups whole milk, chilled
1 1/8 cups granulated sugar
3-5 tablespoons instant espresso powder (to taste)
3 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a medium mixing bowl, use a hand mixer on low speed to combine the milk, granulated sugar and espresso powder until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and extracts.

Turn the machine on; pour the mixture into freezer bowl, and let mix until thickened, about 20 to 25 minutes. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours. Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving.

Espresso Ice Cream

This is a delicious ice cream with a very intense coffee flavor. Definitely not meant to be eaten as a midnight snack. I will be making a double batch next time. There was not nearly enough to share properly.

Edited to add: After chilling the mixture and before putting it in the ice cream maker, I've found that it's good to put the mixture through the fine-mesh sieve again. It helps to cut down on the amount of ground coffee beans in the actual ice cream. The original recipe made the ice cream a little too crunchy for our liking, so this extra step helped with that a lot.

I've also started omitting the Kahlua since I felt like it was a little too intense of a flavor. I don't miss it at all.

Espresso Ice Cream
Courtesy of Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa)



3 cups half-and-half
6 extra-large egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
Pinch salt
2 1/2 tablespoons ground espresso coffee beans, decaffeinated or regular
1 tablespoon coffee liqueur (recommended: Kahlua)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 ounces (1/2 cup) chocolate-covered espresso beans, chopped

Heat the half-and-half until it forms bubbles around the edge of the pan and steam starts to rise. Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks, sugar, and salt until mixed. Slowly add the hot half-and-half until combined. Wipe out the pan and pour the mixture back into the clean pan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 5 to 10 minutes, until it's thickened and the cream coats the back of the spoon.

Pour the cream through a fine-meshed sieve into a bowl. Add the ground espresso beans, coffee liqueur, and vanilla and refrigerate until completely chilled.

Pour the espresso cream into an ice-cream freezer and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. Mix in the chopped espresso beans, spoon into a container, and allow to freeze for a few hours. Soften slightly before serving.